Louie Rigano's Fulbright Year in Japan

To America!!

2011-11-17T00:21:00.001-05:00

With my luggage all packed up, I headed to the airport on the morning of September 14th 2011, exactly a year after I first landed in Tokyo and started my journey. I had already sent three boxes filled with a year's worth of pottery, furniture, books, tools, and other things home a few weeks prior. The feelings I experienced are hard to express. I was incredibly sad to leave (and I miss Japan and all my friends there sorely), but I also felt utterly content- and there is not a single thing I would change about my year. I also can't wait for my return!

The sky over New Jersey!

This is 2 months late, but a HUGE thank you to everyone who followed me on my adventures throughout the year! I truly enjoyed keeping my blog and sharing my experiences! Also, if anyone has plans to travel to Japan, let me know! I have endless recommendations on places to see, things to eat, and things to do!

This officially concludes Louie Rigano's Fulbright Year in Japan, but you can still follow me and stay up to date on what I'm up to! In addition to my website (www.louierigano.com), and my tumblr (where I keep a running and often updated catalogue of inspiration images http://arecommendation.tumblr.com/), you can find me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/louierigano), and I also have a blog over at Klat Magazine where I regularly post observations, new projects, and other news (http://www.klatmagazine.com/rigano/).

THANK YOU!!!

Love, Louie

Last night in Japan

2011-11-17T00:18:00.001-05:00

For my last night in Japan and my last night as a Fulbrighter, I decided to do things simple. I rode my bike along the coast as I had done many times before throughout the summer, went to a nice restaurant, then as the sun set one final time, went for a night swim!

One big wave almost ended my camera!

Sunset Week

2011-11-17T00:06:00.001-05:00

Two weeks during the year, the sun sets directly behind Mount Fuji. The coast of Kamakura provided the absolute best vantage point for some of the most spectacular sunsets I have EVER seen. One day, when I got back to Japan from my Asia trip, I was riding my bike at dusk, and I witnessed something spectacular. Firstly, I saw a huge group of people, most with big cameras (all pointing west), stationed on a cliff on the ocean, and I knew something was going to happen. The sun was nearing the horizon, and then in a matter of seconds a shadow was created as it slipped behind the mountain. Prior to this, the mountain was invisible, and only became visible when the sun went behind it. Mount Fuji appeared within seconds and then became outlined by golden sunlight. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of this first brilliant sunset (I never left my house without my camera again for the rest of the year!), but each night after, up until when I left Japan several days later, I went out to watch the sunset.
Here's my documentation:

September 9th:

September 10th:

September 11th:

September 12th:

Soft Cream: A Look Back

2011-11-17T00:04:00.001-05:00

Ice cream in Japan is called soft cream, and I found it to be a particularly photogenic food. It is also much different from American soft serve ice cream. Hard to effectively describe in words, it is smoother and just more delicious! Here are some highlights from the year!

Matcha soft cream, Osaka castle.

Matcha+black tea+sweet potato soft cream, at the end of the Philosopher's Path, Kyoto.

Sweet potato soft cream, somewhere outside of Tokyo.

Salt soft cream!

Baked potato (amazing) and matcha+sweet potato twist, Kamakura.

Sakura (cherry blossom) soft cream, Yoshino (the place where the cherry bossom is said to have originated)!

Milk+matcha twist!

Not photographed but still amazing and worth mentioning:
-Sake flavored soft cream I would get every week I lived in Takayama after my Japanese lesson (even in the snow!)... It was made with local sake!
-Milk+hojicha tea twist that was sold at a road side stand near Kamakura, owned by a local farm with cows! Milk flavored anything may seem a bit strange, and this took me a little while to warm up to... but I think I might prefer it to vanilla!

Fireworks!

2011-11-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

Fireworks are a huge part of summer in Japan!
Some good times on the beach:

Asia Trip!

2011-11-16T23:06:00.001-05:00

I hopped on a plane and for two weeks in August headed for Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Hong Kong! It was amazing! Here is a glimpse of my travels:

Ho Chi Minh from the air!

The first night in Vietnam, I was surprised by a flash flood! I took refuge in a coffee shop right on the road.

Night Market! Each night while I was in Vietnam, I would stroll through the many night markets in the city and bring back some food to my hotel room.

First night: Mangosteen!

Mangosteen are really hard to find in the US and I've never actually had one before. They were really incredible!

Rambutan! Similar to Lychee, Rambutan is just a bit less sweet... and covered in a bizarre skin.

Bangkok!

Hong Kong!

...and back to Japan!

Bike Ride

2011-11-16T23:05:00.001-05:00

On August 23rd, from 8:45am to 4:30pm, I biked (on my fixed gear folding bike) around the entire Miura Peninsula. EXACTLY 60.1 MILES... in 7 hours and 45 minutes!!

Amanohashidate

2011-11-16T22:41:00.001-05:00

Outside of Kyoto is one of Japan's top 3 scenic views. Amanohashidate (also called "Bridge to Heaven") is a 3.3km natural landbridge. A single-person chairlift takes you to the prime viewing spot to see it!

According to legend, by looking at the bridge upside down, between your legs, it will appear as if it is floating on heaven.

What do you think?

We also rented bikes and rode the entire length of the bridge!

Climbing Mount Fuji

2011-11-16T21:34:00.001-05:00

Climbing Mount Fuji is really only possible during July and August when the weather is suitable. A group of fellow Fulbrighters and I were up for the challenged and booked our bus tickets to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji for the last weekend in July!

We took a bus out of Tokyo around 9pm- enough time to allow for the 2 hour bus ride, and plenty of time to climb to the summit for sunrise! The bus was sold out weeks in advance!

Gym shorts over tights is the dress code.

The climb was way more difficult than any of us anticipated! Climbing uphill over rocks and other obstacles overnight in the dark with only the glow of a flashlight was tough!

Unfortunately, our hopes of seeing the sunrise from the peak were quickly squashed by a thick layer of stubborn fog. Instead of the sun, we were rewarded with an otherworldly blue fog that made the mountain side seem like another planet.

There was a single file line during the last 500 or so meters that made the climb to the top a bit more difficult.

The final 200 meters really seemed like a lot longer.

The final tori gate at the top!!

Within about twenty minutes into the descent, the fog cleared and revealed some incredible views...

A Wrap Up!

2011-09-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

So it seems that I let my blog go during my last few months in Japan... so I have a bunch of updates that I'll roll out over the next few days to complete the blog- full circle!
As for now, I am back home in America, touched down in Newark last week on the 14th- the year was incredible!

11/16/2011 UPDATE! More delayed than I would have wanted, but better late than never! Recap of the last 2 months of my year in Japan imminent!

The Crew!

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Boss Ushijima and I (covered in sawdust)!

Finishing Techniques

2011-08-04T23:54:00.002-04:00

A particularly interesting technique that is frequently used for many of the products from Woodcraft Moku (more of a trademark technique of the studio) is a sorched + laquer finish. Tables and cabinets, as well as smaller pieces such as plates, bowls, and serving trays, utilize the technique. It produces a soft, rich texture that brings out the deep wood grain in the Sugi (Japanese Cedar). The wood is soft, so the grain is accentuated by burning the surface. By applying the Urushi (traditional natural laquer) afterwards, the deep black color is also further accentuated.

Once finished, the central void will be fitted with a cast iron basin, which is where tea is boiled.

Blow torches!

After a few passes with the torch, a burnishing tool is used to rub off the charred wood to reveal the smooth black finish. The tool is made of tiny reeds bound tightly together with rope. Works like a dream!

What happens to sawdust

2011-08-04T23:40:00.000-04:00

Here is a few weeks worth of sawdust collected from dustpans and the ventilation system in the workshop. After a significant amount has accumulated, it gets taken to a local farm, about a half mile away. The dust is used to line the floor of the barns where a local specialty, Hayama-gyu (Hayama Beef), is raised.

