Getting ready for a talk show on international marketing and publicity for the National Pottery Association In Nagoya recently....
Over 80 representatives from the pottery and ceramics industry stayed awake for a 90 minute presentation on why "Made In Japan" is a good thing, and how originality, quality, pride and marketing with a good story will sell their products.
Bought these Aijirushi at an antiques fair recently. Cost about $200 for the set seen here, but these are about 160 years old, and were owned by retainers of the Ikeda Clan of Kurashiki, modern day Okayama Prefecture. They were probably made just before the Meiji Revolution, circa 1868.
Samurai would wear these on their armour as identification. Samurai armour was rarely made as a uniform, and made to specification and choice of the wearer. For that reason it was hard to tell who was who in battle, therefore aijirushi came into being. One would be set on the left shoulder plates, one hung in front from the waist, one on the back of the helmet, and another on the back of the armour. They're relatively rare these days, and to get so many together and in such good condition is even rarer still!
A friend of mine, Iwata Sensei is currently painting the ceiling panels for a shrine in Inuyama.
He's done about 100 so far, and has another 200 to go to complete the entire shrines' ceilings. As they're all painted by hand, it takes him about 2 to 3 days to complete a panel....
The themes involve Japanese history and cultural icons, birds, fish, animals and plants. The shrine he's working on is just below Inuyama Castle. Visit any day to see the ceiling, and say G'day to Iwata Sensei too!
Just outside of the Nagoya Dome complex, Kooza, a special mime, acrobat circus has come to town...
The show was absolutely fantastic! Kooza runs till late Jan. in Nagoya,...do yourself a favor, see Kooza!
With Robert Moore, a local graphic artist holding his book launch and music art themed exhibition at Nagoya's Nadya Park complex.
At last, they had a Daisho (Long sword, short sword) set of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu bokuto...wooden practice swords for the Enmei Ryu, or Two Sword style created by Miyamoto Musashi....
Went to Sekigahara to take pics, but it was pouring with rain! Did a U-Turn and headed back to Ogaki Castle, and guess what, by the time I'd found a carpark,...it started raining!
