Ceramics of Japan Tour

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Ceramics of Japan Tour
Our Japan ceramics tour from October 27 – November 6, 2013 is designed for enthusiasts, potters and anyone interested in the art of Japan.  On this journey we’ll discover the beauty of both the lush countryside and the incredible ceramics of Japan.  Joining our Japan-based art and ceramics expert and guide, Keiko Nishi, your guide, will be guest lecturer Robert Yellin, one of the foremost experts on Japanese Ceramics.  With such a talented team you’ll return home with an education in ceramics, from mingei pottery to high-fired, low-fired, glazed and unglazed yakishime.

From our base in Kyoto we’ll visit the great pottery centers of Shigaraki, Bizen and Tambe to explore the unique styles of each and learn about both traditional and contemporary ceramics.   Throughout the Japan ceramics tour we will have many opportunities to be guests in potter’s studios, where we will hear about their lives and their art.  We will also get to see the work of other craftsman in Kyoto and to enjoy the mastery of these artists. We’ll visit small towns full of artisans still working with traditional materials in both ancient and innovative ways.

Itinerary – Ceramics of Japan

Sunday, October 27  Depart for Japan on your individually arranged flight.

Monday, October 28  Arrive Japan

Arrive Osaka Kansai airport.  You will be met and transferred by reserved van shuttle to the Royal Park Kyoto hotel, our well-located tour hotel and convenient to public transport.

Tuesday, October 29  Kyoto

Spend the morning at Daitokuji Zen monastery, for a private experience of the Way of Tea with the abbot of Zuihoin sub-temple, an introduction to their extensive tea bowl collection and a discussion of how the ceramic history of Japan is so closely tied to the tea ceremony. After lunch in a 500-year old noodle shop visit Ryosho, a gallery specializing in implements for the tea world for a presentation of a full range of tea bowl styles by the retired founder and former manager of Takashimaya’s art department.   End the day in Eastern Kyoto for a walk along the Philosopher’s Walk to a Robert Yellin’s Yakimono Gallery to continue our introduction to the world of Japanese ceramics.  Return to the hotel for dinner on your own.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch

Wednesday, October 30  Tamba

Travel to the town of Tamba to start the exploration of ceramics with a visit to the studio and kilns of some local ceramic artists.  Tamba ware originated in the medieval period, and is typically a style used for storage jars and vases and it is also famous for its sake bottles.  Rob Yellin will put the artists you are visiting in context so that you will have a deeper appreciation of this type of Yakishime, high-fired unglazed stoneware.  After our return to Kyoto we will have a group dinner at a local restaurant.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Thursday, October 31  Kyoto

Explore the Gion area, including the Kennin-ji monastery and gardens, followed by a walking tour of the nearby Kyoto traditional ceramics district, including the Kiyomizu Rokubei family generational museum, the Kondo Yuzo museum and a visit to the home of a renowned celadon master.  Learn about the 300-year old Ninsei and Kenzan styles. Return to the center of Kyoto to visit a current ceramics show.  Tonight dinner will be on your own.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch

Friday, November 1  Bizen

Today we head to Okayama prefecture for a visit to the Bizen Pottery Village in Imbe.   Rob will lead us on an exploration of the various tunnel kilns and artists still practicing the centuries old art of creating these unique reddish or brown-colored, unglazed works.   We will learn about the six major variations of Bizenware and how they are created through the careful placement of the objects in the kiln.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch

Saturday, November 2  Kyoto

Start the day with an ikebana demonstration showing ceramic vases by a master teacher in the Sogetsu Ikebana school.  Next travel to the Raku Museum and follow that with a visit to the Kawai Kanjiro house.   Lunch will be in a Zen-style vegetarian restaurant set in a lovely old house near Kiyomizu temple.   After a visit to a contemporary ceramic mingei artist, the rest of the afternoon will be free for exploring Kyoto on your own or using Esprit’s complimentary shopping map. Take an optional early evening walking tour with your tour leader of the Gion geisha district before dinner on your own.
Included meals: Breakfast

Sunday, November 3 Kyoto

Start the day at one of Kyoto’s quiet garden for a reflective moment.  Enjoy a demonstration of Senchakai, the leaf tea ceremony at a private restaurant, with an introduction to Sencha ceramics.  The proprietor of Kyoto’s oldest inn and garden, located facing the Takano River, will do a presentation on how the various styles of dishes are used in the presentation of a Japanese Kaiseki meal.  The rest of the afternoon will be free for exploring Kyoto on your own or using Esprit’s complimentary shopping map.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch

Monday, November 4  Shigaraki

On today’s out-of-town excursion by private bus to Shiga prefecture, we will visit the Sagawa Museum of Art, a beautiful contemporary architectural site which has devoted a special underground wing to the spectacular work of 15th generation Raku potter, Raku Kichizaemon IV.  We’ll enjoy a Japanese bento lunch en route and will visit the studios of a selection of ceramic artists and kiln tours with commentary provided by Rob Yellin.   Return to Kyoto by early evening.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch

Tuesday, November 5  Kyoto

Today is devoted to a series of visits carefully selected by Rob Yellin to highlight contemporary ceramic artists in the Kyoto area.   End the day with a farewell dinner.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Wednesday, November 6, Depart Japan on your individually arranged flights

Transfer by reserved van shuttle, per individual flight times, for your return flight from Osaka Kansai Airport
Included meals: Breakfast

Registrations are being accepted now.   The tour will run with a minimum of eight participants and a maximum of 16.  A final decision on whether the tour will run will be made by June 28th or as soon as we have the minimum.  If the tour does not operate, all deposits will be fully refunded.

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TRAVEL NOTES – CERAMICS OF JAPAN TOUR

Price: $5550

Tour Price Includes:

Nine nights accommodations in Royal Park Kyoto hotel, sharing a room
Daily breakfast and additional meals as indicated
Round-trip airport transfers by reserved, shared van shuttle
All internal trains and buses for the tour, including riding on Japan’s famous Shinkansen “Bullet train”
Informative commentary by an Esprit tour leader who is fluent in Japanese, using our unique radio headset system
Special guest lectures by Japanese ceramics expert Robert Yellin
Admissions and local transportation
Single supplement information is available upon request.
Singles are limited.
Twin beds are the norm in Japan for a double room.
Group size is limited to 12.

Price may be adjusted at the time of final payment for currency fluctuation.

For registration information and Terms and Conditions, call 800-377-7481, or email info@esprittravel.com.

Note:

Actual visits and events will be finalized approximately 30 days prior to departure to allow for the inclusion of special exhibitions, visits and events, and are dependent on the schedules of our Japanese colleagues. A final itinerary will be sent to you about two weeks prior to tour departure. The itinerary is subject to change at any time.

Japan. Endless Discovery

Copyright© 2013. All Rights Reserved.

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Tokyo's a book lover's dream

If life' an open book, then Tokyo is a veritable bookstore. From tiny little kiosks in train stations to mega chains in Shinjuku, Tokyo's a book lover's dream. From art books and Arabic to smuggling and science fiction, this city's bookstores have it in any language. This week John Paul Catton gives us chapter and verse on where bookworms need to go.
Buy the book
By John Paul Catton 


GOOD DAY BOOKS

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The jewel in the crown of Tokyo's secondhand book world, and a must-visit for anyone looking for bargains. It has 30,000 used books and 7000 new, mostly in English. An extensive section of secondhand books on Japan includes language texts, for those who want to get started on nihongo, but don't want to pay a small fortune. For people with books they don't need, Good Day trades and offers a credit voucher good for one year. Books can be ordered; how long it takes depends on the publisher.
Bargains: Paperbacks between 400 and 700 yen. Some good quality hardbacks for 1000 yen
Most Bizarre Find: "The Prostate: A Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them"
Where to Find it: Exit JR Ebisu station by the Beckers burger place on the side opposite the escalators. Turn right, then left down the road with Sanwa Bank on its corner. Turn right again, walk past the Subway shop, and Good Day Books is opposite the Kygnus store. Ebisu 1-11-2, 3F, Shibuya-ku. Open: 11am-8pm, Sun and holidays 11am-6pm, closed Tue. Tel: 5421-0957. Fax: 5421-0958