Yesterday, me and Rina, a fellow crew member at Woodcraft Moku, drove the truck to the farm and unload over a dozen full bags of sawdust into a stall to be used in the coming months.

Before.

After!

How to make a table...

2011-08-04T23:23:00.000-04:00

out of a solid Cedar tree trunk.

...A chain saw is required.

After the rough shaping with the chain saw, the table gets further refined and sanded and, after making a central hole in the table top for a tea stove basin, gets torched and lacquered.

Beach Day

2011-07-11T11:57:00.000-04:00

I practically had the place to myself!

Commodore Perry Day!

2011-07-11T11:54:00.001-04:00

This past saturday was Commodore Perry Day, celebrated by a fireworks show at Kurihama Harbor, a short train ride from Kamakura near the southern end of the Miura Peninsula. This is where Matthew Perry and his Black Ships in 1853 docked and presented a letter to Japanese officials ordering the opening of the borders for trade.

This monolith denotes the exact spot where Perry landed. It states:

"This monument commemorates the first arrival of Commodore Perry, ambassador from the United States of America who landed at this place July 14, 1835.

-Erected July 14, 1901 by America's Friends Association"

New Work!

2011-07-10T05:08:00.001-04:00

I recently finished up my latest design project! This one was a lot of fun, though tedious! More on the project can be viewed here:
http://www.louierigano.com/index.php?/product-design/rose-vase/

Rose Vase

There is a perpetual human need to preserve the fleeting spectacle before it passes. Rose Vase is a study in both capturing ephemeral sentiments, and in vessels and the contents they hold.

The rose itself is an icon of fading beauty. Flowers have a self-destructive tendency: as they age, they wither and lose their petals. Here, this play of transience is hardened, the temporary is made permanent.

The vase is made entirely of rose petals, the remnants of the contents. Together, the vase and rose become part of an enclosed system, a dialogue. The outcome is a vessel that questions its contents, and a material that questions its origin and application.

Shonan Coast

2011-06-23T07:34:00.000-04:00

After spending the day at the woodworking studio, I head home on my bike, just in time to watch the sunset along the coast!

Kamakura Beach!

Currently carpenters are building a bunch of temporary buildings along the beach, which in a few weeks will become shops, restaurants, bars, and arcades just in time for Summer!

New Workshop

2011-06-23T07:27:00.000-04:00

I recently started a new apprenticeship at a woodworking studio near Kamakura.

The workshop is about an hour bike ride from my apartment, I ride along the coast every morning for a few miles, then make a turn inland and head straight uphill through rice fields and winding back roads for the remainder of the way.

The shop is well stocked and covered completely in sawdust!

The studio is known for, in addition to a very high standard of quality, a few interesting techniques: laquerware and a process that involves torching the entire exterior of a piece to blacken it.

Part of the day I spent sanding and finishing this soon-to-be table, whose top is the cross section of a 500 year old tree that was buried underwater for over 1000 years.

Sanding.

After oil finish is applied.

As a testament to the tree's incredible journey and age, while I was cleaning out sawdust from the cracks along the wood's raw edge with compressed air, this tiny sooth pebble fell out from inside. My sensei explained how the rock must have gotten lodged in the tree while it was submerged. Amazing!

The shop's extensive stock of wood.

2 Views of Mount Fuji

2011-06-22T17:54:00.000-04:00

Look hard- it's there!

Enoshima Island

2011-06-17T12:28:00.001-04:00

The other day, I rode my bike from my apartment along the coast to Enoshima, a small island of with a 4km circumference in Sagami Bay. The island is a popular resort in the summer time.

It was drizzling the whole day, but it definitely added to the experience.

Enoshima as seen from the south.

The island is connected to the mainland by a 600 meter long bridge.

Near the center of the island is a large shrine complex that snakes its way up the through the island and to the back side, where there is a network of caves. Here is the view of the mainland from the center of the island.

One of my favorite sites on the island was this dragon shrine. It was a small space composed of stacked rocks.

The entrance to the caves comes after a dramatic walk along rocky cliffs.

Observations in Kamakura

2011-06-17T09:51:00.001-04:00

To Kamakura!

2011-06-17T09:44:00.003-04:00

My last and final relocation throughout my year in Japan has brought me to the historic and beautiful city of Kamakura. Kamakura, situated about an hour outside of Tokyo on Japan's Shonan Coast, is what my landlord while driving me and my belongings from Shinjuku to my new summer sublet, described as the Venice Beach of Japan.

Kamakura was once the capital of Japan, as the seat of the Shogunate during the Kamakura Period (1185–1333). Today, Kamakura has a population of 174,016. However, Kamakura was the 4th largest city in the world in 1250 AD, with about 200,000 people. It was also Japan's largest city by 1200 AD. It is currently the middle of Japan's rainy season, so these photos might look a bit gray, hopefully within another week or so the sun will come back out!

The Daibutsu, Kamakura's only national treasure, is an enormous cast bronze Buddha statue. When it was first constructed in 1252 , it was covered completely in gold leaf!

The current happening in town is Hydrangea viewing at Meigetsuin Temple, which is high on a hill over looking the ocean.

Though I managed to crop them out of this photo, currently all along the beach there is construction going on of makeshift temporary storefronts. In the summer these beach shacks become stores, restaurants, bars, and arcades. The town also gets entirely inundated with tourists, I am told.

Imitation

2011-06-09T08:11:00.000-04:00

An observation:

Here is an interesting (and strangely straightforward) approach to impede the affects of aging and transience: these natural "wooden" forms are made of not wood, but concrete. The aesthetic of natural wood is imitated in an (arguably) more permanent material. The problem is, real wood left outside can age naturally, and when it has reached the end of it's useful life, can be recycled and replaced easily. It also is honest to the context. A wooden bridge in a park makes sense conceptually. Concrete, obviously artificial, seems to be a bit of an overkill in this context and completely out of place.

There have been some pretty unusual and unnecessary applications I have seen in Japan employing the use of concrete. According to Alex Kerr in his book, Dogs and Demons: in a year, Japan pours 30 times more concrete than the world average.

Looking through the lens of these few examples, as characteristic to a larger trend in modern Japanese design, the celebration of transience that has permeated traditional japanese art, culture, and philosophy so vividly in the past can, in the present day, be seen in a new light: as a complete rejection of transience, a constant struggle to curtail its affects and come to terms with change. The symbolic Cherry Blossom can also be seen in this way. Originally as a melancholy celebration and appreciation of the passage of time, to now: a dire fear of missing the fleeting spectacle before it passes.

Required Reading (part 3)

2011-06-09T07:20:00.001-04:00

More books!!

"Designing Design" by Kenya Hara. Design from a very Japanese point of view, written with an occasionally humorous colloquial spin. This book, I have discovered, is nearly impossible to find in the US for under a few hundred dollars. But thanks to eBay Japan, I found a copy for a lot cheaper, and signed by Kenya himself!

"Discovering Design", a collection of essays edited by Richard Buchanan and Victor Margolin.

"Objects of Desire" by Adrian Forty.
Almost finished with this one. The perfect concise history of industrial design since the Industrial Revolution.

"The Sense of Order" by E.H. Gombrich. The next book on my list, which I'll finally crack open really soon. Amazing cover!

Tokyo in the Spring

2011-05-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

I'm Back!

2011-05-08T23:47:00.000-04:00

After nearly a month-long leave of absence, I am finally back in Japan!

The plane ride over was eerily empty...

While I missed the Cherry Blossom season while I was home, I did happen to catch this mysterious dual colored tree in bloom!

