Mashiko: famous pottery. ancient temple.

On a sunny Sunday we went to the town of Mashiko, about  one and a half hour's drive from home. Situated in Tochigi prefecture it is the most famous pottery area that happens to be close to Tokyo. The  others, Bizen etc, are a long way away.

The town has an entire "pottery street" with dozens of shops selling the local wares. Unlike some of the other famous pottery towns, Mashiko's fame came quite late in the piece.








Before the war a Shoji Hamada moved there and started making pottery that later became famous around the world. In fact he became a "living treasure" and his works are credited with introducing a whole new generation of art enthusiasts to the joys of Japanese pottery. My father amongst them by the way.

 The pottery street has so many shops, plus a pottery flea market, that it can be a little overwhelming. But luckily we found, or I should say Tomono found, a real and original establishment. this family have been making pottery here since before the place became famous. They have a marvellous old vertical kiln, much like you see in the oldest places in Kyushu, and the current son is a masterful potter , just like his ancestors.

Wood stacked ready for use in the kiln. Each bundle exactly the same size so when they add it to the fire they know how much extra heat they are adding.

The family's kiln,  fired two times a year. This style of kiln has been used for thousands of years.

Mashiko pottery is not fine or delicate, it is rough and every day and this is what makes it so wonderful. It was never a place for fine procelain or intricate plates for the wealthy to dine from. It was functional and honest.

After a raid on the local shops we went for a drive and found a wonderful spot. Up behind the town on a mountain, after a long and winding drive through the forest you arrive a fabulous temple perched on top and..... no-one there. Everyone goes to the pottery shops, bus loads of them, but not up the mountain to this hidden treasure. It is extremely ancient, first built about 1,500 years ago.

 Exrtemely old wooden statues.

In the spring sunshine and riotous green growth it was so peaceful and beautiful beyond belief.


Old prayers and sayings pasted on the ceilings.

 Behind the temple, hidden in the forest.

The temple belongs to the sect of the travelling mountain monks. Here's one  with his backback

 And there it is. You can walk right inside the very inner sanctum, something not always possible .

Some of the cedars around the temple are 1,000 years old.

But its not all sweetness and light. In one of the side temples there was our old friend the judge, with his charming helpers.

They are there at the end of your journey to check you've been a good boy or girl. Its all written on the chap on the left's scroll. Good person?.... Well welcome aboard!  Strayed from the narrow path?....well you're headed somewhere else.

Those of you who are members of the some of the other cults around will of course recognise the principle. Indeed our friend here is of course St Peter in fancy dress.

Korea

We went to Korea for four days and it was marellous. Very difffernet from Japan, of course, but somehow it was still surprising just how different. Seoul is a massive and vibrant city, cracking along at a furious pace. About a quarter of the population live there.

The manners are different, people wear brighter clothes. they walk differntly, they use mobile phones on trains. I was expecting this but it is always fascinating to see how two countries, close geographically can have such different cultures.

Obviously there are big architectural differences as well and thankfully there are many old preserved districts and buildings. There are also many little design and art studios and the work they generate is very modern and very edgy. The overseas study of the younger people obviously contributes to the feel of new edginess of design and feeling of newness to many things.

The young people are noisier than their Japaense cousins and the men seem bigger, stronger and more manly. Probably as a result of compulsory military service and eating lots of meat.

In Japan, in the media, there is much talk of "Herbivorous" Japanese men. In other words, many of the younger Japanese males are thought to be timid, not meat eating, somewhat effeminate and lacking in a healthy interest in the opposite sex, or any sex for that matter.  At least so says the Japaense media.



The food is of course very spicy and Korea doesn't seem to be a place for vegetarians. Although of course vegetable dishes are available, grilled meat and various sorts of fish seem to rule.

 In this case the cure seems worse than the malady in question.

 Nearly all the restaurants serve only Korean food, there is not the range of French and Italian restaurants you get here in Japan. Also the language turned out to be quite a problem. Whereas many of the younger people study overseas and can therefor speak some English, most of the older people only speak Korean. Restaurant menus are usually only in Korean, necessitating much miming and pointing at food on other tables.

The markets in Korea are fabululous. Seoul has a massive market area where vast quantities of everything are for sale. This includes a wonderful food market where it is great fun to go for breakfast. You eat many good things in a crowded and noisy atmosphere and drink Makkoli, a raw sort of cloudy, semi-sweet rice wine. Surprisingly invigourating at breakfast time.

There are covered markets, clothes markets, shoe markets, open markets, fish markets and so on.

We visited the fish markets in both Seoul and Busan. Just wonderful. The market in Seoul in open every day 24 hours a day and is huge.

As with Japan, you wonder if there are enough fish in sea to provide for the quantities sold in these markets. Of course ,sadly, there increasingly isn't.

There are many little restaurants that are happy to cook the fish you have bought in the market.

Here, fresh sea urchins we had for lunch.

 Seoul Fish Market

Small abalone and all sorts of clams are very popular and available in prodigeous quantities.

And a crab for dinner

Taking the train from Seoul to Busan you travel diagonally across the breadth of the country from North West to South East. The countryside looks very different from Japan. Lots of small green hills with big farms on the flats in between. Also the farmers seem less likely to be living on their farms. Even in the smallest settlements most people seemed to live in appartments.




From Seoul to Busan the scenery is pretty much the same, so I may be commiting an injustice, but there does not seem to be the diversity of geography and scenery you get in Japan.
























So if you get a chance, go to Korea. Its vibrant and fun and not expensive. There are also so many  little bars and drinking shops its overwhelming.

You could even stay here, we didn't. We like rooms with windows.