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Tosai:TablewareCeramics
IhappenedtocomeacrossTosai TablewareCeramicsShopwhilewalking alongChawanzaka(lit.Teabowl Slope;aroadlinedwithsouvenir/ceramics shops).Atfirstglance,thestorefrontseemed atypicalcomparedtoitscompatriots.The larger,moreconspicuousshopsmadeiteasy toquicklyassesswhattheywereabout.In clearcontrasttotheresthowever,Tosai stoodoutandrequiredacloserinspection. Irememberedwalkingpastandsuddenly stoppinginmytrackstocircleback.I carefullyspreadopenthenoren(curtainlike fabrichanginginfrontoftheentranceofa shop/restaurant)andenteredthemysterious space.ItwasatthistimeYamadasan,the currentownerofTosai,greetedme. Weimmediatelyhititoff.Therewerealso unexplainableparallelssuchashiseldest daughterTomomi,whohadstudiedinCanada asanexchangestudent.Withinthefirstfew minutesoftalkingtoYamadasan,Iknewhe wastheinauguralpersonHandsOnKyoto wouldinterviewforitsSupportLocal Businesssectionofthewebsite. Itwasuncanny,butYamadasanwastheexact personIwaslookingfor.Theinterviewwasfull ofexplanationsaboutboththetraditional worldofKyotoceramicsandKyotosrich craftsmanlineage.Separatefromtheinterview andTosaiCeramicShophowever,Ifoundthere wasasurprisingbackstorytoJapanese ceramics.

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AsisthecasewithmanyofJapans traditionalarts,Japaneseceramicswere heavilyinfluencedbyChineseandKorean culturaltraditions.Although,inthecaseof ceramicsthecontextinwhichthistook placeismarkedlydifferent.Itcoincides withoneofthedarkermomentsin JapanesehistorywhenToyotomiHideyoshi (LastName;FirstName)decidedtoinvade Koreainacampaignthatlastedfrom1592 1598. Ultimately,theJapaneseforceswere repelledbutnotbeforemanyKorean ceramicsmakerswereforciblybrought backtoJapan.ThiswasbecauseToyotomi actuallywasastudentofchanoyu(tea ceremony)andhecovetedmanyofthetea implementsproducedinKoreaatthetime. OncemanyoftheKoreanceramicsmakers werebroughttoJapan,theyweresentto fiefdomsallover.Theywereexpectedto teachtheJapaneseartisanstheirspecial skillsandconveytheirknowledge.Asa result,Japaneseceramicsgrewincredibly duringthisperiodandtheKorean influenceisdirectlyresponsibleforhelping totransformJapaneseceramicsintosome ofthemostelegantceramictraditionsin theworld. Inparticular,therearetwoceramicsware traditionsinJapanthatareensconcedin theupperechelonofJapaneseceramics ware.TheseareKyoyakiand Aritayaki(anotherhighlevel brandofceramicsfromKyushu,Saga Prefecture).
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Bothtraditionsappeartohavebeenheavily influencedbytheKoreanceramicsmakersbut theAritayakitraditionwasalsoheavily influencedbyChineseporcelain.Duetothis significantKoreanandChineseinfluence, manyofthepiecestendedtobeproduced withtheforeignmarketinmind.Eventoday, Aritayakipiecescontinuetohaveastrong presenceoverseas. Incontrast,theKyoyakiartisansfocusedon theImperialcourt(basedinKyotofrom794 1868)andproducedpiecesinconjunction withtheselocaltraditionaltastes.Itisamore classicalstylestillverymuchapartofKyoyaki piecestoday.SinceKyoyakitraditiontended tofocusonthelocalKyotomarket, comparativelyithasntreceivedasmuch attentionoverseas. InthecaseofTosaiCeramicsTablewareShop, KyoyakigreatlyinfluencedTosai(founderof Tosaiceramicshop),buthealsoincorporated elementsfromTokyo(morespecificallyEdo Period16001868style)andcreatedaslightly differentstyle(incorporationofamore moderntypeofelegance). TheTosaiCeramicsShopspecializesin tableware.Ithasitsownworkshopandsmall galleryinKyoto,alongwithotherstore locationsinGinza(Toyko)andOsaka. ComparedtootherceramicsshopsinKyoto, Tosaiisuniquebecauseitbothproducesand sellsitsownhighqualityceramics.Asinthe caseofmanyothertraditionalenterprisesthis familyrunceramicsbusinesstracesbackits originstoitsfounder.

