Lewis JENNIFER on tue 22 jun 10
Hi all
Just a quick note to say - Japan rocks! Oh my goodness, I knew it would be
good, but it waaaay exceeded all my expectations. For 3 weeks and 2 days I
was walking around with a silly grin on my face. Admittedly, by week 2 the
walking was slower and the exhaustion was beginning to take over, but what
the heck, I kept going, and grinning. Tried to get through my list of
things to do - and I nearly managed but not quite. I now have a new list o=
=3D
f
the things I didn=3D92t manage plus a few extra new items. Definitely have=
t=3D
o
go back some time.
The people are wonderful. I have chatted (in assorted Japlish and other
languages!) to so many helpful, friendly and absolutely charming people, I
just wanted to hug everybody (it=3D92s ok, I didn=3D92t!). Just open up th=
e ma=3D
p or
the guide book and ta daaaa, someone will be there asking if you need help.
In my case, usually yes! I have no sense of direction, but I never got
really lost in the cities. The information and signs everywhere are
fantastic, the Koban guys are my heroes. The random strangers who came up
to me and asked if they could speak to me - to practise their English I
guess - and usually they spoke it extremely well. I was always happy to
listen and learned a lot of history about the area, the shrine or temple I
was visiting, all sorts of things.
And as for the pottery - wow. The pots everywhere are just so wonderful an=
=3D
d
there is such a huge variety - yeh yeh, I know, I sort of expected this, bu=
=3D
t
even so - wow! I loved department stores, their homewares are so stunning,
and their special exhibitions are amazing. The museums and art galleries
and mind blowing - I think I spent most of my budget on admission fees, but
it was definitely worth it! There seem to have been quite a few wealthy
industrialists, running huge companies, and in their spare time buying a fe=
=3D
w
beautiful pieces of arts and crafts over the years. Then they build a
gorgeous museum to house them in and... wow.
Mashiko was wonderful, and included a good experience - I got lost after th=
=3D
e
museum (WOW) and Hamada=3D92s house (WOW!!!!). After walking for a while I
realised something was wrong, turned back, went into the first shop I saw,
pottery of course, and asked the two women in there where I was. They had =
=3D
a
teensy amount of English, and with my 3 or 4 words of Japanese plus map, I
discovered that I had been going in completely the wrong direction. I was
now quite a long way from the town centre or the station. It was a blazing
hot day, so before I staggered out again I had a look around and ended up
buying a beautiful teeny teapot (for me) and some little cups (as
gifts). Double
checked which way I had to go, and had just gone out the door when one of
them rushed after me and said something like =3D93You go eki, now, car, now=
,
ok?=3D94 - and they gave me a lift to the station!!! I just thought that w=
as=3D
so
sweet, and one of many incredibly kind and generous gestures that I came
across throughout my wanderings. So, getting lost was a doubly good thing =
=3D
-
I bought some lovely pottery from a family run place AND was treated like a
special guest.
I love big cities and Tokyo was great! Noisy, bustly, crazy mad nuts peopl=
=3D
e
whizzing along the crowded pavements - just as well they are good cyclists,
they terrified me at first. Utsunomiya was a bit odd, but I was only there
for getting to Mashiko and Nikko. Kyoto was fascinating, all those temples
and shrines and museums - the raku museum, wow, and Kawai=3D92s house, wow,=
a=3D
nd
as for Gojo-zaka, Pottery Slope - WOW!!!!! I needed a lot more money and
several more suitcases...
Fabulous food. Fabulous people. Fabulous pottery. Oh yeh, and some other
arts and crafts as well! My brain is still buzzing, and I think it will
take me a long time to recover - if ever. I definitely have to go again. =
=3D
Only
saw a teensy part of the country, and now I want to see more.
I=3D92ve put some photos up, if anyone would like a peek, and am now workin=
g =3D
on
a second album, watch this space -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3D3D172894&id=3D3D673426704&l=3D3Ddf8=
95e0d1=3D
2
Thank you again to everyone on Clayart who helped me so much with useful
info and advice - I carried my printed out notes around with me everywhere =
=3D
-
they were better than the guide books!
Sayonara
Jenny Lewis
in the UK
Lee Love on tue 22 jun 10
On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 5:53 AM, Lewis JENNIFER
wrote:
>
> http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3D3D172894&id=3D3D673426704&l=3D3Dd=
f895e0=3D
d12
Nice photos Jenny! You make me homsick for Mashiko!
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
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