Places to Visit in Kasama
With Japan now open once more to international visitors it is possible again to visit Kasama from overseas. Here we bring together some of the places to visit, and highlight some with a connection to Kasama Potters.
Those who make the trip to Kasama will find a low rise, widely spread settlement, enveloped by nature. The traditional centre of the town is in area of the nationally famous Inari Shrine. More recently the large art forest park has become a centre of cultural activity.
Modern Kasama is in fact an amalgam of several settlements, following a merger in 2006. In addition to old Kasama, the relatively populous Tomobe area has become the administrative district, while Iwama is known for the aikido martial art, and Inada for granite quarrying respectively.
For visitors with a focus on ceramics the region close to Kasama station, with easy access to galleries and museums, is likely to be the first location to see. The town’s population is swelled by the three ceramics festivals that take place each year, and the many domestic visitors to the Inari Shrine. Kasama is also known for golf.
The town can be approached by rail, with the Tokiwa express train offering a one hour 10 minute journey to Tokyo station. There is also a daily bus service from Akihabara in Tokyo, that also links Kasama to the nearby ceramic settlement of Mashiko. By car the journey is around an hour and a half to the capital.
While Kasama provides many attractions for the visitor, it is known more generally for its liveability. A humane hinterland to the metropolis, many have gravitated to Kasama for its peaceful passage of time.
1. Geijutsu no Mori / Art Forest Park
Many of Kasama’s cultural facilities are situated in the large ‘geijutsu no mori’ (‘art forest’) area of park land. This landscaped hillside expanse of greenery is refreshing for a walk and contains enclaves including one of Japan’s largest skate parks, and a play space for children. In late April and early May, it hosts the Himatsuri ceramics festival which stretches across a large section. One corner of the park is the site of Kasama ceramic university, placing the students at the heart of the town’s nature filled cultural quarter.
2. Craft Hills
At the centre of the art forest park is a collection of specially constructed buildings devoted to ceramics and craft in Kasama. Around a court yard there are spaces devoted to practicing ceramics and viewing work, including by nationally recognised potter Kōsei Matsui. Not to mention also a ceramic outlet and terrace cafe. This serves not just tasty curry, but Mont Blanc desserts made with Kasama sourced chestnuts. Craft Hills is also the main location of the ceramic festivals that take place in Kasama in January, and in the Autumn.
http://www.kasama-crafthills.co.jp
3. Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
Opened in 2000, the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum is also located near the park’s central plaza. It is a place to investigate both the history and tradition of Kasama ware, and collections of national and international work. Part of the museum’s role is to provide permanent inspiration to the ceramic community in Kasama, and it does so with a wide selection of exhibits. The Japanese collection includes work by Ibaraki’s own Hazan Itaya, and Kōsei Matsui, together with 20th century greats such as Kenkichi Tomimoto, Shoji Hamada and Toyozō Arakawa. Pieces by Kasama Potters held in the collection include some by Shuji Haneishi and Michitaka Fukuno - and typically more can be found in the museum shop. There are regular international exhibitions too, including in the past by Lucie Rie and Emile Galle.
https://www.tougei.museum.ibk.ed.jp/
4. Kasama Inari Shrine
For centuries much of Kasama’s national fame has rested on the Inari shrine at its centre. The precise origins of Inari worship are debated within the study of Japanese religion, but its associated kami (god or gods), symbolic of fecundity and success, is among the most commonly sanctified in Shinto. Kasama’s Inari shrine is generally classed together with Fushimi Inari in Kyoto as one of the ‘big three’ of its type in Japan. Its initial construction is dated to the 7th century, with many rebuilds down the years. The wisteria in the central courtyard is thought to be around 400 years old, and its annual bloom is just one reason that more than 3.5 million people visit the shrine each year.
5. Gallery Road
At the base of the art forest park is a bending road with a self-explanatory name. The galleries that line it are a permanent place to find Kasama ceramics. These include galleries such as Sarasa and Space Nico that host exhibitions by established and up and coming Kasama ceramicists. One of the largest is Gallery Mon, which is organised around a central garden that is almost as attractive to look at as the ceramic displays that line it. A stop at Mon is an effective way to check the pulse of current Kasama ceramics. At the base of Gallery Road is the workshop and outlet of Kōzan-gama, one of town’s largest ceramic businesses. Further along the main road are similar spaces owned by Hiroshi Otsu and Yukikatsu Isobe.
6. Kasama no Ie (House in Kasama)
Designed by leading Japanese architect Toyo Ito, Kasama no Ie was originally the home and workshop of ceramicist Hideto Satonaka. It was completed in 1981 and Satonaka remained there until his death in 1989. The building now functions as an exhibition space, shop, cafe and co-working space. It is open to the public with no admission fee on most days (although it closes on Mondays, and is sometimes rented for events).
https://kasamanoie.wixsite.com/kasamanoie