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Afterthewar,Tokyolayinruinsfromfire bombingsandotherrepeatedattemptsto bombJapanintosubmission.Afterthewar, Tosaissituationmirroredmanyothers.They weredestituteandhadtorebuildfromthe ashes.InTosaiscasethough,hestillretained aloyalfollowingofpatrons,andattheir behestrebuilttheTosaishopinGinza.Along sidemanyotherstoicJapanese,hestartedthe rebuildingprocess. Thoughitprobablyseemedimpossibleat times,Tosaigraduallyreturnedto prominence.Hispassiontoconveythe YamadaHayao KyoyakitraditiontoTokyoitesandother Japanesepeopleseemedtobeburning YamadaHayao(FamilyName;FirstName) brighterthanever.AsTosaisreputationgrew wasthefounderofTosai,andfollowinginthe inTokyoandthroughoutJapan,itappears traditionofotherJapaneseartistshedecided Tosaibegantosethissightsevenhigher.Since toproducehisartunderapenname,Tosai. hehadcapturedtheattentionofthedomestic Hestartedproducingceramicgoodsin1917 market,henowenvisionedmovingabroad. forpatronsfromalloverJapan.Similarto Heenteredhisworksintocompetitions mostceramicsmakersinKyoto,Tosaiwas overseas,resultinginsomestunningresults. greatlyinfluencedbytheKyoyakitradition TheMilanExhibition(1957)FirstGoldMedal; andfeltastrongconnectiontoKyoto. BrusselsExposition(1958)GrandPrize. However,hehadabroadervisionthat involvedhimconveyingtheKyoyakitradition Usually,onaworldstageitsnottoo tootherpartsofJapan,andthatisprobably uncommontocreditonescountryaftera whatinspiredhimtoopenupthefirstTosai victory.However,uponwinningtheBrussels shopinGinza(Tokyo)in1936.Thisproved ExpositionTosaifamouslyproclaimed,made shortlivedhowever,aswarsoonfellupon inKyoto,notinJapan.Thisspeakstothe Japan. respectandstrongconnectionhefeltfor Kyoto,andmorespecificallyitslonglineageof SimilartomanyotherJapanese,Tosaicould craftsmenintheKyoyakitradition.Ifoundthis notescapethecallofdutytowar.Heserved intriguing,andwonderedhowhebecame inthenavyandlikemanyotherlowerranking recognizednotonlydomestically,but Japanese,sufferedalongsidemanyotherill internationallytoo.Duringtheinterviewhis fatedmen. sonYoshiohintsatafewofthereasons. Founder

PictureBorrowedfrom

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Local/InternationalPerspective Inmy9yearsinJapan,Ihavemetveryfew JapanesewhopossessbothalocalJapanese andinternationalperspective.Yoshiois uniqueinthesensehebothunderstandsand respectstraditionalandmodernelementsin hisdailylife.UnlikemanyotherKyotoites, hecancommunicateinEnglish.Asaresult, heisabletoreachaninternationalaudience. Atthemoment,heistirelesslyworkingto buildlinkswithinternationalmarketsand peoples.Althoughhehasanaffinityfor modernandwesternelements,hehasa keensenseofJapanesetraditionandthe elementsworthyofpreservingandpassing along. Muchlikehisfather,heisquickto emphasizehisstrongprideinKyotoculture andhisdesiretoconveyittothenext generation.Unfortunately,youngJapanese seemlessinterestedintraditionalJapanese culture,soincreasinglyhefindshimself educatinganewinternationalaudience.In ordertocourtthisnewmarket,hehas startedsellingontheInternetandutilising media(magazines)andinternationalshops (France). OneofthebigobstaclesYoshiofacesisthe lackofknowledgeinternationalmarkets haveabouttheKyoyakibrand.Currently, brandssuchAritayakialreadypossessa strongbrandpresenceintheinternational market,makingitdifficultforKyoyakitogain afoothold.

CurrentOwner YamadaYoshio

Today,YamadaYoshio(FamilyName;First Name),theeldestsonoftheYamadafamily, runsTosaiwhileotherfamilymembersare involvedasartistsorinotherdaytoday operations.Fromthetimehewasyoung,he wascompelledtobeinvolvedintraditional Japaneseartssuchaschanoyu(tea ceremony).However,healsowasexposedto Englishataveryearlyage,andasayoungman hedecidedunderhisownvolitiontolivein DenmarkandtravelaroundEurope.Sincethis wasveryrareatthetime,tosomeextentI wouldgosofarastosayYoshioissomewhat ofapioneerandvisionary. Inthefollowinginterview,Yoshiogoesinto moredetailaboutsomeofhisexperiences bothinJapanandabroad.Also,encapsulated intheinterviewaremomentsIfeltparalleled thoseofmyownlife,andthroughsomeofhis responsesIcouldfeelhishumilityandpassion notonlytoproducehighqualityceramics,but topassalongTosaislineagetoan internationalaudience.
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PictureborrowedfromWikipediaCommons

