Journeys in Japan
Season 12 Episode 29 - Kasama: A Pottery Community in Evolution
The traditional pottery town of Kasama lies about 100 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, about 1.5 hours away by train or car. Surrounded by verdant hills, it enjoys an abundant natural environment. Until the early Showa era (1930s-1940s), Kasama was a major production center of ceramics for everyday use, such as pots and mortars. In recent decades, along with changes in people's lifestyle, the focus of Kasama ware has shifted to tableware and interior goods. Thanks to the town's relaxed atmosphere and openness to outsiders, many potters have moved there from other parts of Japan, producing their own individual works, often using methods they have developed themselves. Euan Craig is a potter from Australia who has lived in Japan for about 30 years. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Euan visits Kasama, to meet the local craftspeople who live and work in this evolving pottery town.
Episodes in Season 12
Kyoto: Tango Chirimen
28 min
Tsu: A Path to the Heart
28 min
Tsushima: Slow Living on a Frontline Island
28 min
Moji: Gateway to the World
28 min
Frozen Beauty at Dawn and Dusk: Hokkaido in Midwinter
28 min
Poetic Beauty of Wintry Kussharo
28 min
Otaru: Herring and Glassware; Keeping Alive Otaru's Tradition
28 min
Eye on Nagoya: A City's Identity through Architecture
28 min
Yamatokoriyama: Water Brimming with Goldfish
28 min
Minami Shinshu: A Solo Alps Journey
28 min
Rainy Nights, Summer Mysteries
28 min
Go Deep! Underwater Paradise
28 min
Toba Islands: Life and Love in a Traditional Community
28 min
Cultivating a Taste for Summer Vegetables
28 min
The Trail to Chiyanoki: Mountain Biking Revives Village
28 min
Lifting the Spirit through Architecture: Nikko Okinawa Osaka
28 min
Summer Festivals to Celebrate Around Japan
28 min
Ishinomaki: A Decade On - Remembering and Moving Ahead
28 min
Ascending the Sacred Peaks
28 min
An Ode to Live Music
28 min
Creative Solutions Spark Rural Revival
28 min
Legacies of Samurai Culture
28 min
Hokkaido: Catching the Northern Lights
28 min
Oki, Iki, Tsushima: Frontline Islands in the Stream
28 min
Shinto Rituals: Linking Communities and Deities
28 min
Northern Alps for All Seasons
28 min
Rising from the Ruins
28 min
Michinoku the Legend of Gold
28 min
Kasama: A Pottery Community in Evolution
28 min
