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Come and Stay at the Arts and Crafts
Village!
If you want to get off the beaten track and hoardes
of tourists and immerse yourself in the nature,
lifestyle and essence of True Japan, then a visit to the Arts
and Crafts Village in Okayama-ken is for you.
 photo
by Prue Simmons
Picture this: A small winding road - only
big enough for one car at times, winds its way through the thick
forests of the mountains,
with towering cedar and fir trees forming a dense shadowed landscape
on either side of the narrow bitumen.
Occasionally the view opens up to show hills blanketed in trees
or the vivid green of rice paddies or Japanese tea fields.
Small villages and hamlets are dotted throughout the landscape,
often consisting of only a few houses surrounded
by vegetable patches and small rice paddies.
The road keeps winding down through the hills, with sharp turns,
twisting its way to the valley at the bottom.
It goes over a small bridge and follows a babbling creek
to a tiny hamlet.
In this hamlet there is an old wooden schoolhouse, two storeys,
with paned windows and a blossoming creeper climbing the walls
over weathered white paint.
A rambling garden surrounds it,
with thickly forested woods behind and the creek gurgles and gushes
beside it...
  
The school house is now an Arts and Craft Village, run by the
wonderful Toyomi Harada.
Artists from all over the world journey here
to work on their art or to learn from other experts.
People from all walks of life come and stay to do workshops
with Toyomi on Saori weaving, wool spinning and natural dyeing.
The place just oozes charm, with its long wooden halls
and old classrooms.
The classrooms (complete with blackboard) are now charming guest
bedrooms and three delicious meals are served on the patio or
in the dining room.
So, where once children learned and played, artisans now come
to learn and create in this rustic atmosphere.
This place is a haven of creativity and solitude and a lifestyle
you won't see on the tourist's path.
Let your creativity soar as you learn how to do Japanese Saori
weaving and create your own handmade woven items.
Or perhaps you'd like to give the ancient art of Indigo or Sakura
(Cherry blossom) dyeing a try?
Under the guidance and wonderful hospitality of Toyomi-san, it
will be a hands-on Japanese experience you will never forget!
There are also many amazing local onsens, hiking paths, temples
and other local attractions nestled amongst these hills.
Toyomi can pick you up from the train station and by bus it takes
only 2 and half hours from Osaka.
An overnight stay, complete with 3 hearty home-cooked Japanese
meals, weaving instruction and accommodation costs just 20,000
yen,
discounts are available for groups over 3 people.
A place of peace, beauty and creativity, your stay here will be
an experience you will never forget!
by Prue Simmons
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The Story about Arts&Crafts
Village
By Philippe Brooks
Deep
in the heart of Okayama is a small village by the name of
Naka.
It has suffered the same fate as many small Japanese village
in that it has become depopulated, as the younger generations
have become increasingly attracted to the bright lights of
the big cities. |
The
story of Arts & Crafts Village however, begins in 1986
when Toyomi and Yasu, a young couple from Osaka , both salaried
white collar workers, became disenchanted with the lifestyle
that Osaka had to offer.
As a result Yasu Nagao, resigned from his job and enrolled
in a local technical college in order to follow up an interest
in woodworking.
Toyomi, continued working but followed suit in a similar fashion
by commencing part time studies in weaving. |
| PAGETOP |
 |
|
 |
After
Yasu completed his studies they headed for the hills and built
a log cabin on some rented land.
Yasu commenced his woodworking business and together they
embarked wholeheartedly on an alternate type of lifestyle.
The next four years was only punctuated by a year long visit
to England and Europe, during which time Yasu studied with
some renown British woodworkers, namely Alan Peters and the
craftsmen of Edward Barnsley's workshops.
Edward Barnsley being the son of one of the pioneers of the
Arts & Crafts movement.
During this priod abroad Toyomi also continued with her interest
in weaving by investigating the many facets of textile crafts. |
| PAGETOP |
  
Back in Japan it was in late 1991 that they came to learn about a
small country school that was about to close down through
lack of students.
They sensing an opportunity, approached the town council
with an idea to turn the school into an arts & crafts
centre.
The town council welcomed the plan in the hope that it may
breathe some life back into the village.
As a result Arts & Crafts Village was born. A mere 5
month later, ( the time of this writing) Yasu and Toyomi have
achieved much. |
| PAGETOP |
  
The one time school now has extensive workshops for both woodworking
and weaving, 4 large guest rooms and a tea room/gallery that
houses craftwork from all over Okayama and its neighbouring
states.
A variety of work has also been imported from England, made
chiefly by the friends they established there during their
visit. |
| PAGETOP |
The village itself is a sleepy little place but rich in natural
beauty.
Nestled in a small valley with a stream running through its
midst, and the odd thatched roof still surviving, it is the
epitomy or rural Japan. |
| PAGETOP |
  
A&C Village welcomes visitors from both Japan and abroad.
There is also the possibility of craftspeople being given
bed and board in exchange for conduction workshops in their
chosen field.
An exciting opportunity for foreign craftspeople considering
the otherwise high cost of a visit to Japan.
Perhaps another benefit for foregin visitors is that both
Yasu and Toyomi are well of imformation on Japanese arts and
crafts and as equally important they are both conversant in
English. |
| PAGETOP |
  
| Although A&C Village is in rural Japan it is still quite central,
Osaka being under three hours away, Hiroshima about two and
the craft centres of Bizen and Kurasiki around an hour half
each. |
Philippe
Brooks 1992 |
For
further imformation please contact,
ARTS and CRAFTS VILLAGE
Toyomi
3090 Naka , Misaki cho,
Kume gun , Okayama
709-3407 JAPAN
e mail arts-crafts@cyerry.net |
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Philippe Brooks
is an Australian woodworker based in Perth.
He stayed at Arts&Crafts Village as the first guest craftman
in 1992. He has also accepted many Japanese young apprentices
in his workshop in these years. He wrote an articles titled
" A MODERN DAY JOURNEYMAN" to Australian Wood Review
in 1998 (Issue 18) introducing Arts & Crafts Village and
reflects his experiences working as a furniture maker in Japan.
He also teaches woodworking at the Forest Heritage Centre.
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 JAPANESE WEB SITE |
