On Oct. 11, Sunday, the 5th workshop was held.
Last time, the glaze was applied and the glost firing was carried out. Seeing the finished vessels, we heard people saying, “So this is how it has turned out!” and “Looking good!” Depending on how the glaze was applied, it was interesting to see how different the finished products were even though the same glaze was used.
The party menu consisted of curry rice, salad and fruit salad with shiratama (rice-flour dumplings). With the help of the participants who came in early to help, the preparation of the meal went very smoothly. When the food was served on the dishes that were self-made, it looked very special.
For those living in Namiki and could not come to the party, a live video was set up, and we said “Itadakimasu (an expression of gratitude before eating)” together. A meal eaten together with a large group is very good, the conversation was lively and we all had a great time.
This year’s workshop, totaling 5 sessions, is now over.
We feel that, this year, interaction among the participants took place particularly well and new networks were developed through the pottery experience. We believe that the heart and soul of the creators are embodied in every single vessel created. It would be our pleasure if every time they use the dishes people would remember the workshop and the network of people they had met. We would like to thank everyone who participated! Now, it is time for us to summarize our work this year and start thinking of a plan for next year. For those of you who would like to participate next year, please check the updates of our YUI Facebook page!
※ You can visit our page by clicking the Yui Team banner on the left of the screen.
(Miyake, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
Category Archives: team
Yui’s Pottery Project “Workshop 4”
On Oct. 4, Sunday, one week after the 3rd workshop, the 4th workshop was held.
At the workshop this time, the final process was carried out for the completion of the vessels. The vessels prepared at the last workshop went through a biscuit firing and then the glaze was applied. Two kinds of glazes, “transparent (clear and smooth texture) glaze” and “Momi (rice husk) ash glaze (slightly rough texture)”, were used.
The applying of the glaze is a one-shot-only thing. The participants, with the finished images in mind, took on the challenge looking very serious. It might not be easy to see the outcome just by applying the glaze, but just wait till they come out of the glost firing!
With high expectations, the vessels were loaded into the kiln. After the glost firing, the vessels will finally be ready. At the next workshop on Oct. 11, Sunday, a lunch party will be held using the finished vessels. We are very much looking forward to next week.
(Miyake, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
(日本語) 竈プロジェクト「グッドデザイン賞」受賞
The Kamado Project won the “2015 Good Design Award”.
Both the fact that by gathering around the kamado (cooking stove), awareness about disaster prevention, food and community was raised and the system of the Kamado Project itself were recognized and approved.
For details, please click the link below. (Akagi)
Kamado Project “Good Design Show”
Yui’s Pottery Project “Workshop III”
After a little break since the second workshop, Workshop III was held on Sept. 27!
This was the day of full participation, because it was the day of the actual shaping of the vessels.
First, what would be the base of the vessel was chosen from the 3 colors of clay, and then the clay was sliced into thin sheets.
When the base had been prepared, the next step was creating the parts for the designs. This was where the “Nerikomi blocks” made at Workshop II came in. The clay was cut into any shape or size as desired using cookie cutters and bamboo skewers.
Many of the parts created were shared among the participants!
The participants arranged the parts on the base as they wished, and original patterns were formed.
The last step was to press the base into the mold created at Workshop I, adjust to shape and it was done!
At first, the participants were having a hard time trying to decide on their designs, but in the afternoon, the mood totally changed. Everyone had ideas about their creation and the work moved on smoothly.
At the next meeting on Oct. 4, we will be putting the final touches to the works.
It looks like we can expect to see many wonderful vessels showing character and originality!
(Miyake, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
Yui’s Pottery Project “Workshop II”
On Sept. 6, Sunday, Workshop II, “Tsuchi-dukuri”, was held.
First, a procedure called “Kiku-neri” to make the clay ready for the forming of the vessel was carried out. Kiku-neri is an important procedure to let out the air from the clay. The trick is in the way the hands are used and it can be quite a challenge. Though the participants kept saying how hard it was, they kept trying. They gradually got the knack of it and clay of very good quality was made.
Next, we made “Nerikomi blocks”, which are blocks of clay with patterns already set in them. The procedure went smoothly as the teams cooperated with one another.
It was a somewhat physically tough Workshop II, but there were more dialogs among the participants and it turned out to be a lively meeting.
The next meeting will be on Sept 27, Sunday, and we will be working on the main part of shaping the vessels. We are all looking forward to seeing what sort of vessels will be created!
(Miyake, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
Yui’s Pottery Project “Workshop I”
Yui’s Pottery Project’s Workshop I was held on Sept. 5, Saturday. The mold, which will be the base of the vessel, was made.
What was done at this first workshop required much physical effort, such as shaping big chunks of clay and using large amounts of plaster.
