japanese potters: mr. & mrs. kajiwara

A gallery owner in Tokyo introduced me to Mr. Kajiwara. When I heard he was a potter from Karatsu -- one of my favorite styles -- I quickly asked if I could visit his studio. Mr. Kajiwara was bit startled, but graciously agreed. The next week, after a six hour train ride south, I met him at the station. He didn't speak English and I didn't speak Japanese, but he and his potter wife (I'm sorry I only have her name written in Japanese; when I figure out the translation, I'll add it to this entry) were such a warm, deeply hospitable couple it didn't matter. The Kajiwaras live in a simple home and workshop with their two children deep in the Kyushu countryside. They invited me to a simple, delicious lunch on their pottery. We savored rice that Mr. Kajiwara grows himself on his field across the way.