![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilove.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/005-02.jpg\" "\\"005-02\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted a cat of my own. I took her in from an animal shelter in Tochigi in May of 2012. She was about 2-months old then, so she is now about 3-years old. She\u2019s a pretty relaxed kitty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was growing up back at home, we had cats, dogs and birds. And then when I started living by myself, I brought Fuyuta, a turtle I\u2019ve had since junior high. But I couldn\u2019t give up the idea of having a cat. So we eventually found this place, which happens to be in a very old building. But we renovated it ourselves and were finally ready to welcome a cat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, there was actually a line of people waiting to pick up their new pets at the shelter, and they are paired up with animals in the order they applied. Since I was way down at the bottom of the waiting list on standby, I was last in the line. That said, all the pets my family had when I was growing up made it to us through destiny \u2013 either they were abandoned or we received them from people we knew. So I knew there was no real way to choose one cat over another \u2013 even if I did have my pick. When my turn did come, there were only two cats left. Because Sab-chan was climbing on top of the cage and being quite frisky, I picked her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt means \u2018vegetable\u2019 in Bhutanese. One of the reasons is that my partner, who I live with, is a vegetarian. And there\u2019s a vegetable market called Sabzi Bazaar in Bhutan. This name gave me the impression that the word \u2018sabzi\u2019 is loved by many people \u2013 so I decided to name her after this happy impression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was surprised to find out that she\u2019s such a cuddler. The cat we had back home was very moody, so this was completely new to me. She loves people and even follows me all over the place. Even when I\u2019m taking a bath, she\u2019ll wait for me just outside of the door. Just unbearably cute.\u201d (laughs)<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll occasionally misbehave – like pull some Kleenex out of a box, but overall she\u2019s very friendly. But in truth, she is such a coward. She\u2019s afraid of the outdoors – so even if I keep the door open, she won\u2019t run out. I guess she\u2019s naughty but kind of a chicken. And she replies to me when I talk to her, so I sense that she understands words, or knows how to communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTurtles are turtles. And yes, I do love the way they look. I guess that reptiles are also pretty hard to take care of. That green turtle was a small gift from my friend, who was merely trying to cheer me up when I was distressed about something or other back during junior high school days. For ten-odd years since then, I\u2019ve changed his water everyday and supported him through winter hibernation. So he grew up to be this big. It may not be as obvious as it is with the cat, but he also turns his head toward me when I talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe probably does. When I ask her if she wants to play, her eyes will start shinning. I also think she understands the word \u2018kari\u2019 (dried cat food).\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFortunately, I pretty much sold out because so many people came by. The festival used to only sell b-class products \u2013 the stuff that commercial potteries and artists couldn\u2019t wholesale. But nowadays, many artists come to sell their stuff, not just from Mashiko but also from Aichi and Kyoto. It\u2019s like there are different exhibitions going on in each tent. You can enjoy the festival just by looking around. The Pottery Fair was in fact the reason I moved to Mashiko.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThough I majored in pottery at college, it was obvious that only a handful of us would be able to become professional ceramic artists. So I applied for other jobs just like any other college grad. I was offered jobs at a publishing house and at a variety store in Tokyo. However, around the same time I realized that I wasn\u2019t cut out for regular day jobs, I found an advertisement for a pottery training school run by Tochigi Prefecture. The tuition was cheap and I was able to get 2 years of training. So I quit my day job and went back to school. After graduating, I started participating in the Pottery Fair and one thing led to another. Eventually, I was making a living as a ceramic artist. \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI studied in Britain for a year when I was in college. Learning pottery there was an eye-opening experience for me – studying techniques, tools and designs completely different from those of Japan. Have you noticed, for example, that when you see an old religious painting or something similar, among all the people depicted in it, there will be a person with funny face? I love the parts of an artwork that are a little bit strange \u2013 the motif of oddity.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIndeed, it is. Most people just want practical things \u2013 things that eventually all tend to look the same. So I have to ask myself, \u2018how can I differentiate myself from the others?\u2019 I guess at the beginning, my stuff was unique and stood out easily. But I want to make more vessels. It really is a tough world to survive in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI find cats very difficult to represent, maybe because I\u2019m too close to them. I\u2019ve tried many times, but I just can\u2019t come up with anything satisfactory. Sab-chan is just way too cute, and there\u2019s no way I can make a form that is cuter than her. When I use animals as my motif, I try to make them cute but not too cute, aiming for the point in-between cuteness and how they actually look in reality.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably their charming character – not to mention their beautiful, curvy form. But it\u2019s about more than their beauty. Cats have funny and dumb things about them as well \u2013 and that\u2019s what makes them cute. So \u2018double-sidedness\u2019 is a cat\u2019s strongest charm, I think. They strike these poses without being conscious of it or having any intent \u2013 and it\u2019s really funny. I\u2019d say my days would be much more boring if I didn\u2019t have Sab-chan.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nA Cat Named \u2018Vegetable\u2019<\/h2>\n
– How did you first encounter Sabzi?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Had you ever taken care of a cat before?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Was it love-at-first-sight with Sabzi?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Where did you get the name \u2018Sabzi\u2019?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Have you made any new discoveries since you started living with her?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Can you tell us about her character?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– That\u2019s very different from turtles, isn\u2019t it?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>
\n\u3008Fuyuta\u3009<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– So, you think Sabzi understands words?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nLife in the Pottery Town of Mashiko<\/h2>\n
– So you were taking part in the Mashiko Pottery Fair (held in May and October every year) up until just last week? <\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– What made you aspire to become a potter to begin with?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Your work has somewhat of an old European-like feel to it – with pots decorated with unique female figures or realistic animal faces on brooches and painted dishes. What\u2019s the source of your inspiration?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– With the recent boom in \u2018Mingei\u2019 and handcrafted goods, the Pottery Market is more popular than ever. However, is it still hard to make a living as an artist?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe Appeal of Animals as Motif<\/h2>\n
– You\u2019ve created many pieces based on animal motifs, but none featuring cats?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n– Why are you so attracted to cats?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n