Bamboo

2011-02-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

I was riding my bike last week when I rode past a large temple complex in the middle of urban Tokyo, this happens quite often. I decided to lock up my bike on the side of the road and explore a bit. The temple was only a few minutes ride from my apartment. It had an amazing garden, with everything in it made entirely out of bamboo and maybe a bit of string, it seems. Bamboo is ubiquitous in Japan, it can do everything. It's extremely abundant, and it is untreated- it can be disassembled at the end of its usefulness and disposed of painlessly, and replaced equally as easily. It is flexible yet strong, and obviously locally grown. Pretty inspiring!

Support for growing tree!

Well cover!

Fountain!

Updates! Finally!

2011-02-18T12:30:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in the past month! First off, I am now living in Tokyo! I am here to do a few things: I will be interning with two industrial design firms over the course of the next few months. I have already gotten started at one last week, by the name of Nosigner (http://www.nosigner.com/). My advisor from Takumi Juku back in Takayama has retired from the school and will also relocate to Tokyo soon. He has a new job repairing furniture at the Meiji Shrine, which is the most famous shrine in Tokyo. I will be spending some time there with him. I will also be visiting the studios and workshops of many designers in and around the city.

I found an apartment in Shinjuku, right in the heart of the city! I am living in a cozy (tiny) 15 square meter place, with a balcony!

NEW ADDRESS:

Louis Rigano
Palazetto Waseda 303
Shinjuku-ku, 96-2 Bentencho
Tokyo
162-0851
Japan

The apartment on the top (3rd) floor, all the way to the left, is mine! It's a corner apartment!

Same for my last place, my trusty string lights drastically help with the lighting situation... I could't find a table that was the right size/price, so I made one really quick with my woodworking tools (remember those?) and materials from a hardware store close by! This clearly does not fall under the category of design work for my Fulbright project...

Here's the view from my balcony, the second picture from a blizzard that happened a few days ago! I thought I left the snow behind in Takayama, but no! If you noticed, there is an amazing grave yard that surrounds the perimeter of my building! There is one particularly large and elaborate grave marker in the back, which belongs to a famous Japanese writer. Or so I am told. To go fittingly with the graveyard, there a bunch of cats that constantly roam around my neighborhood, they are always hanging out on the roof of the building across the street, or behind the wall of mailboxes on the ground floor. If I ever have my camera ready, expect some photos of these guys soon!

The new neighborhood is great! I am in walking distance to Shinjuku Station, which is the busiest train station in the world! Though the closest station to my place, with the laughably long name of "Ushigomeyanagicho", is only 2 minutes from my door. The are a bunch of huge grocery stores, restaurants, and cafes close by! I can also, given enough time, ride my bike to almost anywhere in the city!

Speaking of which, the first day I got into town, I bought a new bike! It's a compact folding bike, though I haven't found a realistic reason or situation to fold it up yet...

More recent news: three days ago I sent in to Fulbright my fifth monthly report, which marks five months since arriving in Japan. This is officially the longest I have been away from home, surpassing the five months I was in Rome two years ago. I can't believe it! It is an interesting feeling- It kind of feels like I just got here! And it especially doesn't feel that long, compared to the 7 remaining months that I have left to go! Despite the previous photo, the weather is actually beautiful here, slightly chilly, but feeling like Spring! I'm excited to be starting this new phase of my year in Japan!

Also, I fully intend to start diligently keeping up with my blog again! I missed it! So stay tuned!

Final Bowl Series

2011-02-10T07:11:00.001-05:00

Curves and Imperfection.

This was the last of my work at Koito Pottery. Off to Tokyo! (More updates soon!)

It keeps snowing

2011-01-23T05:16:00.000-05:00

I think that it has snowed everyday for the past two weeks, at least! The following pics are from Takayama, and the nearby village of Shirakawa-go, which is famous for it's traditional architecture. It's also higher up in elevation and has over 6 or 7 feet of snow cover!

Perfect timing! Snow falling out of a tree...

New Friend

2011-01-14T05:23:00.000-05:00

While reading in my favorite cafe yesterday, this little guy hopped up on the couch and sat right next to me! It's the owner's pup.

New Work! Again!

2011-01-07T23:43:00.005-05:00

Additionally to my recent furniture project, I just completed this line of teapots!

The project can also be viewed on my website: http://www.louierigano.com/index.php?/product-design/teapots/
It has also garnered some recent press and is featured on my favorite design blog!! http://www.dezeen.com/2011/01/07/teapotcup-by-louie-rigano/

The three tenets of Wabi Sabi philosophy are "Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." While my furniture project focuses on notions of permanence, this project focuses on the idea of perfection.

Here is the full project description:
   "A series of teapots questioning perfection as an end-goal and exploring the relationships between textures and between mass-production and handmade.
   The parts of the teapot that one comes into contact with are streamlined, smooth, and easily mass-produced. The body, however, is handmade and wheel-thrown, unglazed and rough. The unglazed ceramic body is easily capable of becoming well-seasoned after repeated use; which is a prized quality found in old teapots. The wooden fixtures, which get handled, are able to develop a richly aged surface and patina after repeated use.
   The lids, which also serve as teacups, and the handles, both made of oak, are a standard size and shape and can be produced in multiples in industry with ease. The ceramic body is thrown by a potter who simply must make the rim and handle plug the same standard size. Besides these two requirements, the potter has complete artistic freedom to create the teapot in any shape or dimension."

I also wanted to somehow elevate pottery, which is widely considered a craft, into a mass producible design that simultaneously pays homage to the handmade quality that makes wheel thrown pottery so great. Watching my pottery sensei at the wheel has been quite an inspiration. He can thrown 30 identical bowls in well under 10 minutes. This type of production pottery, while requiring a much higher level of skill, is far more efficient than many other types of mass production. Plus, being handmade, the pieces he creates have more of a soul. Because of the human element, handmade objects are almost always more valued than anonymous mass-produced objects. It is surely because of the knowledge of an origin. When you know where something comes from, you are far more apt to respect it. The more knowledge of the origin that is know, the more respect it will harbor. Walking down the aisle of a Walmart, you are bombarded by labels and ads for products that do a great job of distancing you from the real human element of the product and speak to you through clever and shiny advertising. If you knew the actual nitty gritty details of the factory in china where the ipod that you just bought was made, which has an alarming rise in suicides because of poor working conditions, you might think twice before supporting such practices. The final product that appears on the store shelf is wholly removed from its origin. There is a lot of dishonesty that is ingrained within mainstream material culture. I hope and aspire to provide an attainable alternative to this unfortunate norm.

Hiroshima and Miyajima

2011-01-07T22:54:00.001-05:00

After New Years, I had a few days free before I needed to head back to Takayama, so I decided to make a few stops along the way back to town. Jenny joined me for part of the journey!

The first stop was Hiroshima. Despite its tragic past, Hiroshima today is a vibrant city. Here's a pic from the Hiroshima Peace Park.

One particularly interesting display in the Peace Park is the origami crane memorial, which is comprised of thousands of paper cranes.

The 'A-Bomb Dome' is one of the city's most famous landmarks, and a somber reminder of Hiroshima's past. It was directly under the blast, so amazingly the walls weren't blown out and the dome still stands.

The local specialty in Hiroshima is a regional take on Okonomiyaki, which is a type of pancake with a bunch of other ingredients mixed in. This one is topped with Oysters.

Hiroshima had a pretty fun lighting display for the holidays, we made it on the last day it was up! It lined the city's main boulevard.

The ferry ride to Miyajima! Miyajima is considered one of Japan's 3 most scenic views!

The specialty of Miyajima is Oysters. We got a few from a street vendor!

The iconic 'floating tori gate' is one of the main highlights of Miyajima. It's pretty spectacular, it is about a hundred feet or so from the main shrine complex on shore.

New Years!