The participants worked hard looking keen and serious, but we also saw many of them talking and smiling as they helped each other.
It is our joy to hear people say, “I’m so excited wondering how the vessels are going to turn out.”
At the second meeting on Sept. 6, we will be doing the “Tsuchi-dukuri”, which is a procedure to prepare the clay that will be used to create the vessels. Although the workshop will be held over two consecutive days, I hope that tomorrow will be just as much fun!
(Miyake, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
Kamado Project: “Dozo (Earthen storehouse) Restoration Workshop”
Over 3 days, July 10, 11, 12, a workshop to restore a dozo (A storehouse with earthen walls.) was carried out at “Tsuchida-san chi (Tsuchida-san’s House)”, the center of the Kamado project’s activity.
The dozo at Tsuchida-san’s house is a huge and handsome structure, but it was not in use because the roof had been damaged. So, with the support of local carpenters and tilers, we fixed the roof so that the dozo could be used in many ways. We also took part by cutting the logs and experiencing “sugi-yaki”, which is the scorching of the surface of the cedar woods. “Sugi-yaki” is carried out to increase the durability of the cedar woods.
The workshop continued over a few days, and we were able to serve the carpenters lunch that we cooked on the kamado.
Although the weather was extremely hot, we would like to thank everyone who helped us.
(Tanji, 4th Year at School of Art & Design)
Kamado Project’s ”Kamado (cooking range) Day”,
Last week, on the 21st, ”Kamado (cooking range) Day” event was carried out at Tsuchida-san’s house.
The weather was a major concern of the day, but luckily, it did not rain!
At the ”Kamado (cooking range) Day” this year, a workshop to make curry with high school and elementary school students and a “Talk Café”, organized by the Vacant Properties Team, to talk about the future of Hojo were held. Four high school students and 3 elementary school students came and took part.
What was different from the previous workshops was that we did a rehearsal with the high school students so that they would know how to use the Kamado (cooking range) and how to cook the curry and would be able to instruct the elementary school students on the actual day. At the event, the elementary school students were very lively and the high school students, in their position as instructor and feeling the responsibility, looked confident.
Two kinds of curry, one for the adults and one for the children, were made, and they were both very tasty!
At the “Talk Café”, organized by the Vacant Properties Team, together with the parents of the elementary school children that took part, we discussed about Hojo while eating pancakes made of rice flour. Everybody spoke actively and willingly and we heard some surprising stories. It was time very well-spent! (Machinaga, 3rd Year at School of Art & Design)
Vacant Properties Team holds “Talk Café”
On June 21, the Vacant Properties Team held the “Talk Café”. The “Talk Café” is an event, held in a workshop format, to talk about the good points and issues of Hojo with the local people, so that ideas to utilize vacant houses and properties in Hojo might be inspired.
Since it was held together with the Kamado Project’s ”Kamado (cooking range) Day”, many people taking part in the ”Kamado (cooking range) Day” also came to our event. From elementary to high school students as well as adults, a wide range of age groups took part in exchanging ideas in a friendly atmosphere. Not only did we present our proposals, but we also had the participants offer ideas and suggestions, resulting in lively dialogs and discussions. It turned out to be a very good workshop that would positively lead to our future activities.
Above all, it was such a pleasure to have mingled with the locals of Hojo. We were glad that the rice flour pancakes that we had prepared were well received by the children.
Members of the Kamado Project and those who took part in the “Talk Café”, thank you very much! (Muranaka, 4th year at College of Policy and Planning Sciences)
Yui Team: Research Done for the Next Workshop (WS)
This year, the Yui Team started off with 10 members. In preparation for this year’s WS, we began by doing research on collecting thoughts and comments from the participants of the “Yui’s Pottery Project” last year and the year before last.
As we now have more people, we split up into 2 teams and visited some of the participants’ homes, telephoned those that had moved out of Tsukuba, or had them come over to the university during the CR classes. We conducted our research and also enjoyed talking to them. While we were glad to hear that the participants enjoyed the WS last year and the year before last, some said that they would have rather made the dishes with someone they knew than they didn’t and giving the dishes away as a gift was a burden. Hearing directly these various opinions led us to feel the need to make improvements. At the same time, as 4 years have passed since the catastrophic earthquake, we found out that there have been changes or added complications in their individual lives and circumstances.
Along with the research, the members of the Yui Team actually carried out the “Yui’s Pottery” WS as a trial. Because we are a newly formed team, we were at first a little tense, but through the WS, we got the conversation going and had a good time making the Yui’s pottery.
As a result, we have decided on the new theme, which is “Creating a soft atmosphere — A dish that can’t be made alone.” We would like to continue discussing and decide on actual dates and details of the WS and how we would go about publicizing it. (Yoshida, 2nd Year at College of Agro-Biological Resource Science)