SHOSHINDO

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This little gem in Shibuya is for the antique hunter. It has over 2000 books in English and other European languages (a lot of German). There are scholarly reference works, very old books and very good value. There are also boxes of cheap paperbacks and stacks of what look like new hardbacks.
Bargains: A 1924 edition of Sir James Frazer's "The Golden Bough" for 2000 yen - the same price as a brand new hardback copy of "Sophie's World"
Most Bizarre Find: "50 Works of English Literature We Can Do Without," a hysterical attack on just about everyone
Where to Find it: From Shibuya east exit walk over the road and go down Miyamasu-zaka. Walk past the main Shibuya Post Office; it's on the same side, opposite Nisseki garage. 1-8-7, 1F, Shibuya-ku. Open 10am-6:30pm. Tel: 3400-6046


ARBAN

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This really is a curiosity: a store providing new and used books on just about every fetish you can think of. The War/ Military section takes up most of the shop, and ties in with the models, stamps, and coins available to collectors. The shop also stocks martial arts books (and a number of Bruce Lee fanzines) and, as the choices get progressively weirder, survivalist instruction manuals, American underground comics, and racks of mondo porno videos. Some books in French and German, and quite a few in Arabic.
Bargains: The stock is mostly in hardback, ranging from 1200 to 5000 yen for large or older editions.
Most bizarre find: "Sneak It Through: Smuggling Made Easier"
Where to find it: From Shibuya Hachiko exit, walk down Fire Dori towards Tower Records. Arban is on the same side, in the basement of the Taiseido bookstore building. 1-22-4 Jinnan, B1, Shibuya-ku. Open 10am-8pm daily. Tel: 3461-3419

JENA

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Jena is not a secondhand bookstore, but it does have one section which is set aside for paperbacks at half-price. This section is near the escalator, and opposite the bestseller display. The rest of the shop holds 50,000 new books in English and some European languages, plus a very good selection of books on films.
Bargains: Paperbacks in the sale section are 700 yen, although some large trade paperbacks were 1000 yen
Most bizarre find: "If You Think You Have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)"
Where to find it: Leave Ginza station by exit B3. You'll see the entrance to Jena directly across the alleyway. 5-6-1 Ginza 3F, Chuo-ku. Open 11am-8pm, Mon-Sat; 12-7pm Sun/ holidays. Tel: 3571-2908



TOWER BOOKS/ TOWER RECORDS

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Probably the best choice for new books in Tokyo, and a very impressive range of magazines. Most are in English, and though they can't order books, they do have a wildly eclectic selection.
Most Bizarre Find: Check out the street culture section for titles like "The Anarchist's Cookbook" and "The Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide."
Where to Find it: Exit Shibuya station and turn right. Cross the road and walk down Fire Dori. You can't miss it. Open 10am-10pm daily. Tel: 3496-3661


BOOK CLUB KAI

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Specializes in psychology and New Age subjects. Mostly Japanese, but one wall is devoted to English books and obscure magazines. They stock about 2000 English books and can order from the US.
Most Bizarre Find: "From Coherent Tunneling to Relaxation"
Where to Find it: From Gaienmae station walk along Aoyama Dori towards Akasaka. Walk past Doutor Coffee and turn right at the pharmacy. It's on the right side of the alleyway. 2-14-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 3430-1926. Open 12-8pm daily. Closed New Year holidays

EXTRA, EXTRA!! Other places to read all about it... KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE Takashimaya Times Square Building (Annex), 6F South ExitShinjuku Tel: 5361-3301 Open 10am-8pm daily Perhaps the largest selection of books in foreign languages, they claim to stock one million, and can order more from the UK and US. The Annex is directly behind Takashimaya, a department store opposite Shinjuku station. There's also a branch in Shibuya, on the 5th floor of Tokyu Plaza, Shibuya station south exit MARUZEN2-3-10 Nihonbashi, 2/4F Chuo-ku Tel: 3272-7211 Open 10am-7pm Mon-Sat and 10am-6pm Sun/holidays Probably the second largest selection of books. French, German, Italian and Spanish available. They can order from the UK and US. Children's books on the 4th floor. Take B3 exit at Nihonbashi and you'll come up right inside the store. BIBLOS F1 Building., 5F 1-26-5 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku Tel: 3200-4531 Open 10am-9pm Mon-Sat and 10am-8pm Sun/holidays About 30,000 books, mostly in English. Large resource section for keen English teachers (yikes!). The F1 building faces the Waseda exit of Takadanobaba station. FIONA BOOKSSolofiole Jiyugaoka Building, 1F 5-4-5 Okusawa Setagaya-ku Tel: 3721-8186 Open 11am-8pm daily Claims to stock Tokyo's largest selection of children's books. Exit Jiyugaoka station by the north exit. Walk down Shirakaba shopping street, turn left and cross the railway tracks. Take the third turn on the left.

