While Aizu-Hongo nishin-bachi can be found in almost any first-rate mingei shop, buying at the source gives extra pleasure. In central Fukushima-ken, the area bordering Lake Inawashiro in Bandai Asahi National Park is dotted with Aizu place names. The largest is Aizu-Wakamatsu, just south of which is a village called Hongo-cho where the Munakata workshop-kiln is located.
| 8 | NIIGATA |
| SANKAKU-DARUMA | |
Niigata-ken typically faces wintery onslaughts fresh out of Asia. Truly “snow country” in every respect, a common winter sight is of troops of children togged out in conical straw snow capes. A group of these children trudging through snowy fields is thought to be part of the reason behind the form SANKAKU-DARUMA take. Literally “triangle daruma,” these simple votive figures have a history dating 150 years.
The larger of the pair is red-robed and the mate blue while the faces of both daruma have a quizzical look with ever downcast eyes. Why the averted look? Well, an explanation for that needs some historical background. Daruma is thought to be a perversion of the Indian word for law — dharma. The doll so popular throughout Japan apparently represents an Indian Buddhist priest whose real name was Bodhidhama. After long studies in his own land, he traveled to China and the court of King Wu. When he realized that the king was not disposed to his teaching, he took leave to reside in a mountain temple at Shao-linssu. There he meditated for nine years without moving and thus lost the use of his legs (the reason why daruma dolls seem to be eternally seated in a lotus posture). The red robe that seems essential recalls the dhoti Indian monks generally wear.
It was during these long years of meditation that the priest evolved the doctrine of Zen (Dhyana) — a method of training the mind and body by quiet sitting. Zen is oriented toward making the eyes see by looking at nothing. It took a while to explain but that is the look these daruma have. Eyes that see (and know) by looking at nothing. Bodhidhama died in 536 and was buried on a nearby mountain.
Sankaku-daruma are usually bought at the first fair or hatsu-ichi of the new year in Niigata. Placed on the kami-dana (household Shinto altar), they are believed to protect the family fortunes for the year to follow.
Agricultural households ask daruma’s protection over livelihood crops and the successful growth of their silkworms, while fisherfolk ask daruma’s indulgence to ensure large catches and safe voyages. The set from the previous year are given to the children as toys. A special game played with them involves throwing them to the ground. The first to right itself is the winner while the doll that breaks whilst playing so roughly is the loser. A good explanation why there are few, if any, “antique” sankaku-daruma.
| 9 | TOCHIGI |
| NIKKO-GETA | |
Amore Japanese form of footwear would be hard to find. Geta are as common today as they were in the times when kimono were de rigueur. A man dressed in a summer weight kimono or perhaps a cotton yukata definitely needs a pair of geta to set off his clothing correctly. Socks and shoes could never do what geta accomplish in style.
Just what are geta? A form of clog or patten traditionally made from a single piece of wood. The flat oblong foot-rest is supported by two cross bars which keep the wearer’s feet above the ground. They are kept in place by a thong which passes between the big toe and its neighbor and from there branches into two strands, which are attached to the geta’s body once again near the arch. Mentioning an arch is almost a joke as geta are flat-surfaced and have no supporting features such as are common to Western footwear.
The duo depicted has a bed of finely plaited bamboo firmly attached to the upper surface of the “shoe” and are known as NIKKO-GETA. Well-known for the highly embellished Toshogu Shrine complex that dates from the early Edo period, Nikko-geta likewise date to such a time and were originally made for priests serving in the Toshogu precincts.
Besides the plaited bamboo padding which surely makes wearing them infinitely more pleasant, the thong is wrapped in white canvas. Previously, only priests were allowed to wear white thonged geta and all others wishing to have a similar pair for their own personal use had to be content with black thongs. Times change as we all know far too well, and it’s a buyer’s market these days. White or black, it’s up to you, although the kanushi at Toshogu still affect only the white.
There are a number of other geta that have padding but only the Nikko variety uses bamboo skins. Most others use water rushes which wear through much faster.
The perfect finishing touch to a man’s kimono ensemble should be a pair of these finely made and bearably useful native clogs. Even if they don’t feel all that comfortable, once you tune into the clip-clop sound they make when you walk, you’ll be hard put to take them off.
| 10 | IBARAKI |
| KATAEZOME & AIZOME | |
KATAEZOME and AIZOME-NO-SHIMA are two related but visibly different types of indigo dyed cloth found in Ibaraki-ken. They are both made in the same area but no longer in any great quantities as both require enormously time-consuming production techniques. The patterns created in kataezome cloth are varied and many. Many are floral and most lend themselves to unobtrusive repetition.
The printing process for kataezome involves cutting a delicate stencil from heavy washi thickened and strengthened by persimmon juices. Nowadays one can often find these stencils mounted and sold in antique shops all over the country. Even well-worn, they have a special design appeal. If the pattern is especially fine, a netting of fine threads are adhered to the cut stencil to give it added life and usefulness.
When blank cloth to be dyed is prepared, the stencil is repetitively placed over the length of cloth. Each placement is painted with a rice glue paste that leaves the cutout pattern clearly visible. Patterns are usually cut into stencils in such a manner that they fit perfectly together when placed end to end. Usually dying is accomplished in only one indigo shade, although multiple tones can be and are used not infrequently.
When the pasted cloth is completely stenciled, it is turned into a vat of heated dye. These huge tubs are usually dug into the ground and their long use gives the dye house an eerie sense of being out of the underworld of King Emma. When the dye has taken, the cloth is washed, usually in a nearby fastflowing stream. The paste compound is then removed and voila, the covered areas have retained their original color (most commonly white cotton). A colour close up is on page 123.
Aizome-no-shima is related but this cloth uses predyed threads to create striped material in tones of indigo. The weaving plan determines the depth of color the cloth will take on in its finished state. The threads are dyed in the same huge ground-level vats that the kataezome was done in, but the threads are washed before weaving and sometimes the finished cloth is washed once more for sizing. This woven cloth is much heavier than yukata material but is still summer-weight. Fine-striped bolts are generally reserved for a man’s kimono, while the widely spaced and multitoned stripes are popular for ladies wear.
| 11 | TOKYO |
| MANEKI-NEKO | |
The origin of this “good fortune” symbol is based on an actual incident. Around 1800, there existed outside the gate of the Ekoh-in Temple in Ryogoku, two similar tea shops. Business was neither good nor bad but the rivalry of the two shops was still intense. To attract customers, both shops had porcelain statues of a beckoning cat made for outside their entryways. One was golden hued and the other silver. Such an unusual feature were these two cats that they attracted much attention and were often mentioned in local publications.
The owner of the one shop (fronted by the golden cat) was a layabout given to wasting both time and money. Were it not for the abilities