Kyushu in September is hot. There’s little respite, the days are oppressive and the nights don’t cool off like they do in other parts of the world.
A drive up into the mountains brings air that feels a bit fresher, and the leafy surroundings makes it feel healthier, somehow. It’s still hot, and the humidity remains, but it somehow feels better. There’s a breeze, and apart from the susurrations of the trees and the occasional creak from bamboo, it’s silent and still.
It’s in the middle of nowhere, in this mountain forest, this verdant oasis of calm we come across Giro’s place: A pottery gallery and home. We go to the gallery entrance, and the door is open, but there’s no-one around. It feels wrong to go browsing the items with nobody there, so my guide goes off in search of the owner.
My guide is an English woman in her fifties who lives in the nearby town and knows Giro. Her friends tease her about a romantic connection with him, though she denies such a thing.
She returns shortly, chuckling. She found him around the back in a shady spot, snoozing. He follows, introducing himself and apologizing for being asleep. His English is not great, and our Japanese virtually non-existant, but we chat for a bit. He then invites us into the gallery and shop space, and heads off to make tea. Giro is apparently in his late sixties, but to my eye he looks nowhere near that age. He’s clearly fit and in good shape, and mid-day snoozing aside, he comes across as a man maybe late forties.
We browse the items for sale. By all accounts he is famous for his art, and also teaches pottery and sculpture. A lot of the items that are affordable have been made by students. Some of his own work is on display, with prices that have many many zeroes.
He comes back with green tea, coffee, and delicious tiny cakes. We sit around and chat for a while. He’s funny and intelligent, and treated us like old friends.
Eventually we buy a few affordable bits, spending around 100 or so NZ dollars, 50 GBP, ish. He asks us to wait while he goes out back, and was gone for a while. He came back with the items beautifully wrapped, and we note there are more packages then the items we bought. He has added some gifts, not to be opened until we have left.
These turned out to be two beautiful small sculptures, and I think these were his own work. These are on display at home, and I always smile with the memory of Giro and his mountain hideaway. I hope he’s doing OK.
