Kagoshima: Stories in Craft from Japan

Wagumi presents "Kagoshima: Stories in Craft from Japan," featuring a unique collection from Japan's southern prefecture. Narrated by Tamaru Kamizuru, the exhibition encompasses ceramics, textiles, tea, coffee, folk toys, and bamboo craft, revealing Kagoshima's rich heritage born from the old Satsuma domain.

The ceramic tradition, founded in the late 16th century, includes enduring lines of 'white' and 'black' works. Notably, Ryumonji ware, with its locally sourced egg white clay glaze, exemplifies quality persisting for over 300 years. Renowned ceramist Kaori Sasaki crafts contemporary pieces rooted in the kuro-mon tradition, using materials from Kagoshima, including volcanic ash.

The bamboo craft, upheld by Yagitake Industry, preserves Kagoshima's history. Oh no Konbu, traditional folk toys by Kanehira Sameshima, add a nostalgic touch. Kagoshima, known for its signature distilled spirit, shochu, is also celebrated as a land of hot beverages, particularly in tea, where different regions produce their own tastes from the everyday charm of Satsuma, to the subtlety of Kirishima to the rich green of Chiran. Its rich cafe culture, exemplified by Coffee-Kan's 35-year legacy, where Koichiro Nagata, known as the Kan-cho (Cafe Chief), takes a craft-inspired approach to personally sorting and roasting beans using vintage equipment in a corner of the establishment. Motohiro Waki's Kagomania brand provides contemporary illustrations, narrating Kagoshima's modern identity and an expressive Saigo Takamori, the complex folk hero of the late Satsuma era. Don't miss this curated collection at Oxo Tower, telling Kagoshima's captivating stories through craft.

---