TravelMarx

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Kawai Kanjiro’s House in Kyoto

Overview | About Kanjiro | Climbing Kiln | Pottery and Chairs

Overview

On our recent Japan trip, we spent a week in Kyoto. On morning, we stopped by the house museum of Kawai Kanjiro. We knew nothing about Kanjiro before we went and walked away enjoying his pottery, the house he designed, and the chairs we saw there (more on that later). Also, there is an awesome coffee shop nearby, Ichikawaya Coffee that has great coffee and fruit sandwiches. The museum plus coffee makes for a perfect break from the temples and shrines.

About Kanjiro

Kawai Kanjiro (1890–1966) was a master potter and ceramist who made a profound mark on Japan’s craft and design landscape. Not only was he pivotal to the mingei, or folk craft movement, which celebrated the beauty and functionality of everyday objects, but his creative genius spanned across wood carving, calligraphy, sculpture, and even writing. He imbued his work with poetic intuition and a deep respect for functional beauty, that continues to inspire.

In 1937, Kanjiro designed his Kyoto residence with a singular vision: to create a seamless fusion between home and workshop. Located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, the house was conceived as a vibrant living space where everyday life and creative practice intersected. It was built to accommodate not only his living quarters but also a studio and a climbing kiln. Every element of the space—from the fixtures to the furnishings (chairs?)—bears his distinctive mark, creating an intimate experience for visitors.

Climbing Kiln

Notably, the house still hosts his original wood-fired kilns—with chambers capable of reaching temperatures between 850°C and 1,150°C—that were integral to his craft.

The climbing kiln, known in Japanese as the noborigama, dates back centuries in Japan and was already an established method for firing ceramics. What Kanjiro did was build his own climbing kiln in 1920 for his studio in Kyoto—a personal adaptation of a traditional technique rather than a new invention. His kiln allowed him to experiment with innovative glaze techniques and firing methods, which in turn had a significant impact on modern studio pottery and the mingei (folk art) movement. This adaptation was part of his broader commitment to blending traditional craftsmanship with new ideas, not an attempt to reinvent the kiln design itself.

The noborigama had long been used by potters to achieve multiple firing temperatures and effects by firing several chambers simultaneously on a slope. Kanjiro’s choice to use this kiln was rooted in his respect for traditional methods and his desire to harness their unique qualities in his work. His focus was more on the artistic innovations in glaze application and form rather than on the kiln's structural design.

Photos of the climbing kiln at Kawai Kanjiro's house.

Chairs and Pottery

The Kanjiro house is well-preserved, offering a glimpse into the daily life of a modern Japanese artist of the early 20th century. Walking through its rooms, you encounter ceramics, calligraphies, wood carvings, personal collections, and furnishings. Traditional elements, such as sliding shoji screens, wooden lattices, and an authentic hearth, combine with Western design.

As you would expect there are interesting pieces of pottery throughout the house as it might have been. In the studio area, pottery is arranged more as if for an exhibition, but still pleasing.

We were also struck by the interesting variety of chairs we saw in the Kanjiro house. We were wondering if Kanjiro designed them, had them made or simply purchased them. They all looked severe yet comfortable, improbable yet organic.

Pottery we saw in Kawai Kanjiro's house.

Chairs we saw in Kawai Kanjiro's house.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Japan Trip – A Salute to People We Saw and Cleanliness

Thank You | Cleanliness | Photos

20 Image of People We Encountered on our Japan 2025 Trip. See below for descriptions.

Thank You

One of the things that left a strong impression on us after Japan trip, was how clean Japan was and how attentive the Japanese were to keeping it that way. Yes, we saw a small part of Japan in our 21 days there, but we still feel that we correctly assessed what we saw.

Japan’s pristine streets and impeccably maintained public spaces are not merely the result of strict law enforcement but rather the culmination of deeply ingrained cultural values and community practices.

When we returned from our trip, we found we had many photos of people we didn’t know and usually hadn’t met but snapped a photo of. Outdoors, they were raking bamboo, sweeping, feeding the carp. Indoors, they were fixing our room for the evening, cooking for us, or just making us happy to see them go about their daily lives. Here’s a salute to these people. We saw you and appreciated seeing you going about life, making our stay that much nicer, and especially keeping Japan running and neat.

In this composite image, we collect 20 photos of people we saw during our Japan trip.

Special mention goes to the guys holding up a screen so that whatever debris the weed whacker kicked up didn’t go in someone’s face. Imagine that.
We included in the composite image, a photo of someone’s tent house on the street: not just a tent but a tent with brooms for keeping the area clean.

Cleanliness

Several intertwined factors contribute to a clean Japan.

Cultural and Spiritual Influences

At the heart of Japanese cleanliness lies a long tradition of valuing purity—both physical and spiritual. Shintoism, Japan’s indigenous religion, places a strong emphasis on purification. Rituals like misogi, where practitioners cleanse themselves to expel impurities, are emblematic of a broader cultural mandate: cleanliness is not only about appearance but also about maintaining inner purity. This concept has woven itself into the fabric of daily life, encouraging individuals to view maintaining clean surroundings as a moral and even spiritual duty.

Social Responsibility and Collective Education

From early childhood, Japanese society instills in its citizens a profound sense of responsibility toward communal spaces. In schools, for example, students actively participate in daily cleaning routines. This practice does more than keep classrooms tidy—it reinforces the idea that one’s environment is a shared asset and that everyone has a part to play in preserving it. The habit of cleaning one’s surroundings, learned from youth, becomes an automatic element of everyday life that extends well into adulthood. This emphasis on collective responsibility ensures that even in the absence of abundant trash bins or street cleaners, public areas remain remarkably clean.

Minimal Dependence on Public Infrastructure

Interestingly, you might notice that Japan has relatively few public trash cans, yet its streets are rarely littered. This scarcity isn’t a policy failure but a deliberate cultural choice. Knowing that public cleanliness is an individual responsibility, people tend to carry their trash with them until they can dispose of it properly. This behavior reflects a powerful commitment to self-discipline and an understanding that each person’s actions directly impact the communal environment.

Urban Design and Complementary Policies

While cultural practices form the backbone of Japan’s cleanliness, supportive urban policies and efficient waste management systems ensure that these values are effectively sustained. Urban planning in Japan often integrates design elements that facilitate maintenance and discourage wasteful practices. Thus, governmental policies and community-driven habits work hand in hand to create an environment where cleanliness is naturally upheld without the need for onerous enforcement measures.

Beyond the Surface

What’s fascinating is that these practices transcend the mere act of cleaning—they are a reflection of a society that values order, respect, and mindfulness in every aspect of life. The same principles are evident in Japanese art, architecture, and even culinary traditions, all underscoring a dedication to harmony and balance.

In essence, Japan’s immaculate public spaces are the product of a synergistic relationship between cultural traditions (like those influenced by Shinto and even Zen Buddhism), early educational practices, and thoughtfully designed public policies. These elements cultivate a shared sense of responsibility that makes strict laws less necessary because citizens themselves are motivated to keep their surroundings pure and harmonious.