AOYAMA BOOK CENTER

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Although the main branch of this store is in Aoyama (naturally), it's not that well stocked, and anyway most gaijin are probably familiar with the one in Roppongi. They carry about 1000 English books and magazines, and are open very late. Branches in Hiroo, Jiyugaoka, Tennozu and Shinjuku.
Where to Find it: The Roppongi branch is across the street from Almond, next to the koban. The Aoyama branch is on Aoyama Dori, behind the United Nations University building. Roppongi Denki Bldg. 1F, 6-1-20 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 3479-0479. Open 10am-5:30pm Mon-Sat and 10am-10pm Sun/ holidays


KANDA/ JIMBOCHO

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Tokyo residents will soon become familiar with this name, because it's the neighborhood where the Japanese rare and antique book dealers are all clustered. The 133 bookstores are renowned for Edo period (and prohibitively expensive) publications, paintings, maps and wood block prints, but there are several places of great interest to literary-minded gaijin. If you have an afternoon free to browse (except Sundays, when most are closed), here's where to go.


KITAZAWA BOOKSTORE

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You can't fail to notice this one. Set back from the street is a massive glass granite front, with a brass-railed staircase leading up to the rare books section on the second floor. A small plaza outside holds boxes of paperbacks at bargain prices. Inside, the mahogany bookcases and marble floor foster a scholarly atmosphere, confirmed by the shop's emphasis on literature and nonfiction reference works. There's a couch for browsers on the first floor and a special reader's room on the second for those interested in the valuable first editions. They have 40,000 new books and 30,000 secondhand. They also buy books. You can order from the UK and the US; it takes about six weeks.
Bargains: Paperbacks outside for about 500 yen, new books inside for 2000 to 5000 yen. Upstairs are some bargains, such as a 1930's edition of Shelley's poetry for 1200 yen
Most Bizarre Find: "An Examination of Elizabethan Handwriting"
Where to Find it: Leave Jimbocho station and cross Hakusen Dori for five minutes; Kitazawa is on the left. 2-5 Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Open: 10am-6pm, closed Sun. Tel: 3263-0011. Fax: 3263-0015

ISSEIDO BOOKSELLERS

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Climb the marble staircase and you'll find Isseido's rare and used book section. The shop specializes in antique works on Japan and the "mysterious Orient". The selection is mostly in English, and it's not as expensive as it looks. They order books from the UK and the US, but it can take over two months.
Bargains: Carl Jung's "Man and His Symbols" and other nonfiction paperbacks for under 2000 yen
Most Bizarre Find: "Chats on the Old Tobacco Jars"
Where to Find it: Almost directly opposite Jimbocho station main exit. 1-7 Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Open: Mon-Sat 10am-6:30pm, 10:30am-6:30pm national holidays, closed Sun. Tel: 3292-0072. Fax: 3292-0076


MATSUMURA AND COMPANY

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The store inside specializes in art books, mostly in English, some very expensive. However, outside on the pavement there are bins overflowing with cheap paperbacks and recent American comics. There seems to be no order here; the best thing to do is just have a good rummage.
Bargains: Paperbacks and comics for about 500 to 1000 yen
Most Bizarre Find: The smiling faces on the cover of "The Brady Bunch Annual 1967"
Where to Find it: See Tuttle. 1-7 Jimbocho 1F, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Open: 10:30am-6pm, closed Sun and national holidays. Tel: 3295-5678


CHARLES E. TUTTLE AND CO

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This store is the office of the long-established publishing company, specializing in books on Japan. Although the first floor is new books, upstairs are boxes of paperbacks, mainly novels, at reduced prices. Watch out for those elbows, though; it can be a bit of a scrum.
Bargains: All paperbacks in the boxes are 700 yen
Most Bizarre Find: "The A-Z of Punk", in lurid pink fake leopard skin cover
Where to Find it: Both Tuttle and Matsumara (above) are on Yasukuni Dori, further along from Isseido, going away from Hakusen Dori. 1-11 Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Open: 10:30am-6:30pm (including national holidays), closed Sun. Tel: 3291-7071

