Mashiko Pottery Village

Bernard Leach e Shoji Hamada









Mashiko è un villaggio situato a 60 km a nord di Tokyo, purtroppo è stato colpito duramente dal terremoto. Mashiko è conosciuto nel mondo per la sua ceramica, qui convivono 380 stili diversi di ceramiche tra cui il 'Mashiko ware'.

Nel 1923 Shoji Hamada, co-fondatore della St. Ives Pottery insieme a Bernard Leach, ritorna in Giappone e si stabilisce a Mashiko dove mette in piedi un laboratorio di ceramica (... che strano non sia la traduzione per 'pottery' ), ora di proprietà e gestione da suo nipote Tomoo Hamada. Shoji Hamada ha anche creato un museo l'Hamada Reference Museum che ospita un'incredibile collezione di artigianato e ceramica e insieme al Mashiko Ceramic Museum, sono un'importante fonte di turismo.
Mashiko ospita più di 400 laboratori e forni,seriamente compromessi, che sono il principale mezzo di sostentamento del paese.

Nel 2008 la popolazione di Mashiko e i membrio dell'associazione Mingei avevano raccolto 40,000 sterline per la ricostruzione della Leach Pottery di St.Ives in Cornovaglia, e ora
quest'ultima sente il bisogno di ricambiare. Per donare basta mettersi in contatto con la Leach Pottery http://www.leachpottery.com/

E' stata creata la Mashiko Pottery Foundation per raccogliere aiuti per la ricostruzione

The Leach Pottery launches earthquake appeal for Mashiko Village

Mashiko is located in the southeastern part of Tochigi, and belongs to the Prefectural Nature Park which is situated in the northernmost part of the Kanto Plain, and is located about 60 miles north of Tokyo. The town is known as a production center of pottery in Japan and also in the world.
Mashiko has over 400 studios and kilns, providing the main livelihood of the village, and the recent quake has caused considerable damage to both kilns and buildings.
Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko Ceramics Museum and the Hamada Reference Museum have also been badly hit by the earthquake.

In 1923 Shoji Hamada national treasure and co-founder of the Leach Pottery in St Ives with Bernard Leach, returned to Japan following the Tokyo earthquake of 1923. He settled in Mashiko with his family where he set up his own pottery, now owned and run by his potter grandson Tomoo Hamada, who attended the reopening of the Leach Pottery following its restoration in March 2008. Shoji Hamada also established the Hamada Reference Museum in Mashiko to display his stunning and internationally acclaimed collection of crafts and ceramics.

In 2008 the people of Mashiko pottery village and members of the Mingei Association donated over £40,000 towards rebuilding of Leach Pottery in St Ives and now is time to offer them back the hand of friendship. Leach Pottery had launched an appeal for Mashiko Village to donate contact the pottery.
By phone – call with you credit or debit card details on 01736 799703
By post – send a cheque to the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust Ltd. (marking the back of the cheque ‘Mashiko Appeal’. Send to Mashiko Earthquake Appeal, The Leach Pottery, Higher Stennack, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2HE
By internet – donate through your Paypal account julia@leachpottery.com – please add a note clearly stating ‘Mashiko Earthquake Appeal’

The trustees and staff of the Leach Pottery would like to express our great sadness at the recent catastrophe that has beset Japan. The Leach Pottery’s historic and current links to Japan, dating back over a century, are of great importance to us and the friendship we have received from the Japanese people over the years has been unwavering. We have not forgotten the support we received from the people of Mashiko pottery village and members of the Mingei Association in 2008 when individuals collectively donated over £40,000 towards rebuilding our pottery in St Ives and we would like to offer them back the hand of friendship now.

We are launching an appeal to raise funds for Mashiko which has been badly hit by the earthquake. Mashiko has over 400 studios and kilns, providing the main livelihood of the village, and the recent quake has caused considerable damage to both kilns and buildings.
Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko Ceramics Museum and the Hamada Reference Museum have also been badly hit.Mashiko Town in Tochigi prefecture is located about 60 miles north of Tokyo. In 1923 Shoji Hamada, co-founder of the Leach Pottery in St Ives with Bernard Leach, returned to Japan following the Tokyo earthquake of 1923.

The Mashiko Pottery Foundation has been created to help raising funds.

Mashiko Pottery Village