2011-01-07T22:13:00.000-05:00

In miraculous last minute fashion, following Christmas in Tokyo, I was invited by my RISD pal, Jenny, to spend New Years with her and her family way down in the Kyushu region of Japan, a speedy 5 hour bullet train ride from Tokyo. It was probably the best reason to finally take a ride on the bullet train, I have never ridden on one before! I headed to a tiny town near the city of Kitakyushu, which is in the southern-most part of Japan.

After I got in, Jenny and I took a perfectly timed walk through the town and over a damn, right in time to experience the worst of a blizzard that was supposed to happen! While the rest of Japan, to the north, west, and even to the south, all got hammered with snow, it somehow missed us.

The next day was New Years Eve, and following a night of good food with Jenny's wonderful family, nearing midnight we headed to a local shrine to say a prayer and then headed to the temple to ring a bell to bring us luck in the new year, as well as drink sake!

While waiting in line to ring the bell, midnight almost passed unnoticed! A big countdown didn't happen, but the festivities began shortly after!

I happen to catch midnight (00:00) on my cell phone! (Yes, my background is NYC... The sales guy at the cell phone store thought I would appreciate it).

Waiting in line. Behind Jenny is a huge bonfire!

Next up to ring in the new year!

There were a bunch of different hot foods served at the temple: hot chocolate, coffee, a bunch of different types of hot and cold sake, and a traditional sweet hot sake picture here, with rice still in it!

New Year's Day is a big day as well, I had an incredible and HUGE meal with Jenny and her family that went on all afternoon!

Also I tried this incredibly opulent new years sake, with bits of gold leaf in it!

Lines

2011-01-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

Observations.

What I Just Ate In Japan Vol. 6

2011-01-05T01:34:00.000-05:00

Mochi filled with red bean, traditional new years rice cake, from a street vendor.

Capsule Hotel!

2010-12-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

My last night in Tokyo I decided to spend at a capsule hotel. Capsule hotels have become pretty famous for not only being a really bizarre and somewhat frightening alternative to the traditional western style hotel room, but for also embodying Japan's cultural down-sizing and dealing with a high population (especially in crowded Tokyo). They are claustrophobic, as you can imagine, but actually not so bad! I slept well enough! They are pretty much just glorified bunk beds, with tv's, lights, a fan, and a built in alarm clock! The hotel had several floors and many rooms, each room with a bunch of corridors and I would estimate about 100 or so people per room. Plus the hotel was right next to the train station in the center of Tokyo!... but which also happens to be right in the middle of the red light district! I think next time I will stick to a regular hostel, cheaper and a lot less busy.

Afternoon In Yokohama

2010-12-30T09:06:00.000-05:00

Yokohama is Japan's 2nd largest city, with about 4 million people! It's only about a half hour subway ride away from Tokyo, so it's really accesible. It's also right on the ocean and has a beautiful harbor area. The day after Jessa and Shawn left, Angelica and I had a few hours together so we decided to go somewhere new! Always a good choice!

A Culinary Tour of Tokyo: the Holiday Version

2010-12-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

The past week in Tokyo has been amazing! Instead of a recap of what happened, I will recap with a play-by-play of the different types of foods my fellow Fulbrighters (Angelica, Jessa, and Shawn) and I ate over the course of the holiday! We decided to make the theme of the week "Americana", in honor of us not being able to be home in the states over Christmas. Our trip included two days at Tokyo Disneyland, and a Christmas dinner at Outback Steakhouse!

First up is this delicious Mickey shaped ice cream sandwich! Disneyland over christmas was a blast, even though it was absurdly busy! We figured: what better way to spend Christmas 3000 miles away from home than Disneyland, the happiest place on earth?

Churros are a amusement park standard, this one is Mickey shaped too! Ahh!

Dozens of popcorn carts were spread out all through the park, each with a different flavor ranging from soy sauce and butter to honey (the latter one being delicious), this pic is of some pretty amazing milk tea flavored popcorn. Milk tea is super popular in Japan, and also one of my favorite drinks that I have discovered since I got here!

For our big Christmas dinner following our time at Disneyland, the Outback Steakhouse was the only logical choice.

After the required Blooming Onion appetizer and our main entree, we went crazy and split three desserts, the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under, as it is called! A choice I stand by! And the first real brownie I've had since leaving home! Amazing!

Near our hostel was a restaurant that had some crazy desserts displayed in the window. So, on our last night together, we finally went. We all split this impressive and unbelievable dessert: a loaf of toasted bread, cut in to squares, covered in vanilla ice cream and coconut!

Before saying our goodbyes in the train station, we bought a few cupcakes! This one is matcha tea flavored!

Louie's [Diner] in Japan Vol. 4

2010-12-26T11:22:00.002-05:00

Cinderella's Castle, Tokyo Disneyland

New work!

2010-12-19T05:37:00.004-05:00

Here's the link to the full project on my website, please check it out!-

http://louierigano.com/index.php?/furniture-design/breakdown/

Yesterday, I finished working on a furniture project which focuses on notions of distillation in Japanese philosophy and aesthetics. Two things in particular have served as initial inspiration. While walking through a park in my town, I noticed a bench, actually two benches. These benches, I decided, were the purest expression of a bench that I have ever seen. It was a log, a tree trunk, that had been cut vertically down the middle, which yielded two benches. With one cut, two perfectly functioning benches were created. The other was a bridge that crossed a stream. Large rocks were gathered and placed in the stream to form a bridge one could step across. I couldn't imagine a more purer expression of a bridge. Context, perhaps, is what is most important here. I became fascinated with paring big concepts down to their most fundamental state, simultaneously uncovering new, and maybe better, ideas and solutions.

Silver!

2010-12-17T03:11:00.000-05:00

At the pottery studio, we have recently experimented with new glazes, including this metallic silver. It is pretty challenging to get the kiln to the exact temperature that will allow the silver to fire properly. But we lucked out and it came out perfect!

School Day

2010-12-17T01:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my friend Krystel, an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) who also lives in Takayama, invited me to spend a day with her at one of the schools where she teaches English. This particular school is way out in the countryside and home to under 30 students from 1st to 6th grade. Some grades are comprised of only 2 kids! I played some number games with the students, ate lunch with them, played a few games of basketball in the gym, and took part in a very serious game of tag. It was a blast!

Also, I made two good friends!

One huge difference between the Japanese school system and the American system is that here there are no janitors, instead all the students do their part everyday to clean the school. I was shown how it's properly done:

More work!

2010-12-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

34 cups, 4 bowls, and a vase!

First (Actual) Snow

2010-12-12T05:35:00.000-05:00

I'd say about 3 or 4 inches worth... that melted within 48 hours. It started to snow while I was at the wood shop and kept on snowing through the night.

The next morning, I went to my favorite view point in one of the parks in town, which is on a hill where the ancient Takayama Castle used to stand and which overlooks the whole city.

Latest Project

2010-12-12T05:23:00.000-05:00

3 sake sets and 4 mugs!

Signs of the Season

2010-12-04T00:39:00.000-05:00

I came back from the wood shop 2 nights ago and was surprised to see a huge three-story light-up Christmas tree on my apartment building! I've been pretty surprised at how well decorated Takayama is for the holidays! (If you look 2 windows to the right of the tree, on the 4th floor, you can see my window- with my christmas lights!)

Later that night I went out for a walk, at the time it was just barely drizzling. I didn't bring an umbrella. Less than 20 minutes later, it was a full-on snow storm. Though short-lived, it was amazing!

Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara

2010-12-04T00:32:00.000-05:00

Following Thanksgiving, a few other Fulbrighters and I headed to Kyoto for a few nights to explore the Kansai Region. This is where I studied in Japan 3 years ago on a RISD ceramic department trip. The great thing about this part of Japan is that all of the major cities are really close together and connected by a comprehensive, and cheap, train and subway system. It's possible to travel between Osaka to Kyoto to Kobe and to Nara in under an hour and for under about ten dollars. This time of year it is particularly busy in Kyoto. The week I was there it was perhaps the busiest of the season, people trying to see the last of the Fall foliage before it is too late.

The first thing we did after getting off the train in Kyoto was get some lunch. Italian. We had pizza and pasta. The first time I had pizza since leaving home!

Later that night we explored Kyoto on foot. This stream runs along Shirakawa Dori, which my guidebook claims to be one of the most beautiful streets in all of Asia!

The next day we headed to Kobe, home of the world famous Kobe Beef. A huge Earthquake devastated the city in 1995, and the rebuilt city is beautiful and highly modern. It also has a nice China Town.

Kobe is a Port City, and has a pretty spectacular harbor.

Back in Kyoto for the night, we were strolling down a particularly well lit side street, and found ourselves walking right behind a Geisha, a real one! There are fake Geishas all over the city, as a tourist thing. But when you see a real Geisha, you know they're real- the make up, kimonos, and overall presence is unquestionable.

Later in the trip, we headed to one of Kyoto's famous temples, Kiyomizudera Temple. Kiyo mizu roughly translates to holy water. The walk to get there was extremely crowded, and meandered through hilly and windy streets.

That night we hiked my favorite Shire in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Shrine. I visited here 3 years ago and it was incredible, however, I didn't hike the entire path so this time I was determined to do the whole thing! The shrine is really unusual. It is comprised of thousands of red torii gates that line a 4km path up the side of a mountain. There is an amazing view of Kyoto from the top!

The last full day, Jessa, another Fulbrighter and I traveled to Nara, Japan's ancient capital. There are plenty of famous shrines and temples in Nara, but secretly, no one goes for them, everyone actually goes to see, and play with, the famous Nara deer. The city's parks are loaded with friendly deer!

Nara's most famous temple is called Todaiji, and it is the world's largest wooden structure. Incredibly, it burnt down several centuries ago and was rebuilt, at one third it's original size due to material limitations. Which means it was actually a lot larger that it is today. Also, the proportions of the building are very deceiving, it appears smaller that it is, notice how tiny the people in front of it are!

Inside the temple, one of the pillars has a small hole cut out in the base. It is said if you can fit through it, then you will attain enlightenment in your lifetime. So I tried it... with success! Not on my first try however. I had to take off a few layers before I could do it!

Wow, I did it!!

The last morning back in Kyoto, with only a few hours before I had to catch my bus back to Takayama, I headed to walk the Philosopher's Path, which is a famous path that runs along a river where an ancient philosopher used to walk. I was also here 3 years ago and I remember an excellent ice cream stand where I had sweet potato ice cream. I was able to find the same stand! I provided the picture I just took, as well as the same picture from three years a go for a comparison!

Circa January 2008.

Sooo good!

Thanksgiving on Lake Biwa

2010-12-01T02:45:00.000-05:00

The other Fulbrighters and I met up in a cabin near Kyoto to celebrate Thanksgiving!

The Fulbright Japan gang! ...minus two who couldn't make it!

The cabin was great! Clean, two floors, natural wood, and heated!

Angelica and I assumed responsibility for one of the breakfasts. We made pancakes!

We went for a walk the next morning and we saw over a dozen wild monkeys! They travel in packs!

We were befriended by a cat that followed us for a while as we walked along the lake.

Thanksgiving dinner! We couldn't find turkey, so we bought a few rotisserie chickens. We also had chili and sweet potatoes with marshmallows!

Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without pumpkin pie.

USJ

2010-12-01T02:26:00.000-05:00

I headed to the Kansai Region of Japan last week for the start of a week-long Thanksgiving celebration. I left Takayama at 7 in the morning and met up with Angelica in Osaka in the early afternoon. The first stop, which was a last minute idea, was to go to Universal Studios Japan for the evening! The admission fee is cut in half if you go after 3pm!

There is a special subway train that runs from the center of Osaka to the park. It's actually really close to the center of the city!

The park had a bunch of different areas, all of them were America themed! New York, New England and California were all idyllically represented. Here I am in front of Louie's Restaurant, a pizza shop, in New York!

Angelica and I!

Hollywood!

New York!

For the holiday season, every night is a "Magical Starlight Parade" complete with huge floats!

What I Just Ate In Japan Vol. 5

2010-12-01T01:57:00.000-05:00

Takoyaki, battered and fried squid, Osaka.

Louie's [Diner] in Japan vol. 3

2010-11-28T10:41:00.000-05:00

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Marsh of Gold

2010-11-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Just got back from Kanazawa! I arrived early in the morning with Dai and his father. We also met up with a wonderful woman named Masako who is from Kanazawa but currently working in Takayama at the town hall. She works in the Industry and Merchant office. She also was my guide for the weekend!

The tea ceremony was great. Apparently the type of ceremony we attended is the most formal type. It had two servings of tea. The first one is a really thick blend of matcha powder and just a little bit of water- very bitter. After this we moved to a second room where we were served the second serving, which was more watered down. Then finally on to a third room for lunch! Cameras were not allowed during the the ceremony, though I was able to sneak a picture of the lunch.

Dai, his father, and I, in front of the temple gate where the Tea Ceremony was held.

Kanazawa's old geisha district along the river.

The name Kanazawa translates to "marsh of gold". Today the town is famous for it's gold leaf production and crafts. I went to the Gold Leaf Museum and saw some pretty amazing stuff. A lot of stores in town sell some insanely-priced products, a lot of tabletop goods (teapots and cups, mugs, bowls, etc) with intricate gold leaf designs.

The view of downtown from Kanazawa Castle.

Masako and I, in front of Kanazawa Castle. Masako was incredibly kind and was with me all weekend. She took me to all of the city's best sights!

We went to Kenrokuen, which is Kanazawa's most famous park. At night in the fall, admission is free, and there is a light show which showcases the autumn foliage.

We also visited the Ninja Temple, a temple with a huge amount of trap doors, secret passageways, and hidden rooms. No cameras allowed inside here either, so here's me in front!

During my last few hours in town, Masako drove me to the prefectural office building to get a good view of the city.
Despite the clouds, it was a nice view! On the other side was the ocean, a nice sight after spending so much time surrounded by mountains in Takayama.

Just as I was about to board the bus back to Takayama, it started to rain. Luckily I didn't get stuck in a Typhoon like on my last trip!

The chosen tea bowl

2010-11-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning I am heading to Kanazawa, which is to the west on the coast about 2 hours away by car, to attend a tea ceremony with Dai and his family. He chose a bowl for my latest batch of pieces to give to the tea ceremony master to use during the ceremony. The bowl will be presented in a traditional simple wooden box. I wrote on the lid, with ink and brush, my name and a brief description of the bowl, it's clay and style.

New Lighting

2010-11-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

The bright fluorescent lighting in my room was getting to be a bit much, so I picked up some string lights at the home store a few days ago. Huge improvement! And right in time for the holiday season!

Fall!

2010-11-15T09:07:00.001-05:00

The past two weekends I've done some more exploring around town. I finally made it to Takayama's two main parks, at probably the most amazing time of year. Both parks are on top of hills that overlook the whole city, and are at opposite ends of town.

My apartment is in the center, way in the back!

Hida No Sato

2010-11-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

One of Takayama's main attractions is the historic folk village named Hida No Sato. It is located near the center of town, on a hill that over looks the whole city and it's only a five minute walk past the pottery studio where I am studying. It is a preserved village, with traditional homes that have been maintained for hundreds of years. Autumn is an amazing time to be here!

The results are in!

2010-11-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

This morning, at 9am sharp, we opened the kiln to reveal our finish glazed pottery.

