Kawai Kanjiro was a friend and contemporary of Hamada Shoji, Yanagi Soetsu, and Bernard Leach, who as a group were arguably responsible for the renewal of respect for craft pottery in Japan, Europe, and the USA. While we were in Kyoto we visited Kawai-san's house, which was in the center of a city block in urban Kyoto. I can't imagine how his neighbors responded when he fired his kiln...

This was supposed to be Kawai-san's workshop as he left it. Personally I think they neatened up a bit before opening the place to the general public.

I'm especially fond of the large node of bamboo Kawai-san was using for a brush holder.

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