Kyoto Journal 94

INSPIRED BY KYOTO

23 Artists; 23 Works
KJ asked a selection of foreign artists, many of whom expat residents past or present, working in a range of media to tell us how Kyoto has influenced their practice.

Jacqueline Hassink and William Corey
KJ reflects on the work of the two late photographers who became deeply immersed in the Kyoto and its gardens, returning here repeatedly to capture their marvels on film.

Raku Kichizaemon XV
Katarzyna Boni sits down with the current head of the esteemed Raku family of potters, who talks about how his extended time spent outside Japan has informed his approach and helped him understand the boundaries of working within a long-established tradition.

Liza Dalby on Scrolls
The first (and only) non-Japanese to have trained as a Kyoto geiko (geisha) elucidates the pleasures of creating kakejiku hanging scrolls.

Tobias Hutzler Senko Hanabi
Photographer Tobias Hutzler sought out the pitch-darkness only the mountains around Kyoto could offer to capture the subtle beauty of senko hanabi traditional sparklers.

Plus…

An in-depth interview with Ginny Tapley Takemori, translator of Murata Sayaka’s must-read new novel, Convenience Store Woman;

The Portland Japanese Garden’s active training program, inspired by the quintessential Kyoto combination of gardens and tea;

Presenting a different aspect of human relationships with the environment, Maia Sikina covers the impact of radioactive waste on indigenous communities in India, while Hans Brinckmann’s short fiction is based upon a poignant encounter in 1950’s Kyoto;

And, usual, we offer an eclectic collection of poetry, and reviews of publications worth knowing about.