In June and early July, I attended the 2018 International Shibori Symposium or 11ISS, in Nagoya, Tokyo and Yamagatsu, Japan, sponsored by the World Shibori Network. The 11ISS itinerary was an ambitious and content-rich exploration of the robust dyeing traditions of Japan in the shibori village of Arimatsu and in the safflower dyeing of northern Japan, plus contemporary shibori exhibitions, workshops and studio visits. It also had options for 5- or 6-day pre-conference tours to the Inland (Seto) Sea and Kyoto, to view contemporary art and architecture, temples and shrines on the pilgrimage route, and heritage sites in Kyoto. With the scope of the itinerary, participants could choose to attend the full symposium, or either the first or second half. I feel so fortunate in that I was able to attend the Inland Sea Tour and the first half of the Symposium before returning home due to other commitments. Participants came from 125 international countries, with another equal number from Japan. Because of proximity to Asia, there was a heavy concentration of participants from that part of the world. With such a sensory-rich trip, I’ve divided my experience into 6 blog posts here on this website.
With a 14-hour time difference, I arrived in Nagoya a day early to acclimate. My first adventure was to locate cash (7-11 stores are ubiquitous and were the suggested choice for ATMs with international options, but I discovered others as well. Where we would be traveling, credit cards were not an option.) Next, I scouted out the large AEON department store located opposite the large train station. AEON housed groceries in the basement, plus endless varieties of takeout at the street level, giving me time to look at and understand food options outside of scanning a restaurant menu. It was clear from breakfast that morning that fish and rice are staples three meals a day.
Then, I visited the local Tokugawa Art Museum, showcasing the extensive artwork from this shogunate family which was centered in Nagoya. At the Tokugawa, I discovered their holding of the famous Tale of the Genji scrolls, one of three still extant in Japan. A facsimile was on display; I had studied it in college. Also on display were beautiful examples of Noh and Kyogen Costumes. Because of devastation from World War II, much of Japan is now large concrete apartment housing, not particularly pretty. Nagoya is the third largest city in Japan, with little green space. Visiting the Japanese Garden adjacent to the Art Museum was a welcome respite on a hot day.
That evening, I attended a Symposium welcome dinner at Oaje, a local restaurant that served us nine courses including sashimi, tempura, Japanese rice, salad and more. We had no idea that so many courses were coming and were blessed by an overabundance of food.
11ISS co-coordinator Yoshiko Wada worked tirelessly to make sure that her international guests had an authentic and quality experience of Japan. She introduced us to important rituals of greeting and leaving hosts, of entering a Shinto or Buddhist shrine, and of navigating the train system.
We departed Nagoya for the Inland Sea Tour on Friday, June 22 via local, then bullet train.According to our Guide, Japan has 7000 islands, 3000 of which are located in the Inland, or Seto, Sea. It was interesting to see things like rice paddies next to car dealerships. The Inland Sea has a strong sea current with a depth of 38 meters, making it very good for fishing and oyster farming. The climate is similar to the Mediterranean, with citrus and olives widely planted. Long ago, the area had pirates. On our ride, we saw tiny, rocky islands and jelly fish. We continued by bus and ferry to the island of Shodoshima, where we visited 4 out of 88 Buddhist Pilgrimage sites, as well as Yamaroku, a fifth generation artisanal soy sauce maker, who used decades-old wooden barrels encrusted with “starter” to ferment the soy beans. Only 1% of soy sauce is made this way. After the concrete of the city, I enjoyed seeing gardens and trees, with an explosion of green, abundance of summer vegetables and flowers and heavily pruned trees.
We stayed at Hotel Green Plaza Shodoshima, a traditional Japanese hotel that looked like it was built in the 1970s. I slept in a room with traditional tatami mats and no shower. We showered in the hotel’s women’s bath/spa, soaking in the bath that was located outside with an awesome view of the sea. After that, we dressed in Yukata, the summer kimono provided by the restaurant and sat down to a huge meal featuring traditional Japanese food. Visual effects were important: tempura vegetables resembled a flying bird. A small whole fish was curved on the plate, garnished by some of the abundant hydrangea flowers and small red sprouts.
Continue reading the other 11ISS 5 blog posts here.