There are many villages famous for ceramic art sprinkled across the country. The other day, when I returned to my hometown in Aichi Prefecture, I strolled along the ceramics specialty street in Tokoname, which is famous for its “maneki neko” (beckoning cats).
You will find brick chimneys and kilns and ceramic scraps used in the construction of walls, etc. all along this sloped path. I almost missed some pretty flowers that had taken root beside a ceramic flower pot placed seemingly arbitrarily on the side of the path.
Before setting foot on the “ceramics walking trail,” I had decided my approximate route using a map I had obtained at the “ceramics hall.” I had also marked out the places I wanted to photograph along the way, so I was better able to photograph the historic and scenic spots chosen. I can now use these photos and the map to give my friends an introduction to Tokoname.
When traveling, it’s fun to take photos of things randomly as you encounter them; however, it’s also good to mark out the things and places of interest beforehand so that you don’t end up forgetting them. You can use the map you get from the tourist office etc., with Google Maps photos of the destinations printed beforehand clipped to it, as a checklist, checking off the sites as as you visit them. Using Smart-phones to help you check the route makes it even more convenient.
Finally I would like to show photos of a ” kyusu”, a small teapot I bought at one of the ceramics stores I visited in Tokoname. It was made by Hiroshi Koie . Green tea is all the more refreshing when you drink it from this teapot.