Riding the bike path!

2010-11-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

A fellow student at my woodworking school loaned me a bike for a few days, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity, as well as the surprisingly nice weather, and finally conquer the bike path that I discovered last month that runs along the river in my town. The path starts near my apartment and I was able to ride it quite a distance. It was a beautiful ride, and dusk was the perfect time to do it!

Here's my [temporary] bike!

There was one point when the path reduced in size and went through a forest.

"Bike path" is taken both functionally and visually...

The map... not too helpful, though. There were a bunch of these along the route, but none of them had a "you are here" marker, and they were all in Japanese characters. Plus, there is just one path to ride on, so a map isn't actually necessary!

Texture

2010-11-08T04:29:00.000-05:00

Observations from around the countryside.

The Winter Forecast

2010-11-07T01:56:00.000-04:00

This little guy was sitting on my shoulder in the wood shop yesterday. These bugs have been all over the place lately, and according to local folklore, the more of these bugs that come around during the Fall, the more snow we will get in the Winter. It has been definitely cold enough to snow!

Glazing and Kiln Loading

2010-11-05T04:49:00.000-04:00

This morning, my Sensei, Dai, and I glazed all of our ceramics which just came out from the bisque firing, and then set them up in the kiln for the glaze firing.

This is the liquid form of an Irabo glaze I had used on a few of my pieces. It will fire to a semi-glossy deep brown color.

The Bizen-ware and Shigaraki-ware composite clays were given the charcoal firing treatment. It is a way to replicate a traditional wood bizen firing in an automated kiln. It requires a bit of experimentation to figure out the best outcomes, so I am not to sure what to expect when we open the kiln on Monday! The technique is actually quite simple, just surround the ceramic pieces with chunks of charcoal. What should happen is where the charcoal touched the pieces, they should be a deeper red/black hue.

Pretty sure I haven't touched charcoal since RISD Foundation Year drawing class...

The kiln shelves all loaded up and ready to go!

Locked up tight until Monday morning at 9:00am!

Tokyo By Night

2010-11-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

After the design events ended for the day and before the subways shut down at midnight, I had some hours to explore the city. Tokyo is a city made to be seen at night.

Sensoji Temple is arguably the most famous temple in Tokyo, it is also the biggest in the city. It is kept in immaculate condition and probably the best lit temple I have seen.

Harajuku Station as seen from a pedestrian overpass.

Here's a back alley I stumble upon in Shibuya. Shibuya is one of Tokyo's busiest districts, but small, endearing streets like this still abound.

Also, my first night in Tokyo happened to be the first stop of the Japan leg of the band Vampire Weekend's world tour. To be honest, before the concert I didn't know too much about Vampire Weekend, I liked a few of their songs, and I had their two albums on my Ipod that I got from a friend, but that's about it. I just wanted to see a concert in Japan! And the timing was pretty perfect... They were so good live!

What I just Ate In Japan Vol. 4

2010-11-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

Do-it-yourself hot chocolate, Tokyo.

Tokyo Designer's Week

2010-11-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

I just got back form a 5 day trip to Tokyo, primarily to attend Tokyo Designer's Week, which I had heard was one of the biggest design events in Japan! The main show was pretty cool, it was about as big as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. There were quite a few Japanese design schools with booths, which was interesting. What impressed me more than the main show was the other design events happening in Tokyo, primarily Design Tide Tokyo which was a lot smaller, expensive to enter, and had some really amazing design work! It felt very finely curated, and all of the work and designers there were top-notch, plus most of the designers were actually there right next to there work, so I had the chance to chat with a few! Another big event was the Good Design showcase. Good Design is a organization that runs a very reputable modern design competition, and all of this years winning entires were on display. Taking pictures of the work at all of the shows was not allowed, so I have some nice shots of the signs, but only a few of the shows themselves!

The creepiest robot ever made was also on display. You should have seen the way it moved.

This tea and saucer set I found particularly charming! Maybe it's the peach color and the striking black outline.

Timed to coincide with Tokyo Designers Week, the Museum of Contemporary Art had a Dutch design exhibit on display. There was a room devoted to Marten Baas, who I have always found interesting, as well a bunch of pieces by Ted Noten, a Dutch jewelry designer. I don't know too much about Ted Noten, but one of his pieces was pretty fun. It was a bunch of identical pink rings, in the shape of a pig wearing a pearl necklace, held up on pins against a wall. Museum-goers were encouraged to trade a ring of their own in exchange for one of the pink pig rings. I traded a key I managed to find in the bottom of my backpack. I think the key was a spare.

Louie's [Diner] in Japan Vol. 2

2010-11-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing (busiest pedestrian crosswalk in the world!).

Before and After

2010-10-26T09:19:00.001-04:00

Since I bought my collection of woodworking tools last month, I have been busy tuning and preparing them. To tune the chisels, I have to go through a long process of hammering and shaping the wooden end, to make it capable of withstanding constant hammering during typical use.

Before

After

New Studio Setup

2010-10-26T09:14:00.000-04:00

Just rearranged my pottery workspace- I have a large surface to use as well as a view!

A Day's Work

2010-10-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

This past Monday I got started on my first pottery project. I used three different types of Japanese clays: Bizen (the brown clay), Porcelain (the white clay), and a mixed clay composed of a bunch of different kinds including Shigaraki (the tan clay). I have never actually used Porcelain before. This kind is 100% pure Porcelain, without any other clay mixed in to add strength- Porcelain is very soft and difficult to work with and control. It felt like throwing with butter. The Mixed clay was my favorite. It was super coarse and wore my hands down, but it was incredibly stable. I plan to make an assortment of mugs and tea bowls, and tea pots which I have future plans for involving wooden fixtures! We'll see what happens.

Hiking the Japanese Alps

2010-10-24T09:54:00.000-04:00

Just got back from a very last minute day trip in the Japanese Alps! A fellow Fulbrighter, Shawn, and I made an hour and a half bus trip from Takayama to a small town with a few hot springs and a ropeway to a trailhead at the top of a mountain. Actually there were two ropeways, the first one stopped in the middle and we were able to have some breakfast and dip our feet in shallow hot spring. Then the second ropeway, which was two levels, went all the way to the top. After a very scenic ride to the summit, we completed a treacherous 3 hour hike to the bottom. We couldn't have chosen a better weekend- besides the slightly overcast weather, the Fall foliage was in peak season! After the hike we stopped by an onsen, which is a Japanese traditional hotspring, and had a relaxing dip before heading back to town.

New Required Reading

2010-10-23T04:17:00.001-04:00

One of my first blog posts, from early this past Summer, was about all the books I had wanted to read before coming to Japan, as preliminary research on topics related to my project. I was actually able to finish most of them! Due to my self-imposed one suitcase rule, however, I wasn't able to bring many books with me. I only brought the very necessary "Lonely Planet Japan Guidebook", a small book on Japanese etiquette, a pocket-size Japanese dictionary, and one design book I bought a few days before my flight. In the past few weeks, I was given a book on traditional Japanese lifestyles from the Edo period, and a book on modern Japanese ceramics. I've pretty much shelved the guidebook for when I travel, and the etiquette book I practically finished on the plane ride, so the other three I've just begun to read. They include "Emotionally Durable Design" by Jonathan Chapman. This is the one I got right before I left home. I am just about done with it. It is great and very relevant to my project. It is about designing new products that, instead of focusing on sustainability as the primary consideration for responsible design, have more empathy and emotional qualities. This can alleviate many of the current problems with our industrialized, consumption driven society. By designing products with what Chapman calls "emotional durability", products can age better, have more meaning and value to users, and be used and enjoyed for years to come instead prematurely thrown away. My reasons for studying the Japanese aesthetic style of Wabi Sabi are of similar intentions. I believe the sentiments of Wabi Sabi, if harnessed and integrated effectively, can create value and meaning in everyday objects, and thus provide an alternative to our wasteful, throw-away society. Very interesting book! The next book is called "Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan" by Azby Brown. I've just started this one and it is great, too. I was given this one by my wood working sensei. He is good friends with the autor and I have actually arranged a meeting with the author next week when I am in Tokyo for Tokyo Design Week! The last book I was just given by my ceramic sensei and is more or less a collection of fine examples of some of the latest ceramics by prominent Japanese potters. My sensei has a piece featured in it!

