Tag: wood

Please Use Often: The Philosophy of Wood Artist Maeda Mitsuru

Wood Maeda Mitsuru

Woodwork by Maeda Mitsuru in our shop ->

Wood artist Maeda Mitsuru strongly believes that the special beauty of wood is only achieved after repeated use. He strives to make his designs as simple and utilitarian as possible to encourage continued use by the owner. “I create things that are used everyday so I hope that people grow to love them more as they use them.” He says.

Wood artist Maeda Mitsuru at his studio in Tokyo
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

As a young boy, Maeda-san spent many hours carving wood at the workshop of his uncle who was a carpenter. His mother also enjoyed making things by hand, so he grew up in this practical and creative environment and it was only natural for him to eventually become a wood artist. Maeda-san has now been working with wood for more than 15 years from his studio in Tokyo.

Maeda-san’s selections of carving knives
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

Maeda-san’s care for his work is evident in the beautiful lines and slight but elegant curves that he adds to each item with a carving knife. He carves the spoons so they are easy to scoop and extremely comfortable to hold, while the spouts on his bowls never dribble. “Each piece of wood is unique, so I look at their grain and consider their quality before deciding what I make out of them” Maeda-san says.

Carving the spout of the bowls
Photo courtesy of ki-to-te

 

Mini spouted bowl in walnut wood

I have been using one of Maeda-san’s wooden spoons for a while now to taste as I cook. The spoon never leaves my coat pocket as I move around the kitchen and is ideal because the wood does not slip even when my hands are wet, nor does it get hot when I pour boiling sauce on it to taste.

Ai tasting cream soup with a cherry wood spoon by Maeda Mitsuru

Apart from tableware, Maeda-san also makes custom-made furniture at his studio in Tokyo called “ki-to-te”, which means “wood and hand”. I think it is such an apt name for his handmade work and his wish that his wooden creations never leave the hands of their owners.

A Short History of Craft Shows in Japan and Their Surprising Origin

Travels

I was traveling in Japan over the past few weeks and one of my destinations was to visit an open-air craft show in Sakai, a suburb of Osaka, called Tomoshibito-no-tsudoi. This well-curated show, held in a quiet park, features 100 artists from all over Japan and takes place annually at the end of October.

Panoramic view of the Sakai craft show on a sunny Osaka day

The Sakai show attracted large crowds of people from the surrounding areas. The atmosphere was festive and family-friendly. Besides the many rows of artist booths, there were also plenty of delicious food stalls to feed the hungry masses.

Helped by the excellent weather (at least for the day I was there), the show was packed. Some artist booths had long lines of people waiting to get their hands on the creations of their favorite artists. It is hard to believe that this show was only in its fourth year.

A crowd waiting to meet their favorite artist

Craft shows are fun occasions for the artists too. These venues are opportunities for the artists to get out of their studio, meet their fans and the general public, other artists, and people like me who want to spread the word about them outside of Japan. Few if any of them are known or sell their wares outside of the country.

When I go to these shows and meet the artists, I always think about how tough an occupation it is to be an artist. They spend the vast majority of their working hours in solitude, and we have the privilege to enjoy the results of their hard endeavors.

A glass artist happily chats with some admirers

There are more than 300 craft shows held around Japan every year. To put this in perspective, imagine 300 of these shows taking place within the state of California, which is roughly the same size as Japan, in one year!

You might also be surprised to find out that these very popular shows only began in Japan in 1985 with Craft Fair Matsumoto. The artists who organized the Matsumoto show saw some outdoor craft shows in the U.S. and Britain and wanted to start something similar in Japan. So these shows have their origins from the West.

Before these shows became popular in Japan, artists were limited to showing their work at galleries and department stores. It appears that there has been a renaissance in the popularity of handmade craft and tradition in the last 5 years in Japan that has been helped by these shows that provide venue for artists, especially promising younger artists, an outlet to show their work.

A potter’s booth at the Sakai Craft Show

In the coming months, I will update information about Japanese craft shows on our “links” page that will be accessible from the navigation button at the bottom of our homepage. If you are visiting Japan, there is an excellent chance that one of these shows is taking place during your stay. If so, I highly recommend that you visit the show if you can.