 St Ives - Mashiko Friendship Agreement
Guests
gathered at the Embassy of Japan in London on September 21 to mark a
new friendship agreement between St Ives, Cornwall and the town of
Mashiko in Tochigi prefecture, Japan. Since the 11 March 2011 disaster
and emergency in Japan, St Ives has continually shown great support and
goodwill to Mashiko, whose potteries and museums suffered substantial
damage. The links between St Ives and Mashiko date back over a century
to the time when St Ives’ Bernard Leach lived in Mashiko and learned
his craft as a potter. In 1920, when Leach returned to the town, he was
accompanied by his friend and fellow potter Shoji Hamada and together
the two established the now world-famous Leach Pottery. Today the links
between St Ives and Mashiko continue to proudly reflect this shared
history and connection. In 2008 individuals from Mashiko pottery
village and members of the Mingei Association collectively donated over
£40,000 towards rebuilding the Leach Pottery.
Mashiko is
located about 60 miles north of Tokyo. In 1923, following the Great
Kanto earthquake, Shoji Hamada returned to Japan from St Ives and
settled in Mashiko with his family where he set up his own pottery. His
pottery is still in operation and is now owned and run by his grandson
Tomoo Hamada, who attended the reopening of the Leach Pottery following
its restoration in March 2008. Shoji Hamada also established the Hamada
Reference Museum in Mashiko to display his collection of crafts and
ceramics. Mashiko now has over 400 studios and kilns, providing the
main livelihood of the town. Each spring and autumn the Mashiko Pottery
Market attracts 80,000 visitors. The 11 March earthquake caused
considerable damage to kilns, homes and buildings in the town.
Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko Ceramics Museum and the Hamada
Reference Museum, have also been badly hit. In response, the Leach
Pottery trustees launched an appeal to raise funds for Mashiko.
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