Director OzuYasujiro Manypeopleinterestedinfilmprobably knowofJapaneseDirectorKurosawaAkira, whodirectedtheacclaimedSevenSamurai (ShichininnoSamurai).However,justas prominentatthetimewasanotherdirector, OzuYasujiro(FamilyName;FirstName)who directedsuchcriticallyacclaimedfilmsas TokyoStory(TokyoMonogatari).Typically hisfilmswerenotdramatic,theyinstead focusedoneverydayJapaneselife.Even thoughhisthemesseemedlessdramatic, DirectorOzusmasterfulskillandtechniques allowedhimtocapturetheessenceof everydayJapaneselife,andelevatethe typicalbanalaspectsofourlivesinto appealingstories. DirectorOzuandTosaihappenedtomeet throughanokiya(GeishaHouse)theyboth frequented.Itappearsthetwohititoff immediately.SomuchsoTosaibecamean onsetadvisortoDirectorOzu.DirectorOzu wasaperfectionistandusinghis

characteristiclowangleandcutshots,he alwaysensuredeveryshotwasmeticulously constructed.Everyobjectorartifactusedina shothadtobeauthentic.Tothisend,Tosaiand otheradvisorsinrelationtoJapaneseart, ceramicsandtraditionalculturewereretained tohelpcreateDirectorOzuselaborateworld. AfewpiecesusedonthesetofOzufilms remainattheTosaiworkshop/storeinKyoto. Thehanginglanternandlampshadeinthe picturesaboveareafewmoviepropson display.Also,theTosaistoreinGinzaservedas aplaceDirectorOzuandothermoviestaff frequentlymetattodiscussshoots. Evennow,theinfluencefromthiscollaboration livesoninsomeTosaipieces.Theystillproduce piecesmodeledonafewoftheonesactually usedinsomefilms.
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ExclusiveInterview:YamadaYoshio
The following is an interview between Tosai owner Yamada Yoshio, and myself. Q.1 Yourfatherpursuedmanyinterests(tea ceremony,canineprotection,film)and othersprobablyhavecertainmemoriesabout him.Whataresomeofyourfondmemories? A.1 Iremembermyfatherhadaloveofnature andinparticularhereallylikeddogs.Hewas actuallyheadoftheNationalJapanese PreservationSocietyforDogs.Thesociety originallystartedinHokkaidowhereAinu Dogs(dogsnativetoHokkaido)weredeclared JapaneseNaturalTreasures.Eventually,the societytookonmoreofaspecializedrolein breedingandtheprotectionofdogsallacross Japan. Chichipan Itskindoffoolish,butwhenIwasakidthere wasapopularstyleofeatingbreadassociated withaproductcalledChichipan(literally translatesintoFatherBread)thatalways bringsbackfondmemoriesofmyfather. Usually,peopledrankmilkandatebread separately.However,theChichipanconcept wasimportedfromthewestandinvolved dunkingthebreadwithjam/butterintothe milk.Sometimesjamwasleftatthebottomof thecupandIabsolutelyloveddrinkingthelast bitofsweetjamalongwiththemilk.

Also,walkingaroundmyneighbourhoodwhen Iwasaboy,IusedtoseetheChichipanlogoon anoren(similartoacurtain,hangingoverthe entrancetoastoreorrestaurant)nearmy house,andwheneverIsawthelogoorate Chichipan,Ialwaysassociateditwith WhenIwasaboy,werentedanotherlotnext memoriesofmyfather. toourpresentworkshopandstoreonCha Q.2 WanZaka,Kyoto.Thebuildingwasusedto houseandbreeddogsthatwereceivedfrom Whatarethemostimportantthingsyou alloverJapan. learnedfromyourfather? Sincemyfatherwasverybusywithworkin Tokyo,mymotherandIusuallywalkedand tookcareofthedogs.Remember,thiswasa time(mid1960s)whentherewasnodog food,somymotherhadtopreparefoodfor thedogsherself.Myfatherwasgonemostof thetime,butwhenhereturnedtoKyoto,he lovedtakingthedogsouttoMaruyamaPark; moreoverheusuallyhad2or3dogswithhim atanyonetime.

A.2 Myfatheralwaysusedtotalkaboutthevalue andimportanceofpersonality.Ifapiecedidnt haveacertainelementofpersonality,thenit wouldntsell.Healsosaideverypiecemust embodyauniqueTosaipersonality.

