A traditional masterpiece rooted in the region. A journey through the beautiful handicrafts of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture

"The joy of creation creates beauty." A popular pottery studio started by five young people from scratch

Densai kiln

Most of the ceramic production areas in Japan, such as Seto-yaki and Shigaraki-yaki, have traditions that are rooted in the local area for over several hundred years. However, Shussai Kiln, now known as one of the representative kilns of Sanin, has a history of only about 70 years. It was started from scratch, so to speak, in 1947 by five young amateurs.

A major influence on them was the "father of Mingei," Muneyoshi Yanagi. From the end of the Taisho era to the beginning of the Showa era, the crafts world at the time was dominated by ornately decorated ornamental works. Yanagi found beauty in the everyday items made by artisans, and named them "Mingei" (crafts of the people). He said, "Beauty is found in everyday life."

The young founding members of Densai Kiln, who resonated with this idea, dreamed of creating a community centered around Mingei. Soetsu Yanagi, along with other potters who had advocated the Mingei movement, such as Kanjiro Kawai and Bernard Leach, taught them everything from the mindset of a craftsman to pottery techniques.

The sight of craftsmen concentrating on their work is dignified and beautiful, and for that reason, one may hesitate to simply step foot into their workplace or talk to them. However, at Densai Kiln, anyone is welcome to tour the studio, and although the atmosphere is serious, it has the same energy as an after-school club activity, with everyone enjoying working with the clay and glazes. This is where Kanjiro Kawai's teaching that "joy is what creates beauty" comes to life.

Bernard Leach had a great influence on the technical aspects of the pottery at Denishi Kiln. Leach often came to Japan from his native England to visit the Sanin region, where he doted on the young men at Denishi Kiln, calling them the "Shussai Brotherhood," and teaching them the techniques used in Western tableware. Today, Denishi Kiln offers a rich lineup of products, from standard items with distinctive white, amber, and cobalt blue colors that go well with Western cuisine, to a series directed by industrial designer Sori Yanagi, the eldest son of Soetsu Yanagi and the third director of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum.

Three generations of women continue the tradition of indigo dyeing

Idenishiori

Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), a novelist who came to Japan in 1890 (Meiji 23) and lived in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, described the Japanese landscape of that time as follows: "Small houses with blue roofs, small storefronts with blue curtains, and small salesgirls in blue kimonos smiling in front of them" (Koizumi Yakumo, New Edition: Glimpse of Japan). To foreigners, indigo was a color that symbolized Japan, and it must have seemed to be integrated into the lives of Japanese people.

In the San'in region, indigo dyeing was once popular, but now indigo (the dark blue chemical dye used in jeans, etc.) has become mainstream, and there are only a few indigo dyeing studios left. However, Izumo City's Izunishiori continues to dye indigo using traditional methods.

Denisei weaving began in 1955 (Showa 30). The husband of founder Keiko Tatano was Hiromitsu, one of the founding members of Deniseigama. Following her husband's wish that her future wife should be a weaver, Keiko spent a year studying at the Kurashiki Honzome Teori Kenkyujo, a girls' school established by Tonomura Yoshinosuke, a dyeing and weaving artist and leader of Kurashiki's Mingei. After returning home, she began weaving clothes for her family in between housework, and before she knew it, it had become her livelihood.

Idenishi weaving is all about authenticity. It starts with growing cotton in the family's fields, harvesting the cotton, removing the seeds, spinning it into thread on a spinning wheel, and dyeing it with indigo using a method called "fermentation-dyeing," which uses only natural ingredients. The fabric is then woven on a hand loom and turned into bolts of cloth. Fabric dyed with this "fermentation-dyeing" method is said to have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, has a nice texture, and a subtle, distinctive indigo scent.

Among crafts, dyeing and weaving in particular has become increasingly mechanized, and workshops that carry out such laborious work are rare. However, the tradition of Denishi weaving has been passed down from Keiko to her daughter and granddaughter.