A look at the Takayama furniture industry

2010-10-23T03:47:00.000-04:00

The two biggest furniture companies in Takayama are Kashiwa Co. and Hida Sangyo Co. They are both very established in Japan and have long histories in the traditional and more recently, highly modern, furniture design industry. My ceramic sensei, Dai, accompanied me to visit the showrooms and factories of these two big companies. He is friends with some of the members of the companies so getting a behind-the-scenes look at the inner-workings was possible!

Hida Sangyo sells scrap wood outside their showroom. It's really cheap and perfectly usable- I might swing by and pick some up soon!

small dogs are incredibly popular in Japan

2010-10-23T00:47:00.000-04:00

Coffee with Goro Suzuki

2010-10-19T08:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, after we had picked up all of the supplies we needed in Seto City, we drove about twenty minutes to Toyota City to visit the home of Goro Suzuki, the internationally famous Japanese potter. He's called a 'super-potter', and for very good reason. He holds the record for the most teacups thrown in a ten hour time span- 1,250! We were welcomed inside by his wife as well as his several dogs hanging out outside. We walked through his pottery lined house then sat down and had some coffee (in his hand-made mugs, of course) and conversation, then headed out back to his studio for a private lesson. Though only about twenty minutes, the quick lesson was filled with so much insight and many tricks. From the potter who is know for his speed, it was perhaps the most knowledge filled twenty minute lesson I have ever received.

My sensei, Dai Nagakura, is on the left. He served as Goro's apprentice for a year and a half some years ago.

Seto City/ Pottery Supply Run

2010-10-19T07:47:00.000-04:00

My Pottery Sensei took me to Seto City yesterday to pick up some pottery supplies: clay, tools, and glazes. It was only about a 2 hour drive from Takayama. Seto City is the ceramic capital of Japan. It was one of the original places that pottery traditions had migrated to from China a millennia or so ago.

We stopped by a clay warehouse and filled up the back of the car with a few hundred pounds of clay.

Then, we visited a massive 90 year old kiln, with 4 levels- it takes about 2 weeks to do a firing! The studio that the kiln is apart of is still in full operation. It is entirely water powered; a mill in the back of the huge room turns and powers all of the wheels with an ingenius underground mechanism (If you look in the photo, the gears and mechanics are hidden under the wooden panels on the floor), as well as a grinder and a wedging machine.

We pulled over on the side of a road to collect some special gravel directly from the side of a rock wall! The special rock is called Shino, and can be crushed down and used in a bunch of different glaze recipes.

Here's the full collection of supplies: Shigaraki, Bizen, and pure Porcelain clay, matte black glaze, a beautiful metallic silver over-glaze, and several small tools and brushes. Can't wait to get started!

Bike Path!

2010-10-19T07:03:00.000-04:00

Providence had an amazing bike path that I really miss. That's why when I found a path that runs along the river in Takayama, that for all I know could go on for miles, I was pretty excited. Now all I need is a bike!

The river is on the right side, though hidden from view in this pic!

Sunset

2010-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've been venturing out further and further from the main downtown area of Takayama, and I am constantly delighted by my discoveries. I stumbled upon a quiet beautiful park that runs along the main river in town, and then the sun set:

Takayama's Art Museum

2010-10-19T06:53:00.000-04:00

When I headed to the Takayama Museum of Art, which is right next to the Koito Pottery studio (the front gates are actually only about 20 feet from the studio's backdoor!), I was expecting a lot of traditional Japanese crafts, which is what Takayama is known for. I was so wrong. There was no Japanese art in the Takayama Art Museum. None. The museum is Japan's only museum devoted to the Interior Arts and Art Deco style. I was pretty impressed. It was shiny and modern, not at all what I was expecting. It had some nice furniture and a room full of some pretty amazing perfume bottles. These extremely luxurious objects are very much the antithesis of Wabi Sabi, the Japanese aesthetic style that I am here studying. They provide an interesting contrast, being so lavish and decorated, to the worn and humble objects I have recently studied.

I'll be doing pottery too

2010-10-19T06:32:00.002-04:00

I have always loved pottery- I've done it ever since I was 7! In fact, my entire portfolio that I applied to RISD with was ceramic work, except for one drawing and one painting! I couldn't come to Japan and not try to study traditional pottery to some degree during the upcoming year. So, last weekend, I stopped by the storefront for Koito Pottery, a local Takayama pottery tradition. I expressed an interest in spending time over the next several months at the Koito Pottery studio to study traditional Japanese pottery aesthetics and techniques as part of my Fulbright project. I was warmly welcomed! I will be spending a few days a week at the wonderful studio, learning from a true master potter! I have generously been given a wheel to call my own, as well as access to all of the facilites. Here's a look at my space as well as a few pieces I made the first day!

The first thing I learned was a new forming technique. If you look closely at this close-up photo, you'll notice a seashell on the back right of the table top. I learned how to smoothly form the curve of a bowl with the side of the shell. Simple, effective, and poetic!

Getting Internet

2010-10-19T04:24:00.001-04:00

It's been a pain, but finally! The Internet has arrived! I had a 9am appointment with the Internet Company. They arrived at 9 on the dot, then began a three hour installation process... from the telephone poles in the street, in to the stairwell of my building, then finally to my room.

Expect more updates very soon!

New Meaning

2010-10-14T05:19:00.000-04:00

I guess this is the "stuff room", where stuff is kept.

An Unexpected Trip

2010-10-14T05:15:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, with Angelica still in town, we decided to go for a ride on the train. We had no destination in mind, we just wanted to see the countryside. So, we each bought the cheapest ticket and had an open plan to see if we could ride the train to the end, then just hop a train back to town. About a half hour into to our journey, they started to punch tickets! (which we have rarely seen before in Japan) So, we had to get off at the next stop and turn around. But the time between our stop and the next train was about an hour and 15 minutes. I never thought that I would ever be in a place such as Inotani. It is a completely random stop on the train line that runs between Takayama and Toyama on the northwest coast. It is a town of only a handful of buildings with a beautiful river along it's far side. We went for a walk around the town, then waited in the vacant one room station for awhile. Then we saw a rainbow! We kept ourselves entertained and sipped on vending machine coffee till our train came.

Takayama Festival

2010-10-13T00:05:00.000-04:00

A few days ago was the huge Takayama Autumn Festival- one of the 3 most beautiful in Japan, they say! It's also one of my town's main attractions. It was entirely rained out on Saturday, but on Sunday it went on as planned. It was amazing, there was at least a half mile of vendors along the river, selling some pretty delicious Japanese carnival food.

The main attraction at the festival are a dozen "yatai", super intricate floats that are only displayed during the festival. They are cultural treasures of Japan and have some neat features. One has a puppet stage in it, and puts on a puppet show a few times during the day. The puppets are controlled from underneath the float with a series of mechanisms. The puppeteers can't see anything so it's really impressive! Because of the rain, there was no parade around town, but the floats were viewable along the town's main boulevard on Sunday.

What I Just Ate In Japan vol. 3 (Birthday Edition)

2010-10-12T23:47:00.000-04:00

Halloween themed Pumpkin Souffle, Nagoya.