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Q.3 HowdidyourfathermeetJapaneseDirector OzuYasujiro? A.3 AheadclerkbythenameofKitagawasan whoworkedatTosaihappenedtomeet DirectorOzuatadrinkingestablishmentin Ginza.AsfortunewouldhaveitKitagawa sanshometownwasthesameasDirector Ozuandthiscommonlinkbroughtthem together.Then,throughKitagawasanmy fatherHayaowasintroduced. Q.4 Doyouthinkthecollaborationbetween DirectorOzuandyourfatherinspiredyour fatherswork? A.4 DirectorOzuwasnotedforhavingaclear ideaofwhatheenvisionedineveryshotand hewouldnotcompromisethisforanything. Tocompromisehisvisionwasanalogousto betrayalofhishighstandardofqualityand authenticity. Hestronglybelievedthecreationofmoodor atmosphereofcertainshotsrequiredreal props,costumesetc.andwenttogreat lengthstoensurethesehighquality standardsweremetonset.Everysceneused authenticarticlesandDirectorOzu meticulouslychoseallthearticleswiththe adviceofmyfatherandotherswho possessedanartisticeye.

qualityandhisprocesstoachieveitalso inspiredandinfluencedmyfatherinhisown work.Especially,DirectorOzusunwillingness tocompromiseonaspectshefeltconfident about. Q.5 Yourfatherreallyvaluedcustomersandit seemsyoualsoplaceahighvalueonyour customers.Whatspecificthingsdoyouthink arenecessarywhenyoudealwithpatrons? A.5 Wevalueourcustomersandextendthesame friendlinessandexpertisethatanyother professionalbusinessdoes.However,weare notwillingtocompromiseTosaispersonality inordertopleaseeverycustomer.For example,nowadaysmanybusinessestreat theircustomersas`King.Wehaveneverdone this.Tousethisapproachwouldultimately compromiseTosaispersonalityandour abilitytocreateuniqueandhighquality pieces. TheOldKimonoMaker IrememberastoryIonceheardaboutanold kimonomaker.Hewasapproachedbya customerandaskedtoproduceatypeof kimonothatthekimonomakerhadnever madebefore.Skillwisehewasverycapable, buthemulledovertherequest.Thiskimono wouldhavebroughttheshoptensof thousandsofdollarsinrevenue,butthe kimonomakerdeclined.Ultimately,hefeltit wouldcompromisehisshopslegacy.

IbelieveDirectorOzusunderstandingofhigh Thethoughtofsomeoneyearsdowntheroad
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Artist lookingatthekimono,andwonderingwhy thisparticularpiecebetrayedthetradition andlineagehisshophadrepresented,greatly Anartistontheotherhand,basicallycreatesa pieceofartwithnoinclinationtoprice.After affectedhim. anartistfinishestheirwork,theysimplyseta Similartothekimonomaker,Ialwayshavea priceandacustomereitherbuysitornot. strongideaofTosaislegacyandtrytobeup Also,anartistisusuallythesoleproducerof frontandhonestwithcustomers.Itryto theirworkandisresponsibleforallofthe creativeelementsinvolved. handleeverysituationdiplomaticallyand ensureIdontoffendthecustomerinthe process.However,IclearlyconveywhatIam Ofcourseitsalsopossibleforaceramics makertobeconsideredanartist.However,I willingandnotwillingtodo. believethatdistinctionisnotuptothe Q.6 ceramicsmakerthemself.Itisinthehandsof someoneelse,suchasacustomertodecide. Whatdoyouthinkisthedifferencebetween anartisanandanartist? Q.7 Ingeneral CeramicsMaker Ibelieveaceramicsmakerissomeonewho replicatesthesamepieceoverandoveragain andtheyareguidedandinfluencedby productioncosts.Also,Tosaisceramics makersandmanyothersoftheKyoyaki traditiontendtoutilizeadivisionoflabour approach.Insteadofhavingoneartist, certainartisticelementsofapieceare brokendownintospecializedtasks.For example,onepersondrawsapictureor patternwhileanotherpersonisresponsible foranothertask.Thisprocessallowsthebest skilledpersontofocusontheirareaof expertise.Afterbringingallofthecreative elementstogether,acomparativelyhigh qualitypieceiscreated.Actually,thisdivision oflabourapproachisfoundnotonlyin Kyoyakiceramics,itisalsocharacteristicin manyothertraditionalartsinKyoto.

WhatspecificaspectsinKyoyakidoyoufind appealing?Doyouthinkthissametypeof appealisrecognizablebynonJapanesepeople too? A.7 AsinmanyaspectsofJapaneseculture(food, flowerarrangement,chanoyu)Ibelieve nature,morespecifically,thefourseasons haveheavilyinfluencedtheproductionof ceramicsinKyoto.Forexample,everypattern andshapeofapiecehasastrongconnection totheseasonitismadefor. Eachseasonstronglyinfluencesthepatterns, coloursmaterials,andthetypeofprocessused tomakecertainpieces.