GINKEIDO

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Pretty much the same deal as Matsumara and Co. Inside, a large number of art books and a scattering of used English nonfiction books mixed in with the Japanese. Outside, shelves and bookcases of secondhand hardbacks at reasonable prices. They order books, but only from the US, and it can take a long time.
Bargains: "The SF Encyclopedia" and other hefty volumes for 1000 yen
Most Bizarre Find: "Michael Jackson's Guide to Beer"
Where to Find it: Past Tuttle, Yasukuni Dori bends to the right. Cross over Ochanomizu Dori intersection and keep going straight. Ginkeido is on the right. 3-1 Ogawamachi, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Open: 10:30am-7pm, closed Sun. Tel: 3291-5081. Fax: 3291-4155

The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World

By Emily Temple on Jan 1, 2013 3:00pm

[Editor's note: In celebration of the holidays, we're counting down the top 12 Flavorwire features of 2012. This post, at #1, was originally published January 31.] With Amazon slowly taking over the publishing world and bookstores closing left and right, things can sometimes seem a little grim for the brick and mortar booksellers of the world. After all, why would anyone leave the comfort of their couch to buy a book when with just a click of a button, they could have it delivered to their door? Well, here’s why: bookstores so beautiful they’re worth getting out of the house (or the country) to visit whether you need a new hardcover or not. We can’t overestimate the importance of bookstores — they’re community centers, places to browse and discover, and monuments to literature all at once — so we’ve put together a list of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, from Belgium to Japan to Slovakia. Just so you know now, all you bookstore fiends: neither the Strand nor Powell’s is on this list. They’re both great bookstores, of course, but not particularly pretty (at least in our minds), and thus disqualified. Click through to see our picks for the most beautiful bookstores in the world, and as always, if we’ve left off your favorite, be sure to add to the collection in the comments! 

A gorgeous converted Dominican church gives the power of reading its due diligence. Selexyz Bookstore, Maastricht, Holland

Modern design at its finest in a store full of art books. The Bookàbar Bookshop, Rome, Italy

We love the stairs as reading and display area, the wall-to-wall bookshelves, and the simple, clean design. Plural Bookshop, Bratislava, Slovakia

This divine neo-gothic bookstore, opened in 1906, contains what we consider to be the ultimate definition of a stairway to heaven. Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal

Somehow, this bookstore manages to be both whimsical and slightly macabre all at once. Cook & Book, Brussels, Belgium

There’s magic in the air at this English-language bookstore in Beijing. Bookworm, Beijing, China

This majestic converted 1920s movie palace uses theatre boxes for reading rooms and draws thousands of tourists every year. Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina [images via and via]

How could any kid (or adult, for that matter) resist those delicious reading nooks? Poplar Kid’s Republic, Beijing, China

This is a bookstore that seems to be made almost entirely out of books — down to its dramatic front doors. Livraria da Vila, Sao Paulo, Brazil [photos via]

For those who like their green spaces (and coffee shops) to invade their bookstores. Cafebreria El Pendulo, Mexico City, Mexico [photos via]

For those browsers not as impressed by architecture as they are by the beauty of books upon books upon books in narrow hallways — not to mention a place to nap. Shakespeare & Company, Paris, France [photovia]

The huge space, high ceilings and stately pillars make for a lovely reading experience. The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA

For sailors and beach readers alike, this sun-kissed bookstore is a little less ostentatious than some of the others on this list, but no less lovely. Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece

The biggest outdoor bookstore in the world, this photo doesn’t really do the place justice — it’s all about the view. Bart’s Books, Ojai, California [photo via]

The bookstore section of the larger complex dedicated to art and design certainly lives up to its mission. Corso Como Bookshop, Milan, Italy

We’re suckers for rounded ceilings and decorative lighting. Barter Books, Alnwick, UK [photos via]

This beautifully designed space has surprising shapes, cleverly constructed nooks and crannies and even a tree or two. The American Book Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands [photo via]

Almost utilitarian but filled with simple old-world grace, this store is a little like what we might imagine our ideal ship’s main cabin to look like. VVG Something, Taipei, Taiwan

This store has a flying bike and books to the ceiling. Need we say more? Ler Devagar, Lisbon, Portugal

This slick, super-modern store benefits from clean design and charming flourishes of light and mirrors. Daikanyama T-Site, Tokyo, Japan