Photo by JAR ()
My first Sunday in Japan, I traveled to Bizen pottery village .
My first stop was the Bizen museum as recommended by Esprit Travel and Tours. It was uplifting and inspiring to see the work of masters in the art. I fell in love with a coffee cup in their shop. When I went to pay for it; I found they don’t take credit cards. I asked what places do take credit cards and they marked it on a walking map of the village that had all the pottery studios listed.
I found myself wishing I could live there. The town is so charming.
It is very beautiful and the streets were newly paved since my last visit.
I found what I wanted – a coffee cup that reminded me of the ones at Somushi’s. Their pottery is not from Bizen, it just looks like it to me.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had a little brown teapot. I used to drink tea sitting in a garden window and write letters to my birth family. When I saw this teapot, it took me back to that time and brought tears to my eyes. I bought both these items at a co-op gallery.
Yes, there is a little chip in the spout, that I did. Funny but my old teapot had a chip in the spout also. All my pottery pieces arrived home with me unchipped and in excellent condition. They pack them well.
Before boarding my train back to Kyoto, I had time to stop at the small restaurant at the train station. I was enchanted to find myself surrounded with beautiful pottery.
The menu had pictures of the food, so I pointed at what I wanted. The waitress communicated to me that they only had one item available at this time.
When it arrived I was even more enchanted. It was served on a chilled Bizen plate and it was this beautiful dessert.
There was a card on the table advertising beer and I held it up and asked for one. My waitress said it’s non-alcoholic. I laughed and said that is probably even better for me.
When she brought it, it was in a chilled Bizen glass. It doesn’t get any better than this. Now I want to go back to Bizen to get a plate and a glass.
© 2011 Jeanne Litt, All rights reserved.
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