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Usaburo Kokeshi /Wooden Dolls
Welcome to Usaburo World!
Kokeshi means "wooden dolls" in Japanese and Usauro Kokeshi dolls are made by the historical way of using the wheel to shape wood. We still need to use the wheel about 40% out of the entire process. The artisan has learned how to have a great sense of shaping balance and it takes many years to become high skilled in using the wheel. However. those are used by machine as much as possible to keep making their cost down, specially Mass-produced products, then spending more time and focus for the creativity in the last production to beautifully finishing up. That is why Usaboro kokeshi products have the best characteristic feature those are kept a long time.
Michiko Koga Artworks
Michiko Koga was impressed with the art by her uncle who painted when she was a child. It was the nature of the way for her to get a major in design at Zokei Art College in Fukuoka, Japan.
While working for Kagoshima Dentsu Advertising agency, she worked very hard and became independent. The first award was gotten by the animation she created for Human Rights of Awareness in Fukuoka Prefecture. There were many commercial films she worked with were nominated at ACC (All Japan Radio & Television Commercial Confederation) where she also received other prizes.
She has done many private and group exhibitions at Across Fukuoka, Gallery Art In, in the lobby at Fukuoka Central Bank, and other locations.
What is the most passionate work to her now? That is about drawing her seasonal impressions on postcards. She thought about how happy she would be if created and showed her passion on postcards. She says, “It is a totally different feeling than working for an advertisement agency because I am so excited to express my feelings such as ‘Hello, this is my feeling, now here goes!’ and imagining a possible smile from someone who receives my postcard! Isn’t it great?”
Shin Hinata Music World
Shin Hinata, Japanese instruments musician
For 38 years, Shin Hinata has produced music, ending up in his current style to explore pleasant sounds. He owns a house at the summit of the Higashiyama in Japan, creating scores of music, making each sound to begin playing a heartfelt melody. The music has sent beautiful Japan's sounds to the world from Kyoto, which is the birthplace of Noh what inspired him.
In 2003, his activities started as a professional Fuurin musician. Fuurin means “wind chimes” in Japanese. Playing Fuurin chimes with varying tone qualities, Shin has performed in hundreds of concerts around Japan, delighting audiences with his soothing and finely-blended sound, and has appeared on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, as well as producing many albums.
Currently carries out activities with a focus on "Fuurin Gagaku Concert" that make full use of Japan's sound in the 30 pieces of Fuurin, Shakuhachi/Japanese flute, Koto/Japanese stringed musical instrument and Tuzumi/Japanese drums.
Announced 14 pieces on a CD, performing at concerts 893 times, starting in 2015 and continuing until now in various places in Japan.
Junko Kobayashi /Fortune Calligrapher
Do you know how Junko Kobayashi got a start as being a fortune calligrapher?! The first impression was when she was six years old. Her father had beautiful handwriting. One day, he told her “Remember, surely make right and pretty handwriting that would create good fortune coming your way!” And that she did, ten years later, both learning calligraphy by the great teacher who inspired her to make life more interesting and also understanding how wonderful calligraphy was. Once she determined how much she wished for people’s good fortunes while writing pieces of calligraphy, she decided “Well, fortune should be my life's work!” Fortune is called, “Fuku” in Japanese and Fuku is also the same character in the part of Fukuoka that is her home town. The story is the perfect match for her to have Fuku as her theme.
Now she has become a very unique calligrapher, writing as many variety of characters in Fuku as there are pieces of calligraphy. She is also passionate about handwriting -- the importance of moving hand, of giving expression of oneself as a communication tool, and by introducing the beauty of “Hiragana” -- Japanese characters -- to the world.
She is very talented in not only doing calligraphy but also in doing beautiful transformations for traditional Japanese clothes “Kimono” when reforming them to contemporary unique clothing and accessories.
There are many exhibitions for both her calligraphy and Kimoto transformations in Fukuoka, Tokyo, Kamakura and other places.
“Continue doing calligraphy from now on so that everybody has fortune!” she says.