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EventhoughtypicalJapaneselifestyleshave ImetafellowfromBostonbythenameof changedoverthepastfewyears,thefour BobKoffman.Hehadspentawholeyearor seasonscontinuetoinfluenceKyotoceramics. sosavingupmoneytogotoDenmark. Comparatively,Ifeltsomewhatimmature ForthoseinterestedinJapaneseculture,I becauseIexpectedmyfathertopayformy thinktheycouldfindceramicsinteresting. livingexpensesetc.whileinDenmark. However,Japanesepeoplemustadequately explaintheinfluenceandinvolvementof AtthetimeIguessIfeltalittlespoiled,but natureinmanyofJapanstraditionalarts. afterstayinginDenmarkandtravelling Then,nonJapanesepeoplemightbecome aroundEuropeIbegantorealizethemeritsof moreinterestedaftertheyarebetterableto Japaneseculture,especiallyceramics.After understandthisverybasicbutessential recognizingthishighvalueinJapanese connectionbetweenthefourseasonsand culture,Istartedtothinkaboutwaystoget Japaneseceramics. involvedinmaintainingandpassingonits tradition. Q.8 Ironically,itwasntuntilIwenttoDenmark Youseemtopossesastrongaffinityfor thatIwasintroducedtotheArita(Aritayaki) Japanesetraditionalarts.Forexample,you andMinge(Japaneseceramicandfolkarts) practicechanoyu(teaceremony).Wereyou forthefirsttime.However,somethingwas alwaysinterestedintraditionalJapanesearts missing.Iwonderedtomyself,whywasnt ordidyoufeelcompelledtolearnbecauseof Kyoyaki,Japanshighestqualityceramicsalso yourfatherandfamilysituation? available?Itwasatthispointmypassionfor ceramicsandJapanesetraditionalculture A.8 begantobeengaged. WhenIwasayoungboy,Iwascompelledby myfathertolearnandpracticechanoyu.At Inaninterestingaside,duetothissudden recognitionofthevalueandhighlevelof thetime,Ididntreallyfeelanyaffinity Japaneseculture,Iactuallycameupwitha towardschanoyu.ItwasntuntilIwentto catchphrase, Denmark,thatIrealizedthevalueofchano yuandothertraditionalJapanesearts. DiscoverJapan. Irrespectiveofwhatmyfatherthought,I decidedtogotoDenmarkafterIgraduated fromcollege.Iwasabout23yearsoldand eventhoughhedidntoutrightstopme,he didnttotallysupportmeeither.Whilein Denmark,IquicklyrealizedhowtheJapanese mentalitydifferedfromCanadaandAmerica etc.Inparticular,Irememberbacktowhen
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Iwassoexcitedaboutthisepiphany,Iwrote thisinalettertomygirlfriend(nowwife).In herreplytome,Iwasshockedtohearthere wasalreadyacampaignsloganusingthe samephrase.Unfortunately,theNational JapanRailwaygottoitfirstandhadbeen usingitasitsmarketingsloganaroundJapan.

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Q.9 ItseemsmanyJapaneseartisansandartists arestymiedbytheirinabilitytopromote themselvesinotherlanguagestopeoplefrom abroad.Whydoyouthinkyouarean exception?Doyouthinktherewasaspecific momentthatshowedyouthevalueof internationalexchangeandthenecessityto pursuelearningEnglish? A.9 FirstContactwithEnglish Backinthe1960sImademyfirst acquaintancewithaforeigner.Imanagedto getintoDoshishaafamousprivateschoolin Kyoto.Bearinmind,thiswasamidstsomeof thefiercestcompetitionbetweenstudentsto enterthemostprestigiousschools.Though notascompetitivetoday,itcontinuestillthis dayandisreferredtoasjukensenso(exam wars)inJapanese. AtDoshisha,myjuniorhighEnglish conversationclasswastaughtbyanEnglish nativespeaker;moreoveraveryrare situationatthetime. IstillhavefondmemoriesofMissGreen,and thiswasmyfirstencounterwithanon Japanese.Shewasasweetoldladywith glassesasthickasbottlecapsandavery plumpfigure.Theclasswascompletelyin EnglishandatthetimeIdidntreally understandmuchbutMissGreenleftavery favourableimpressiononme.

