Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
283
exhibition halls that served as Hamada Shoji's workshop and home from 1925 until his
death in 1978 at the age of 83. Galleries here showcase about 30 of his works, as well as
his private collection of Eastern and Western glass, ceramics, fabrics, furniture, and paint-
ings, including pieces by Bernard Leach and Kanjiro Kawai. You can also see his “climb-
ing kiln,” built along the slope of a hill. Plan on at least a half-hour here. Admission is
¥800 for adults, half-price for children. It's open Tuesday through Sunday 9:30am to
4:30pm; closed New Year's and February.
A 7-minute walk from Mashiko Sankokan (reached by backtracking to the bus stop
and then turning left at the first stoplight) is
Ceramic Art Messe Mashiko,
or
Togei
Messe Mashiko
(
&
0285/72-7555
), a visitor's complex devoted to pottery, woodblock
prints, and changing art exhibits. Works by Hamada, as well as pieces by Mashiko potters
and pottery from around Japan, are on display, along with a former thatched home that
once belonged to Hamada. Admission is ¥600 for adults, half-price for children. The
complex is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30am to 5pm (to 4pm in winter).
SHOPPING
The main reason people come to Mashiko is to shop. Alongside the Togei Messe complex
is one of the largest shops,
Mashiko Pottery Center,
or
'
Mashikoyaki Kyohan
Center
(
&
0285/72-4444;
daily 9am-5:30pm). On the other side of the Kyohan Cen-
ter is the
main street
of Mashiko, where you'll find dozens of shops offering a vast selec-
tion of pottery created by the town's potters. Wander in and out—you're sure to find
something you like.
11
4
YOKOHAMA
29km (18 miles) S of Tokyo
Few attractions in Yokohama warrant a visit if you're just in Japan for a short time. If
you're in Tokyo for an extended period, however, Yokohama is a pleasant destination for
an easy day trip. Be sure to make time for wonderful Sankeien Garden; although a mere
100 years old, it ranks on my long list as one of the top gardens in Japan.
A rather new city in Japan's history books, Yokohama was nothing more than a tiny
fishing village when Commodore Perry arrived in the mid-1800s and demanded that
Japan open its doors to the world. The village was selected by the shogun as one of several
ports to be opened for international trade, transforming it from a backwater to Japan's
most important gateway. Yokohama subsequently grew by leaps and bounds and was a
pioneer when it came to Western goods and services, boasting Japan's first bakery (1860),
photo studio (1862), beer brewery (1869), cinema (1870), daily newspaper (1870),
public restroom (1871), and ice cream (1879).
Now Japan's second-largest city with a population of almost 3.6 million, Yokohama
remains the nation's largest international port and supports a large international com-
munity, with many foreigners residing in the section called the Bluff. Yokohama has an
especially large Chinese population and Japan's largest Chinatown, whose restaurants
serve as a mecca for hungry Tokyoites. Befitting a city known for its firsts, Yokohama
constructed Japan's first and largest urban development project more than a decade
ago—
Minato Mirai 21,
with a conference center, museums, hotels, shopping centers,
and restaurants. Hard to imagine that a mere 150 years ago, Yokohama was a village of
100 houses.
