今でしょ‼

益子陶器市でのひとこま

ゴールデン・ウィークのなかの一日、笠間の陶炎祭（ひまつり）と益子春の陶器市の二か所のはしごをした。

素朴な焼物の風合いを愛でながら、掘り出し物やお気に入りは見つからないかと店から店へ渡り歩くのはとても楽しい。陶芸家のすそ野が広がったのか、作風の幅広いヴァラエティに驚く。目立つのは、女性陶芸家の感性豊かな作品だ。新しい釉薬や、モダンな絵付けに挑む作品にも目が奪われる。
また、食器だけではなく、動物やオーナメンントなどの作陶も多く、焼物の世界が広がっていることも今回の発見だった。
益子で、「ギャラリー陶のね」という店で見た額入り陶板のアートな作品に一目惚れ、「これでしょ‼」そして「今でしょ‼」とばかりに買ってしまった。1万円を超える値段ではあったが満足感に酔った買い物であった。

上と下の写真はともに笠間の陶炎祭にて

猫陶房の可愛いニャンコたち

あれやこれやと選ぶのは楽しい

a tropical plant

a tropical plant, a photo by photoholic image on Flickr.

The plant shown in above is called Hisui-Kazura in Japanese. This plant is widely known as Jade Vine in English that is native to Luzon island, Philippines. The colour of this flower looks like jade stone so that it is called flower of jewelry. The flower was forced to bloom in the hothouse.

The Wagner Nandor Art Gallery

This is a standing statue of Shotoku-Taishi (Prince Shohtoku) made by Nándor Wagner who was a world-famous sculptor born in Hungary.

小高い丘を上りつめて着く其の美術館の前庭には聖徳太子の彫像が、思慮深げな微笑みを浮かべて訪問者を迎えてくれる。 南側が広く開け、北側は木立に覆われる其の瀟洒な美術館は、ハンガリー生まれの著名な彫刻家ワグナー・ナンドールのギャラリーだ。 この聖徳太子立像も彼の多くの作品のうちの一つだ。　

The Wagnar Nandor Art Gallery

This is an external appearance of the Wagnar Nador Art Gallery located in Mashiko town, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. I have visited the art gallery every day for three days.　
（to be continued )

地方紙の記事から、益子町にワグナー・ナンドール・アートギャラリーなるものがあることを知った。　3日間も続けて毎日通うを事になろうとは夢にも思わず、新聞の記事に書かれた内容以外の知識を持たず、その美術館を訪ねた。 益子の陶器共販センタ前の通りから分岐する, 車がやっと一台通れるほどの道を二百メートル程のぼりつめたところに其の美術館はあった。(詳細：次回に続く)

Classic and Modern

Classic and Modern, a photo by photoholic image on Flickr.

This is not an image of London and not a commercial photo for Pepsi. The image shows a part of the Marunouch area where is the leading business centre in Tokyo. The classical style of building in front of modern high-risen buildings was restored to its original state and it completed in 2009. The original one was built in 1894, designed and supervised by Josiah Conder who was a British architect, as the first modern office building in Japan at that time. Josiah Conder designed the original building based on the Queen Anne style at the Victorian era and he developed new architectural technology in order building to withstand enough to big earthquakes in Japan. Therefore, the building withstood twice of big earthquakes and it had been used as an office building until its dismantle in 1968. After 40 years from dismantled, the building was restored strictly same as original one and it started as the museum and art gallery called the Mitsubishi Ichgo-kan Museum, Tokyo.

Former Italian Embassy villa

This beautiful house, located at the Chuzenji lake side, was designed by Mr. Anthony Laymond who was an American architect and built in 1928 for the Italian Embassy's Summer Villa.
The Japanese Government and the Tochigi Prefectural Government maintained and arranged it as the Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park after transferred the villa from the Italian Government in 1999. Currently, it has been opened to public as the symbol of good friendship between two countries, Italy and Japan.

Western style Architecture in Nikko

What type of architectures in Nikko do you imagine?
Most people think about typical Japanese style architectures like Buddhism temples or Shinto shrines.
However, there are some historic western style of architectures in Nikko. One of those is shown in the image uploaded above.
The Georgian style of this house was built in late 1800s or early 1900s for the summer villa of an American trader J. W. Horne who imported and introduced phonograph firstly in Japan. Therefore, he was called Father of Phonograph of Japan. The house is now used for the Western style restaurant called Meiji-no-yakata which means the House of Meiji Period.