Inmyfirstyearofhighschool,Iwas introducedtoanEnglishwoman,MissGail Sawbridge.Mycousinwasteachinghercha noyu,andsincehedidntknowhowtospeak Englishheendedupaskingmetohelp translateforhim.Atthetimeshewasaround 23yearsold.Fromthefirsttimewemet,Iwas smittenwithher.Tothisday,Imstillstunned byherbeauty(withawidegrinhereflects). EnglishBecomesNecessary MissSawbridgeandIbecamefriendsthrough chanoyuandIwantedtocommunicateso badlythatthisservedasextramotivationto engagemoreintenselyinmyEnglishstudies atschool.Forthefirsttime,Ibegantotakean activeinterestinmyEnglishclassesandmy gradesstartedtoimprove.Shewasonlyin Kyotoforabrieftime,butitwasthefirsttime IhadspenttimewithanonJapaneseperson foranextendedamountoftime.Aftershe returnedtoEnglandweexchangedlettersfor atime,butIhaventheardfromherein sometime.LastIheardshemarriedan Americanfellow. Afterhighschool,IenteredMusashinoArts UniversityinTokyo.Atthetimemoststudents didnttakeEnglishseriously,butImetafew studentsopentostartinganEnglishclub. Sometimeduringmyfirstyear,weformedthe EnglishSpeakingSociety(E.S.S.).Iadvancedto theheadorganizerpositioninjustmysecond year.NotdidIcontinuetoenjoyEnglish,as fortunewouldhaveitIendedupmeetingmy wifethroughE.S.S.too.Prettyamazing! ThepointatwhichIreallyrealizedthe importanceofanotherlanguagewaswhenI
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didahomestaywithafamilyinDenmark. WhileinJapan,ImetaDanishladywho workedattheDanishConsulateandwanted toliveinKyotoforalittlewhilebeforeshe returnedtoDenmark.Comparedtonow, Kyotohadverylittleintermsof accommodationandIwasunabletofindher aplace,sosheendedupstayingatmyhouse forabout6months.Inreturnforlettingher stay,sheaskedmetostayatherhousein Denmark.Iwasabout23yearsoldatthe timeanddecidedtotakeherupontheoffer. Tomypleasantsurprise,herfatherturned outtobeanoblemaninDenmark.Thehouse wassomethingoutofamovie.Ithadan applegroveandservantswiththeirown separatehouse.Afterdinner,wewould retireintothelivingroomwhereIwas offeredcigarsandotherindulgencesofhigh society.However,whatreallyimpressedme wasthedinnerconversation. Itwasntthetopicoftheconversation,rather thelanguagespokenin.Icouldntbelieveit, butfamilymembersusuallyspokeFrenchto oneanotherduringdinnerandGermanto theirservants. Turnsout,theywereonlyspeakingEnglish becauseIwasthere.Oh,andwhenIasked themwhentheyusedDanish,thefather simplyreplied,webasicallyuseittospeak tothedog.TothisdayIstilldontknowifhe wasjustjoking,nonethelessthisexperience openedmyeyestoanewworldof internationalintrigueanditsaccesscardwas atleastoneortwootherlanguages.
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AssessingQuality Q.10 Whenyoulookataceramicpiece,what specificaspectsdoyoulookatinorderto assessitsquality?Forexample,whataspects doyouusuallyseeinahighqualitypiece? A.10 Thatsadifficultquestiontoanswer.The reasonisbecausetherearesomany elementsinvolved.Fromaprofessionalpoint ofview,Icanrecognizenuancessuchas whenadesignorpatternisntasfullofcolour orclearasitcouldbe.Thishastodowiththe attentiontodetailandskilloftheceramics maker.Also,wespecializeintableware ceramics,soitsreallydifficulttocompare ourpiecestoteabowlsorotherceramic piecesunrelatedtotableware. Ingeneralthough,clayisimportinany ceramicpiece.Also,theabilitytodecipher betweenhighandlowqualitypiecesis basicallyanacquiredtastedevelopedover timeandthroughexperience.Moreover,you cannotsimplylookatapiece.Youmust actuallypickitupandfeelitscontoursand texturewhilerunningyoureyesoverit.I suggestlookingatanumberofpieces reputedtobeofhighquality,andifby chanceyoucomeacrossapieceoflow quality,youwillbesuretonoticethe difference.

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TheSignificanceofLikes/Dislikes Foryouraverageperson,a decisiontopurchaseaproduct tendstorestonwhethertheylike ordislikesomething.However,a prohastopossesstheabilityto distancethemselffromtheir emotionalreactiontoapiece. Theymustbeabletolookatthe essenceofthepieceandassess itssignificanceusingamore logicalprocess.Iguesswith experience,apersonisableto assesspiecesnotaccordingto theiremotions,rathermakinga moreinformeddecisionbased onrationalanalysis. Q.11 Tosai(Yoshiosfather)seemsto havemasterfullyblended togetherchicelementsofKyoto andTokyodesignintoceramic pieces.Howwouldyoudefine KyotochicandTokyochic?Try andgiveonespecificexampleof Kyotochicandonespecific exampleofTokyochic.

A.11 TokyoandKyotoChic:InCeramicForm

KyotoChic

TokyoChic

KyotoChicisembodiedin thatofaKyotomaiko (apprenticeGeisha1619 yearsold)wearingacotton designkimono.Muchlike thecup,imagesofaplump anddemuregirlarebound togethertorepresenta moretraditionalessenceof chic.

