Bag Conquest

Last week I blogged about my pottery making trip in Kyoto.  The trip was supposed to consist of making pottery in the morning, followed by a Japanese lunch and then a trip to a nearby temple and some shopping.

After lunch our group stopped by some of the small shops on the way to the temple. I decided to take advantage of having a Japanese tour guide and asked her if she knew the name of a famous specialty bag shop located somewhere in Kyoto. One of the guys at the property management company here had a messenger bag that I have been coveting for the past year from this store. She said she was aware of the shop, told me why it was famous, but forgot the the name of it. She was supposed to find out and let me know the next time I saw her.

While I was debating with myself over a possible purchase of a monk-shaped incense burner (it really is much better looking than it sounds) the guide came running up to me saying she found out the name of the shop from one of the nearby shop owners and that I must come say thank you.  We asked the shop owner (after I bowed and told him domo arigato about five times) how close it was and he said it was 15 minutes by foot. She told me to "gather my people" and see what the group wanted to do.

Our guide asked "my people" if we wanted to see this "beautiful temple that she had planned" or find "Alexis's bag shop". Now how do you think nine women would answer?  So we went off to find the bag shop.  I have to say I felt bad. It was obvious the guide wanted to show us the temple, and I swore to her over and over I could come back to the shop any time, but by this time she was on a mission.

Our guide was  this spunky, less than 5-foot, lady who only knew one speed - fast. She speed walked us up and down side streets, asking directions along the way, pausing only to rattle off short facts about temples or areas we passed.  The nine of us were laughing so hard that a few even had to stop off and find a restroom. I kept praying this famous bag shop would be within my price range because by this point I would have no option but to buy a bag.

Finally the bag shop was within view.  We were practically running. And guess what -- it was closed.  Yes you read that right. C-L-O-S-E-D. 

We were all laughing, almost uncontrollably, at this point. Being the sweet person our guide was, she apologized to me for it being closed. She even then called her husband and found out I could buy the bag online.

Later that night I checked out the Hinzaburo Hanpu Kaban Kyoto site myself and found the bag I wanted.

 

 

Guess it isn't the cards for me to have one –– well until my next trip to Kyoto.

John Dix Kiln

Japan is known worldwide for its fantastic pottery. Hence the reason why I brought my dining room hutch empty when we moved here. Each region of Japan is known for a particular type of pottery, such as earthenware, stoneware, glazed pottery, glazed stoneware, porcelain, blue-and-white ware, and enamelware. You can buy generic pottery at almost any store for very pretty cheap or you can go to a specific region and buy a more "homemade" piece, which can run you anywhere from $100 all the way to $2000 and above.

Today I went on a day trip with CHIC to John Dix's kiln, a little over an hour outside of Kobe. It was a beautiful drive out into the countryside.

John Dix is an American from Michigan who studied with potters in the United States, Greece, and Israel before coming to Japan 20 year ago. His work is beautiful, drawing from his different experiences.

His studio and kiln are tucked away in a wooded little corner next to an old, small shrine.

All around the grounds were different pieces that he has done, from platters and mugs to vases and bowls.

John gets his clay from Shigaraki, which is known as being one of the oldest regions for pottery in Japan. Then what makes his "firing" unique from other types is that it is all done in a wood burning kiln. He "fires" two to three times a year, depending on his needs. Firing takes about five to six days, and approximately 400 pieces are fired each time. The "firing" process as he explained it, is pretty amazing. He is set to fire between December 26 and December 31 and I would LOVE to go see it in person.

We stopped the tour for a lunch break, which we ate in a tatami room up above his studio.


After lunch we were given a chance to see some of the pottery set to be fired later this month, as well as watch John "throw" a few pieces.
I had been eyeing this one particular one bowl from the moment I saw it. It took me all day to decide, but in the end I just had to have it. This is huge for me as I am very indecisive and until now just haven't found exactly what I was wanting. The top is oval shaped instead of round and it will be perfect for salads or dips. I just love the earthy brown colors. (The picture really doesn't do it justice)


In the car ride home, I had to chuckle with everyone about my first "real" piece of pottery from Japan being made by an American from Michigan. Who would have thought...