Hey’all,
I’m fortunate enough to be invited to participate in a group exhibition in Japan (Yamaguchi prefecture) in October this year with some crazy potters and stone carvers from here in Australia (looks like I might be the only woodworker in the group). Is there anybody out there that has visited Japan and may be willing to pass on some trivial and maybe not so trivial tips – I dont want to find myself dissing a national living treasure inadvertently!! I’m really looking forward to the experience and would love to visit some tool making precincts and perhaps pick up a chisel or two. I’d also love to catch meet some local makers – wow- I’m really excited just thinking about it – I could go on for days…. anyway, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Sayanora,
Roy
Replies
Ø Haven’t been to Japan but I’ve used there hand tools for 25 years. I wish I were going!
I would contact Fred at Japan woodworker
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/
Jeff in so cal
I was stationed there in the mid-sixties. It was one of the most beautiful countries I've had the pleasure to visit. My advice is to ditch the normal tourist stuff and find a cab driver who will take you to some of the things you normally wouldn't get to see, ie: Nagasaki or Hiroshima Ground Zero Museum, Temples, Shrines, or go to a Pichinco parlor and sit and watch some of the elders play. It's better than Las Vegas.
The best advice I can give you is that you'll never find a more polite country, if you show them and their country the same respect.
Good Luck, Len (Len's Custom Woodworking)
It's expensive and crowded, but after 20+ years I still find it an interesting and stimulating place to live. You can find lots of sites on the net that provide local information for tourists. In the Yamaguchi area, you might try Seto Inland Sea Welcome Card, Townnet: Yamaguchi, and Yamaguchi Prefectural Official Site.
Be sure to make up some business cards before you go, preferably with your name, specialty, address, etc., in both English and Japanese. In Tokyo, visit Tokyu Hands stores in Shinjuku or Shibuya for a selection of traditional Japanese tools, but for the good ones, be prepared to pay top dollar (or yen). You'll probably run into some people in Yamaguchi as well who can introduce you to local sources for chisels, planes, and so on.
Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
I didn't live there as long as Norm has, but as a student I stayed in Kyoto for a year while studying. I would suggest leveraging your connections with the sponsering group, ie the one doing the inviting and asking for introductions. The rail and bus system is very efficient and well developed so you can get really anywhere.
In addition to your business cards, take pictures of your work and if possible several small projects that you could give as gifts. Your companions will likely do the same, esp. the potters, who would presumably make something and leave it. Also, do some reading/research and find the locations of the tool making centers and/or wood workers. It is likely that there are enclaves of these artisians and a visit to one place would mean being able to see multiple shops. Also, the Japanses love to organize into groups, so its an even money bet that there is something like the "Kanagawa Prefecture Association of Dedicated Woodworkers" or some such, so it would just take some digging to find it.
I'm not sure of your plans other to visit and site seeing, but for what its worth, I found that most of the special stuff I ran into was visible only after multiple encounters. The culture is still very insular, so it takes time to see what is really going on beneath the surface. Here's were the project gifts come in. If you find a shop that you like-style, location, general ambiance, give one of your gifts to the head guy and invite him to come to visit you. (Just give one gift, don't show any others, and please don't ask him to choose between different gifts) Take some pictures and notes, go home, make something based on what you saw at his shop and send it to him. They like boxes to put stuff in, as a suggestion. If there is any reciprocation, then you may have the opportunity to build on the relationship, visit again, or even stay and work for awhile. (This is part of the reasoning behind the artisan visit you are a part of.) Lastly, it was almost a rule that the guys who were reflective and listened became better friends than the guys who were chatty by comparison. Have a good time and stay relaxed if you can, which is pretty easy if you are out in the countryside.
JK
Guys, thanks for your responses. I feel quit humbled that you've taken the time...
Norm, I flicked through those links you provided and they were great - thanks. I've been doing a little bit of homework vis-a-vis Japanese lessons (a lot of fun but an enormous can of worms) , making small gifts- boxes - two types - one for ladies with an Australian motif scarf inside, and the other is a product I have produced semi regularly called a "gentleman's box". These I'll use for gifts. As yet I havent worked out what to make for the exhibition because I'm not sure of the workshop facilities available but I'll certainly use the "K.I.S.S" principle. I have it all ahead of me but I feel its such a wonderful opportunity that just want to put as much effort in as possible.
Again, thanks and see you in the next chapter
Roy in Australia .... Sayonara
Probably the most important tip is: Be prepared for culture and language shock!
The first time I was there I had expected to be able to travel around by myself. That proved impossible. You will find very few signs printed in English or any Romance language. I expected to use publlic transportation but was chagrined to find that everything is printed in Japanese characters so that I couldn't even read subway maps or street signs. Few people speak English well enough to communicate with, not even cab drivers or transportation employees. To move around, other than walking short distances, one really needs someone who speaks the language. When I would stand at a train station and shout, "Anyone speak English?" Usually I just got a lot of stares. With patience, I thought I could find a cab driver who spoke English, but I never did.
The problem is that in Japan whilesome people do learn English in school, they learn to READ and WRITE English, not to speak it. Because of that when you speak, they don't understand the spoken word, and when they speak you won't understand them. I found that VERY frustrating and limited my ability to move around freely.
Ordering food in a restaurant is an interesting challenge which usually boils down to just pointing at something on a menu and then trying to guess at what you might get. After a week of this, I found myself emotionally and physically exhausted. To avoid this, you either need to join a tour or hire a guide or interpreter, the cost of which is considerable, as is most everything in Japan, starting wtih that $7.00 cup of coffee in a demitase cup. You can save a lot of money by eating in the noodle shops that serve the ubiquitous bowls of ramen which is basically fancy chicken noodle soup which is very good and cheap. Prices in fancy restaurants are shocking, so I usually eat at the many noodle shops found near subway and train stations. Outside big cities prices are a little better, but not much.
Despite the difficulties, I've yet to tire of going to Japan as it is always an adventure. Enjoy!
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