Thereisaplacecalled KuroitabeiinTokyo.This particularplaceattracted TokyoGeisha,very differentthantheirKyoto maikocounterparts.This cupembodiesaunique Tokyo(modern)concept ofchicandformelinked verycloselytotheimage ofTokyoGeisha.

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Mixture:KyotoandTokyoChic

tendtoberetailers. ConcerningTosaisceramictechniques,looking atthepiecesthemselvesyouwouldntbeable totellbutwedoincorporateafewfamily secretsintoourproductionprocess.Obviously, Icantgointodetailaboutthembuttheyare closelyrelatedtomyfathersuccessfully blendingKyotoandTokyochicelements together.Thesehavealsobeenheavily influencedbytheKyoyakitraditionaswell. Q.13 Whatisyourmostpopularpiece? A.13

ThisoneisamixtureofTokyoandKyotoChic. TheTokyostylecupispopularbecauseofits ItisdesignedwithaKyotomotif,butifyou simpleandfunctionalappeal. lookcarefullythebottomisraised.This characterizesamodernconceptofTokyochic andrestaurantstendtolikethesepieces becausetheslightlyraisedbottomemphasizes thecupscontentsanditsalsodesignedwith functioninmind. Q.12 HowdoesTosaidifferfromotherceramic shops?Arethereanyspecialceramictechniques thatdifferentiateit? A.12 FromabusinessstandpointTosaiisboththe produceranddealer,eliminatingthe distributor.Thissituationallowsusthe flexibilitytomorereadilyadapttoinputfrom customersoranysuddenchangesinthe market.Byvirtueofthisbusinessmodel,we differfrommanyotherceramicsshopsthat

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Q14. Doyouhaveafavoritepiece? A.14 IliketheoldKyotocupbecauseofits sophisticatedcraftsmanship,eventhough functionallyitisquitelimited. Q.15

andartistscouldmeet,exchangeideasand showcasethelatesttechniques.Theybrought theirownuniquetechniques,specifictools andclayfromtheirnativevillages. Inconjunctionwiththis,Kyotowasthe capitalwheretheEmperor,BuddhistSchools andothernoblesservedaspatronsfor craftsman.Theyallpossessedaneyefor beautyandexpectedahighlevelof craftsmanship.Asaresult,craftsmanhadno choicebuttoproduceandcreatehighquality artandgoods.Thisservedasoneofthe influentialfactorsincreatingahighlevelof expectationsinregardstocraftsmanshipin KyoyakiandotherartsandcraftsinKyoto. Q.16 Whatdifficultieshaveyouencounteredin tryingtopreservethelineageofTosai?What challengesdoesTosaicurrentlyface? A.16

IthasmuchtodowithJapaneselifestyles becomingmorewesternized.Forexample, TosaiisapartofJapanslongtraditionofhigh modernlifestyleshavegraduallymovedaway qualitycraftsmanship.Morespecificallyit belongstotheKyoyakilineage.Canyouidentify fromtraditionalJapanesefoodandliving waysthatwereonceverycloselylinkedto anyspecificaspectsinKyoyakicraftsmanship nature.InTosaiscasesomepeopleworry thathaveallowedittomaintainitshigh aboutthecolourleachingfromthepieces standardofquality? duetowashing.Inreality,theyonlyhaveto A.15 learnhowtocarefullywashourceramic pieces,butmostfamiliessimplypurchase Itstemsfromageneraltrendwherethebest morefunctionalitemsfromdepartment craftsmenspanningallbackgroundslefttheir storesandthishasrenderedmosttraditional villagesandgatheredinKyoto,thecapitalcity ceramicpiecesobsoleteandunappealing. (7941868). Kyotobecameahubwherethebestcraftsmen
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Westillhavealoyalcustomerbase,butas timegoesbyitisshrinking.Thatswhywe aretryingtoengagetheoverseasmarketby sellingonlineandtryingothersellingand promotionaltechniques. Q.17 InJapanmanyoldtraditionalartsandcrafts seemtobedisappearing.Areyouconcerned aboutthecontinuationoftheTosaiFamily tradition? A.17 Ihavetwodaughters.Theoldestoneis currentlyinvolvedinestablishingTosais onlinepresence.Whileitstillremainstobe seenwhatisinstorefortheyoungest,Ithink theywillbothplayaroleinthefutureof Tosai.Irealizetheywontbeabletohandle thingsthewayIhave,butitsonlynatural. Wellseewhathappens. Q.18 Haveyoubeeninspiredbyanythinginyour workrecently?Whatisyourfuturevisionfor Tosai? A.18 SincetheJapanesedomesticmarkethasbeen shrinking,Tosaihasstartedlooking elsewherenamelyabroad.