Birthday In Nagoya

2010-10-12T23:38:00.000-04:00

A few days before my birthday, I was invited by another Fulbrighter, Shawn, who lives in Nagoya (which is the closest big city), to go on a boat tour of a river in Nagoya... on my birthday! The area is shadowed by a castle, which is the oldest fully intact castle in all of Japan, and a mountain by the name of Inuyama, which translates to Dog Mountain.

The tour was mainly to watch traditional Cormorant fishing. I had no idea what to expect, but was pretty impressed! Instead of using the typical fishing rods or nets to catch fish, these fishermen use birds... birds on leashes. It sounds pretty crazy but it seemed to work well! It sounds inhumane, these birds have a leash on their neck that won't allow them to swallow the fish they catch. Once a bird catches a fish, the fishermen pulls the bird in and takes the fish from the birds mouth. I thought that the birds would be pretty miserable, but they seemed pretty well taken care of. Unusual for sure!

Takayama Public Furniture

2010-10-11T09:15:00.000-04:00

Some brilliantly simple furniture that line the streets and parks of my town.

What I Just Ate In Japan vol. 2

2010-10-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin doughnut and cup of coffee, Osaka.

Conveyor Belt Sushi

2010-10-11T09:04:00.000-04:00

For lunch on my second day in Osaka, we ate at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Probably something that is only in Japan! Each plate is only 100 Yen (about 1 dollar)!

Osaka Street Fashion

2010-10-11T08:59:00.000-04:00

Osaka Weekend

2010-10-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I made the 5 hour bus trip to Osaka. I had two things on my agenda, the first to visit the Osaka Design Expo, and the second to spend time in the city with my fellow Fulbright friend, Angelica, who is studying at a University in Osaka. Her project is focused on traditional Japanese garden aesthetics, so her and I have a lot in common! The first day in town we spent at the design show. It was a pretty decent size, and there was a good mix of Japanese design firms there. We saw a lot of wooden chairs, and I may have made a pretty good connection with a furniture company from Fukuoka in Kyushu Prefecture, way down in the southern part of Japan. I might try to arrange a visit to their studio a bit later in the year!

That night, we wandered around Osaka's neon streets. The city is lined with numerous canals, which add a certain romance to the place. The reflection of the light from the flashing billboards on the water in the canals is pretty spectacular!

The next night Angelica and I took a ride on a massive ferris wheel precariously situated in the middle of the city, with an amazing view!

On my last afternoon in Osaka, we headed to a massive flea market on the outskirts of the city, that sits under the shadow of a huge and very bizarre bird-like statue. Back home in the states, I have never been one for flea markets, too much junk to weed through! But the sale here was full of mostly high quality stuff, and all incredibly cheap. I had come only looking for one thing: a warm sweatshirt that I could wear to the wood shop, something cheap and junky that I would get messy. I found one within the first 3 mintes of being there! For 300 Yen, about 3 us dollars! Two hours later, we had only walked through the first half of the sale, and it started to rain. As all the vendors began to pack up, I spotted a bright green pair of jeans- a pair of Levi 501's! New, they go for about 50 dollars back home, these were only 200 Yen (about 2 dollars) and looked pretty cool and were in good shape, even though the weren't exactly my size. I bought them anyway- for the same reason I bought the sweatshirt. I brought only one suitcase with me from home, so I was only able to pack my absolute favorite items. None of which I wanted to get dirty and messed up by way of working in a wood shop. When I got back to my apartment in Takayama, I tried them on...and like magic, they fit me perfectly!

Louie's [Diner] in Japan Vol. 1

2010-10-08T07:01:00.000-04:00

Louie's Diner is a Providence landmark and also my favorite restaurant in the city, and perhaps of all time... So when I headed off to Japan, of course I brought the T-shirt with me! Here I am wearing it in Osaka, in front of an iconic and particularly well lit canal. Expect this to be the first of many!

No Internet!

2010-10-08T06:55:00.000-04:00

Since I moved into my apartment, I have been using a really unreliable wireless source from a neighbor, but the past few days it has disappeared! So, I am currently sitting on the sidewalk outside the only youth hostel in town, using their wireless... perhaps also the only free wireless in town. So sorry for the long absence of posts! I have A LOT that I will put up as soon as I get a connection! I was told I would have one by early next week... but with the ways things have been going (I was supposed to have been online a week ago), I have a feeling it could be a bit longer. Let's hope not!

Nagoya Day Trip

2010-09-27T23:47:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I had to go to the immigration office in nagoya, about a 2 and half hours bus trip away, to get my re-entry permit. This will allow me to leave Japan and come back throughout the year without any issues upon re-entry. What I was expecting to be a day-long activity only ended up taking about 40 minutes, so I was free the rest of the day to sightsee! I wasn't really planing on sightseeing, so I didn't have any stops in mind. I did make it out to the Nagoya Castle, though, and then just walked around for awhile.

Later I enjoyed some Matcha ice cream. My absolute favorite!

Finally Moved In

2010-09-26T09:14:00.000-04:00

Here's where I'm living for the next several months!

Tool Truck

2010-09-26T09:11:00.000-04:00

Before I start class in a few days, I had to pour a hefty chunk of my grant money on a collection of Japanese wood working tools! Which I purchased from a travelling tool truck that makes trips to the school every few months.

Here's my fully equipped collection!

Takumi Juku's main wood shop is pretty huge. The ceilings are really high and it has plenty of windows that look out into the mountains.

My Neighborhood

2010-09-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

Famous Nakabashi Bridge, it's kind of the symbol of Takayama.

A Bowling Alley!

Hanko

2010-09-24T09:37:00.001-04:00

Before I could sign up for a bank account, sign the apartment lease, or get a cell phone, I had to get one of these. A Hanko is a personal stamp that acts as a signature, and is used on important documents. I just got mine made, it has three Japanese Kanji which spell out my last name- Ri Ga and No, from top to bottom.

My Address!

2010-09-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

Louis Rigano
Mezon La Monado No. 402
Hanasato-Machi 3-8-4
Takayama-Shi
506-0026
Japan

First Few Days In Town

2010-09-23T07:52:00.001-04:00

They've been a blur. I am probably forever indebted to my professor/ sensei/ translator Osamu Shoji, aka Shoji San. He is the advisor on my Fulbright Project. He is also a master wood worker who worked as an assistant to the late James Krenov (a super famous wood worker who has had a huge influence on modern craftsmen). Shoji San is himself one of the most respected wood workers in Japan. In April, he will retire from Shinrin Takumi Juku and head to Tokyo, to work on restoring and repairing furniture in the Meiji Shrine (The biggest shrine in Tokyo). I might tag along!

These past few days, he has been helping me out with everything, including translating everything (I'm almost entirely helpless in rural Japan without knowing the language). We went to the town hall and got my Alien Registration Card, applied for the National Health Insurance Plan, applied for a bank account, and I'm in the process of obtaining a cell phone (I needed an address first) etc. He has also helped me find an apartment- which I found today! We looked at a bunch of places all around town, including the one in the middle of nowhere I mentioned in my last post. However, that one thankfully I did not pick! I'm in the middle of downtown Takayama, a block away from the train station. I could not have asked for a better location! Also, I live directly above a design store! What are the chances?! The apartment is a few miles away from the school, but I was assured that I can get a ride from one of the students at school, some of whom live in town as well. The apartment is pretty small, but no so bad, it's also really cheap! It's on the 4th floor and has really nice lighting. Plus, it came mostly furnished- I got a laundry machine, refrigerator, tv, table (which is also a heater (the Japanese are so ingenious)), and stove (though no oven). No bed, so I'll be picking up a futon when I also get some small things such as a pillow, blankets, pots, pans, plates, and cups. I move in this Saturday! I'll post the address then.

Till then, here are photos of the building, when I move in, I'll put up photos from the inside!