Shigaraki (\u4fe1\u697d\u753a) is a village in Shiga Prefecture (\u6ecb\u8cc0\u770c), east of Kyoto. The Prefecture is not only home to the biggest lake in Japan, Lake Biwako<\/a>, <\/strong>but the Japanese also associate Shigaraki with a surprising speciality. Clay racoons (known as tanuki in Japanese)<\/strong> are produced in the heart of this small pottery village<\/strong> but have become popular across Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had the opportunity to visit the centre as part of the Art Brut Creation Nippon<\/strong> event, an art and culture festival highlighting the work of disabled people<\/a>. The event was held from 7th to 9th February 2020 in Shiga Prefecture, in conjunction with the Japanese Ministry of Culture and the Japan Cultural Expo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have already been to Japan, you will no doubt have noticed the ceramic statues in front of many houses and shops, resembling plump animals<\/strong> with traditional straw hats (known as amigasa<\/em>), often with a bottle of sake\u2026 and prominent testicles. Fans of Ghibli films will know tanuki<\/strong> as one of the heroes in Pompoko<\/em>, from the animation by Isao Takahata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanuki, a figure that loosely resembles a racoon, features in well-known Japanese folklore<\/em><\/strong> (yokai)<\/strong><\/em>. According to these beliefs, tanuki can change shape and often take on a more mischievous, human persona (albeit generally inoffensive and playful). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This vibrant figure enjoys impressive popularity thanks to its magic powers and human personality. These traits are expertly represented in the figurines and are regarded as a typical local product from Shigaraki. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this peaceful village<\/strong>, situated in a mountainous region that\u2019s known for its cold winters, pottery workshops<\/strong> are everywhere. Walking through the winding streets, it seems as if all the buildings in Shigaraki are either workshops or pottery sellers. Tanuki figurines and large clay pots are dotted along the side of the road which, along with various-sized chimneys, adds to an atmosphere of ceramics and pottery production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A large, steeped kiln<\/strong>, built into the side of the hill and reminiscent of the noborigama<\/strong><\/em> style<\/strong>, can be seen throughout the area. It dates from the Edo Period<\/strong> (1603-1868) but is no longer used in pottery production as more modern techniques are favoured. Entering the impressive chamber of the furnace, you are immediately struck by the walls which are blackened from repeated exposure to the very high temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Near the kiln, don\u2019t forget to stop at Ogama\u2019s Cafe-Shop-Gallery-Workshop<\/a> where you can browse and purchase pottery. It’s a charming place to take in the local atmosphere and enjoy sipping a coffee from local Shigaraki ceramic cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The village has several small shops and galleries<\/strong>. Amongst them, I recommend a visit to Tanikangama (\u8c37\u5bdb\u7aaf)<\/a>, 5 minutes walk from the steeped kiln. You can see many high-quality works on display from several renowned pottery producers that have used the kiln over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also worth visiting Uzan-Yoh (\u536f\u5c71\u7aaf)<\/a>, where you will find beautifully-presented, delicate ceramics alongside larger pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those who like TV dramas<\/strong>, several filming locations around Shigaraki were used in the series, Scarlet<\/em> (\u30b9\u30ab\u30fc\u30ec\u30c3\u30c8)<\/a><\/strong>, broadcast on the national channel NHK<\/strong> from September 2019 to March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shigaraki is not only home to pottery producers and their workshops. Since the start of the 1950s, a centre has been welcoming those with mental impairments and pioneering an integration project<\/strong> by involving them in work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the project initially had some resistance from local people, Daisuke Ishino, an employee and lifelong resident of Shigaraki, grew up regarding the residents of the centre as full-fledged members of village society. They are just adults who are a little different; who might speak with a stronger tone or prefer to join in with children\u2019s games, but they have a place in the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shigaraki Seinenryo (\u4fe1\u697d\u9752\u5e74\u5bee)<\/a> literally means \u201cdormitory for the young people of Shigaraki\u201d and the first residents, in the years immediately after the war, were about 15 years old. These days, however, the average age of the residents is around 65 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits of the centre are really two-fold. Firstly, disabled people have the opportunity to express themselves through the creation of personalised works<\/strong>. But, secondly, they can learn pottery techniques to<\/strong> create useful items<\/strong> (such as cups and plates) that can be sold to pay for activities at the centre. Some of the centre’s residents are able to work as regular staff members at the village’s workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were assigned to tables of 4 or 5 people<\/strong> and in the spirit of an international event, neither one of us spoke the same language. Some members of the group were disabled (such as the residents of the centre who came with us) but others weren\u2019t. Each table was given about 20 kilos of clay and asked to work together<\/strong> in order to create a piece. There were various final creations, some of which were very surprising!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Certain collaborations were more successful than others. Some groups worked together to create pieces such as a beautiful forest or the village of Shigaraki, complete with tanuki figurines, whereas others adopted a more individual approach. On my table, we created a monster; comprised of many individual aspects, it mainly came together in the last 5 minutes as we panicked to finish the task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone approached the experience with good humour and this certainly helped us to communicate in spite of our differences<\/strong>. On my table, there was an Indonesian Artist, a Thai Art Curator and a Web writer from Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the Art Brut Creation Nippon festival, I had the opportunity to discover Shigaraki; its ceramics and the initiatives aimed at helping those with mental impairments. The international event showcases the art of disabled people, especially those with a mental impairment. However, much is done to ensure that the facilities are fully accessible for those with a physical impairment too, such as the use of sign language, written transcripts of announcements and adjustments for wheelchair access. What’s more, the question of social problems<\/strong> was not ignored. Ikiwaraiichiza (\u751f\u7b11\u4e00\u5ea7<\/strong>)<\/a>, a group from Kita Kyushu, is made up of people who were previously homeless, and regularly visits schools in order to raise awareness of social issues through the use of humour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those unfamiliar with Art Brut, it is a style of art made by people who are untrained in the arts and often is an expression of raw emotion. Art Brut is often created by children, the mental ill or handicapped, or people who are incarcerated. The event was an opportunity to discover Art Brut and its various interpretations made by the mentally disabled <\/strong>, particularly in Japan. However, as Japan prepares to host the Olympic Games and the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020, it was a chance for the country to reflect on its public policies<\/strong> regarding disabled people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information about Shigaraki, please visit the Shigaraki tourist association website<\/a> (in Japanese). You can also find information about the village and the rest of Shigaraki prefecture on the official Shiga Tourist Office website (in French) or the English version<\/a> (more detailed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n