ThisyearTosaistartedsellingitspiecesvia theInternet.Irealisewearelatecompared tootherbusinessesbutwearetryingour best.Domesticallywealsoreceivedsome promotionfromthisfamousJapanesetea magazine(Jiyujin)earlierthisyear.

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Wewerealsoaskedtoshowcaseafewpieces inashopcalledJugetsudoinFrance.Inthe pastfewmonths,Tosaisexposurehas increasedbywayoftheInternet,this JapanesemagazineandJugetsudo. Thesearesomepostivestepsintheright direction,butwestillhaventseenany drasticchangesinsales,andgiventhe moribundstateoftheeconomyweare reluctanttoinvestvastamountsofmoneyin anyinitiativesunlesswearesuretheywill yieldclearresults.

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atentativenetwork(traditionalceramics relatedbusinessowners).Wevetriedto organizelinksbetweenindividualceramic makers,largetraditionalbusiness associationsandKyotosurbandevelopment centre,butithasntyieldedanyresultsyet. However,Imoptimisticthatwellhave somethingdefinitiveinthecomingyearorso. GinzaInfluence

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Q.20 HowfrequentisturnoverinGinzaforshops? A.20 Thereissuchahighpercentageofturnover inGinza.Exorbitantrentandlandpricesput suchintensepressureonbusinessesthat somebusinessesclosewithinthefirst3 months.Theonlyreasonwevemanagedto keepastoreinGinzaisbecauseweownthe landoutright.Ifwedidntowntheland,there isnowaywecouldaffordtheunbelievable rentprices. Q.21 Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenrunninga businessinGinzaandKyoto? A.21 Ginzaisthenumberoneplaceforastorein Japan.ItcouldberegardedastheRodeo DriveofJapan.AGinzastoreisimmediately accordedhighstatus.However,the competitionissofiercethatitsnot uncommontoseeanewlyopenedstorego outofbusinessinonlythreetosixmonths.
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Inthefuture,Iwanttobalanceour traditionalfacetofacesellingalongwith Internetsales.Ireallythinkfacetoface sellingisavaluablepartofTosai.For example,manyofourcustomerscomment ontheuniqueambienceourshopandthe traditionalKiyomizuderaareaprovides.A purchasefromourshopbecomesmorethan justafunctionalpieceusedinthehome.For ourcustomers,apiecetendstoembodya certainmemoryofKyototheycanrepeatedly lookbackon.Thatsthebiggestdifferenceto onlineselling. Q.19. Whatdoyouthinkisnecessarytomaintain traditionallocalbusinessesinKyoto? A.19 Imstilllookingforsomeconcretewaysto ensuretraditionalbusinessescontinueon. Aboutoneandahalfyearsago,Ialongwith otherbusinesseslocatedclosetoGoNen ZakaandChaWanZaka(famoustraditional areaslocatedclosetoKiyomizudera)created

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Asaresultofcompetitionandthequickpace inGinza,Ifindourselveshavingtoadapt quicklytothefluctuationsintheTokyo market.Sincethemarketislessstable,wefor examplehiremoreparttimestaffforcosts sake. Kyotoontheotherhandisverydifferent.Itsa muchmorestablemarketthatrarelychanges. Wecanaffordtolookmorelongtermandhire morefulltimestaff.Thetwomarketsarequite dissimilar,butIhavenoticedonecommon themebetweenthetwo. InGinza,storesoftenmakethesamecommon mistake.Theytrytogetbywithoutchanging theirproduct,styleandapproach.Usuallythey simplyputapieceondisplay,andexpectitto sellitselfjustbecausetheirstoreisinGinza. Similartomyfatherthough,Ibelievethere mustalsobeaconcertedefforttoblendin localmarketelements. InTosaiscase,myfatheroriginallycreateda successfulblendofKyotoandTokyochic elements.Thishasprovedsuccessfulinboth TokyoandKyoto.Presently,Itrytocontinueto maintainthiscarefulbalanceandIguessweve beensuccessfulbecauseourcustomers continuetoreturn. So,Iwouldsayitsimportanttoresearchorget asenseofwhatthetastesofthelocalmarket areandincorporatetheseintoyourproductor service.WhetheritsTokyoorKyoto,thisisa necessity.

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Tosai:TablewareCeramics

Location
ChawanzakainHigashiyamaArea

Contact
Website http://tosai.shoppro.jp/?mode=f5 Phone 0755614120

Transportation
Bus #100,202,206,207 Train KeihanTrainLine

KiyomizuGojoStation SeeKyotoMapatwww.handsonkyoto.com

formoredetails
Copyright2011GregKoch

Copyright2011GregKoch