Transferprinting on an Arita Bowl. The sometimes wonderfully refined decoration on Satsuma and other ceramics is preceded by a process of designing and drawing on paper. The design must then be copied onto the ceramic body as best as possible, and usually not once but dozens of times. Using transfer printing, or Inban (印判) as it is called in Japan, speeds up that time-consuming process.  This one minute presentation video from Keizan-gama, an Arita studio shows how that process is done. 

 A treasured creation. Satsuma white ware. Available until March 31, 2024l.  A wonderful 15m. documentary about Chin Jukan XV showing the creation of a wonderful reticulated koro in the famous Jukan kiln. 

The Unknown Master of Restoration.  A fascinating account of the work of Mayuyama Koji, one of the best and perhaps the best restorer of Japanese pottery. pottery. His unique skills enable him to restore damaged objects to their pre-breakage appearance. In this 49-minute documentary, insight is provided into the details of his techniques.

Traditional Kintsugi Tutorial.  Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using urushi lacquer sprinkled or mixed with gold or silver powder. Kintsugi follows the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, where imperfections such as fractures and repairs are not hidden but ratl the object's history. This 15-minute instructional video shows you the entire process of Kintsugi according to the originale methodr using urushi lacquer.

Satsuma yaki, beautty of life, Kagoshima. A short (2 minute) video, covering in a nutshell the history of both Shiro (white) Satsuma and Kuro (black) Sastuma. Nothing new for the Satsuma collector, but always a pleasure to watch.

Emperor Meiji and the Meiji Restoration  To understand the rapid changes of the Meiji period, it is good to understand the complicated power relations of the previous periods, eventually leading to the downfall of the Shogunate and the restoration of Meiji. This was the prelude to an era, in which Japan changed at an unprecedented pace into a modern, highly industrialized society. A fascinating (1 h. ) documentary about one of the most important periods in Japanese history.

Shintoism explained  and  Buddhism explained. Shintoism and Buddhism, the main spiritual movements in Japan, both preach harmony between the divine, humans and nature. Elements of this, such as unspoken customs, symbols and motifs can still be found in everyday life in Japan, including garden design, flower arranging and decorative arts such as Satsuma pottery. These two (20 minutes) videos are a very accessible and educational introduction to Shinto and (Zen) Buddhism, useful for better understanding the religious and spiritual foundations of daily life in Japan.