ICHIROYA -Tour J Artisan-

Tour No.03 "Kiji Craft in Toyama"

Introduction of tour

Date : 2006.3.17

Location : Toyama
I left our office at 6 a.m. after listing antique items and fabrics. From Osaka station I got Thunderbird Express, and reached Kanazawa at about 9:30 a.m.
Watanabe san was waiting just out of the ticket wicket, with full smile. Two weeks ago, I met him at a department store in Osaka. I was looking at beautiful urushi wares, and he spoke to me that he made those items. His urushi wares were simple and strong atmosphere, and has beautiful deep natural urushi surface. In addition they have beautiful grain pattern beyond the urushi coat. At a glance I came to like his work and wished to introduce at our site. I asked some questions, and soon I came to know he is a genuine ARTISAN, and simply hopes to make good items. He said that all woods are alive and beautiful itself, and he doesn't want to add too much artificial decoration. His father was kiji-shi, an artisan who carves the wood to table wares' shapes with 'rokuro' wheel. To complete making urushi ware, makie-shi ( makie painter) and other artisan do their work on their 'kiji' (wooden basis) and products are completed. Among the whole procedure, kiji-shi's work is most severe and most unprofitable. But kiji-shi knows most about wood and carving determines the quality of urushi product. He learned how to make kiji from his father, and later learned about urushi by himself. I asked him to let us offer his items in our site, and he said to be willing to do so.

Snapshot of tour

Kanazawa city is one of the most beautiful castle town, and called 'Shou-Kyoto'. 'Shou' means small. It means Kanazawa has beautiful old cityscape and rich traditions of art and crafts like Kyoto. It is famous for Kaga Yuzen, beaten gold, Kutani pottery and others. Kenrokuen is said to be the one of most beautiful garden in Japan. This time, I didn't have enough time to take a walk in the city, but I still remember the wonderful day when I walked around Kanazawa almost 15 years ago.
Watanabe san put me in this car, and drove into the mountain towards west. His workshop is in the Fukumitsu, approx 20km west from Kanazawa. Fukumitsu is small and old town with large rice paddy and old people. Most famous sightseeing spot is the house of Shiko Munakata, an outstanding printmaker. Before he became famous, wealthy people in Fukumitsu supported his life. Watanabe san said he knew one of his major patron, whose house also became reference library and sightseeing spots. When Watanabe san was a boy, he knew Shiko Munakata but he seemed to be only a difficult man, and Watanabe san never knew he was such an admirable person.
Shiko's house is very interesting. On the walls of bed room and toilet (also on the ceiling of toilet ), very large pictures are drawn. Before he owned this house, he rent a house in Fukumitsu. Shiko couldn't stop drawing pictures on walls of houses, and again and again his wife had to apologize the house owners and move. At last no one in Fukumitsu offered him to rent a house. Shiko had to be delight when he owned his house, and had walls which he could freely draw as he wanted. All such pictures were wiped out or threw out except his house's ones, before he became famous. People who did so must regret now ! They wiped out the valuable artwork without knowing how valuable they were.


	Watanabe san's warm smile!

	Shiko's old house. We wish to show you the bold his pictures on the walls, but visitors are not allowed to take photos inside.

He also drove me to Gokashoyama. It is on 17th March, and Osaka was almost in early spring. But we went over a mountain to Gokasyoyama, I was extremely astonished to see exceptionally thick layer of snow! Besides the driving roadways, thickness is nearly 2 meters. Gokashoyama is in the mountains, and snows heavily. In olden times people in Gokashoyama couldn't come out to town for its heavy snow in winter season. Fleeing Heike warriors were said to build these villages in isolation from the society. To live in the very heavy snow, people built unique house called Gasho-zukuri'. It has three or four floors tall house, with very thick straw roof. Roof is very steep, and under the hem, wide water pool is made to melt the snow.
Gokashoyama and Shirakawago are famous for its Gosho-zukuri houses ( they were built in the ending Edo Period( 1603-1867) or early Meiji period(1868-1912), and recently registered as a World Heritage Site. I touched the pile of snow. And Watabane san laughed and said, ' I can't believe there are people who want to touch snow purposely'. And he told me how the people in his district struggle against heavy snow. Especially for the old people, how the snow removing take too much work, how danger it is , and how expensive to hire persons for removing. He pointed a house, whose roof is broken in the hem and support logs are added. He said house owner had to be shamed for failing removing. Watanabe san says, this severity of the winter had to make this district as urushi ware product center. Long winter locked in heavy snow drove people to making various handicrafts like urushi. In the district urushi wood were abundance, and in his father's age there remained some urushi collectors.
And he says this tough weather cultivates good wood. 'Keyaki' (zelkova) in this district has more thick and beautiful grains, compared to other districts' zelkova.


	Commemorative photo 'Watanabe san & Ichiro' .

	I couldn't believe it was 17th March, almost early spring! Houses are called Gasho-zukuri, and have very high straw(susuki) roof. When the snow piles very highly, people come and go from the windows of the second floor or third floor.

	There are several villages of Gokasho-zukuri houses. Some houses are used as souvenir shops or ryokan(country inn).

	For one Gasho-zukuri house, approx 10000 bundles of straws(susuki) are used, and when they are renewed, about 200 people work for two days.

	In olden times, attics were also used for growing of silkworms .

	Under the roof part, pond are made and water is poured. Snow drop from roof to pond, and snow is melt.

	Only a metal nails are not used. Wood are folded each other, and only wooden wedges are used. But they have very strong structure against heavy snow and earth quake.


	This 'katakuchi-bachi' is fantastic Watanabe san's work! Please check his technique and items.