Porcelain
posted by Cheryl Woldseth
Jim led us on one of his famous excursions to something we found in a tour book. We started out from our base in Fukuoaka, and took the train to Arita to visit what was called the Porcelain district. It seemed like fun in the book, so six of us decided to go.
After a 20-minute walk to the station, the schedule showed that the train ride would be 90 minutes long - each way. Aaaaah! This was the first red flag. Suddenly our morning off seemed not long enough. But having already trekked this far, we jumped aboard.
The train ride itself was fascinating, as it went through the countryside. It was flat with small farms and nearby undeveloped foothills. The farms were all producing vegetables or rice (lots of rice). Considering all the pork, chicken, and eggs that are a staple in the Japanese diet, I had to wonder where the pigs and chickens might be. They don't seem to drink a lot of milk, but they do use milk products like yogurt and cheese, but I have yet to see cows yet either. It makes me wonder.
Upon arrival in Arita, the train schedule for the return trip created red flag #2. In order to back in time, we now only had 50 minutes to see everything that Arita had to offer. Right.
So three went shopping, and three went to the ceramics museum. It was basically a run on the town. I was a shopper with Missy and Patti, and we breezed through only about 200 yards of town, going in and out of about six tiny shops packed with tea sets, vases of all sizes, soup bowls, chopstick holders, baubles on chains, spoon rests, statuettes, and wall art. They were gorgeous, but without time to look carefully, it overloaded the senses.
Jim, Diana, and Kathie went to the museum, with its beautiful collection of Imari ware. The museum also displayed the process of turning clay creations into porcelain works of art.
With a quick in/out at the corner convenience store for a grab lunch, we were back on the 90-minute train ride to Fukuoka and comparing stories of what we had seen. It was definitely not enough time in Arita, so we agreed that the ride itself to and from counted as part of the experience. Now that's positive thinking!
After a 20-minute walk to the station, the schedule showed that the train ride would be 90 minutes long - each way. Aaaaah! This was the first red flag. Suddenly our morning off seemed not long enough. But having already trekked this far, we jumped aboard.
The train ride itself was fascinating, as it went through the countryside. It was flat with small farms and nearby undeveloped foothills. The farms were all producing vegetables or rice (lots of rice). Considering all the pork, chicken, and eggs that are a staple in the Japanese diet, I had to wonder where the pigs and chickens might be. They don't seem to drink a lot of milk, but they do use milk products like yogurt and cheese, but I have yet to see cows yet either. It makes me wonder.
Upon arrival in Arita, the train schedule for the return trip created red flag #2. In order to back in time, we now only had 50 minutes to see everything that Arita had to offer. Right.
So three went shopping, and three went to the ceramics museum. It was basically a run on the town. I was a shopper with Missy and Patti, and we breezed through only about 200 yards of town, going in and out of about six tiny shops packed with tea sets, vases of all sizes, soup bowls, chopstick holders, baubles on chains, spoon rests, statuettes, and wall art. They were gorgeous, but without time to look carefully, it overloaded the senses.
Jim, Diana, and Kathie went to the museum, with its beautiful collection of Imari ware. The museum also displayed the process of turning clay creations into porcelain works of art.
With a quick in/out at the corner convenience store for a grab lunch, we were back on the 90-minute train ride to Fukuoka and comparing stories of what we had seen. It was definitely not enough time in Arita, so we agreed that the ride itself to and from counted as part of the experience. Now that's positive thinking!
posted by Cheryl Woldseth at 5:37 AM
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