Tokyo Clay-Trip Report: Ceramic etc.

Prior to the symposium held in Oiso (1½ hour train ride westward from Tokyo), I stayed for a week in Tokyo and visited some museums for ceramic exhibits. This time, I decided to try some smaller private collections other than National Museum in Ueno Park. So, I got a list of museums from the e-yakimono web site (http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/tokyo-museums.html) to try out. My Tokyo clay-trip report below:

Day 1

Idemitsu Museum of Art: JNR Yuraku-cho Sta. or metro Hibiya Sta. The museum is on the 8th floor of the Teikoku-Geki-jo bldg. Unluckily, the special exhibition “Heaven and Hell in Buddhism Paintings” was there without ceramics. One Ninsei jar from its famous collection was on display at the lounge. Interesting, however, was the one room permanent display of clay-ceramic pieces/fragments. Thousands of small broken pieces excavated from many famous Chinese and Japanese kiln sites were collected here.
Suntory Museum of Art: Address is Moto-Akasaka 1-chome. Which nearest metro station? I called the museum for direction. The recording answered that the museum was closed till mid June. So, I still don’t know the direction.
National Museum of Modern Art and Craft, Tokyo: Kitanomaru-Koen, metro Takebashi Sta. The museum building used to be the imperial palace-guard-division headquarters. It is located across the moat from the imperial palace east garden. Very interesting exhibit. Many famous modern ceramics, including those of the “mingei” group. Later, I went to Tsukiji jogai-market (outside of the Fish market). There are a few kitchen-tool shops, houcho (kitchen knife) shops, and ceramic shops (for restaurants). Found a few interesting scoops and ladles I can use for glazing. Decided against buying a (knife) grinding stone. Not suited for “travel light”.

Day 2

Azabu Museum of Arts and Crafts: Roppongi 4-chome. So I took subway to Roppongi Sta. and found the address right behind the metro station. Except there was no such museum there. Apparently the museum doesn’t exist any more. Mmmmmm. (Yes, I sent a complaint/suggestion to the e-yakimono web page.)
Hatakeyama Collections: As I still had time before a business lunch mtg at Shinjuku and I was already in Minato-ku (district), I took metro to Shirogane-dai Sta. to see Hatakeyama Collections at Shirogane-dai 2-chome. This was a mistake. Nobody I asked for direction knew the Museum. After about 20 minutes of walking and asking, I came to another metro station of a different metro line, the Takanawa-dai Sta., and saw a police-man who gave me direction. Alas, the museum was just about 5 minutes walk from that station. I should have called the museum at first for direction. The Hatakeyama Collections is a small museum, but has a teahouse and adjacent garden implanted on the 2nd floor exhibition room. The special exhibition “Daishikai Tea Party of 1937” showed tea bowls, vases, paintings, and utensils, used at the Tea Party. I noticed there was a tea ceremony lesson going on in the house behind the exhibition building.
Well, I managed to be only 30 minutes late to the lunch mtg at Shinjuku. After the mtg and some follow-up discussion, I took JNR to Shibuya-Sta. to see Toguri Museum of Art.
Toguri Museum: Shodo-cho 1-chome, JNR and metro Shibuya Sta. Shodo is the town related to Saga Nabeshima-clan, and it may not be a coincidence to see such a nice ceramic collection from Saga area kilns, such as Nabeshima, Imari, Arita, etc. Luckily, there was a special exhibition of Nabeshima wares. Beautiful pieces. Amazing pieces. An interesting idea I should try is to use celadon for green while using Cobalt underglaze (gosu) for blue. Very modern designs/drawings on classic shape of porcelain bowls and plates.
Afterwards, I checked Tokyu department store - Shibuya Main store . Every department store in Japan has home appliance – kitchenware store either on its 5th or 6th floor (and, of course food market at the basement). Not recognized a really new trend in dinnerwares this time. Bizen has become so common, everywhere. Shino is in decline. Then, visited Tokyu Hands Shibuya store, an art and craft supply store, in Shibuya. Asked for some trimming knife (kan-na) and shaping tools.

Day 3

Met an old Dutch friend and his wife who were also to the symposium at Kadoya Hotel ($60 a night) at Shinjuku. I took them to the National Art Museum by subway.
National Art Museum: Ueno Park, JNR and metro Ueno Station. There are several art museums in the Park, and also the Zoo. There was a touring exhibition from Prado Museum of Spain at the National Western Art Museum, and a Chagal exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. National Art Museum has five exhibit buildings. In commemorating the World Cup, I guess, there was a compact but thorough exhibition “Highlights of Japan Art” in one of the smaller buildings, sectioned into 7 periods, stuffed with many National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. The main building is for permanent exhibit. But, this time, I couldn’t find my favorite “Yuteki Temmoku (Oil spot) tea bowl”.
Then, sending off my friends to Akihabara (famous for electronics market), I had to go to Shinjuku to see my high school friends there. At Shinjuku, I went to Tokyu Hands art and craft supply store at Minami (south) Shinjuku. Found several kannas (trimming knife) and shaping tools for my clay friend in Houston.

Day 4

The Japan Folk Craft Museum (Mingei-kan): Komaba Sta. on Inogashira Line from Shibuya. I lived at Komaba long time ago when I was at the University of Tokyo – Komaba campus. My dormitory was on the opposite side of the train station. I remember having visited the museum once. Very interesting collection and also building. But, then, there is a limit. They are folk craft.
I decided to walk in the University campus. Maybe I might visit Physics department. Then, I noticed there was Art Museum on campus, next to the Library. So I walked in. It was a small one-room exhibit, clay history of ancient Asia (Mesopotamia, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan). I don’t recall there was any such when I was a student there. I left my name on the guest book, Class of 67. Everybody else was current student.
Mitsukoshi department store at Nihonbashi: metro Nihonbashi Sta. There are a few art galleries on its 7th (or 8th?) floor, but main attraction to me was the ceramic exhibition hall next to the Mitsukoshi Theatre on the same floor. This time, an exhibit of clay works by Living National Treasure ceramists. Neriage-de (marbling) by Kousei Suzuki, Shino by Osamu Suzuki (I saw his exhibition last year), Minori Yoshida, Kakiemon, Imazato, etc. etc. You can see some of these artist’s work on the Japan Craft Association web page, http://www.nihon-kogeikai.com/KOKUHO-TOGEI-E.html Of course, I visited home kitchenware section of the store on its 5th floor, and also browsed at the basement food section.

Day 5

Walked to Tsukiji Fish Market at 8 am. Always so exciting place. Then ate breakfast near the market. Took train to Oiso.