Art in Abundance

Dear Family and Friends,

“Why do you want to go to Okayama of all places?” my travel agent asked in surprise.

“Because it is there,” I replied with a smile. And then I added, “Because I want to see the home of Bizen pottery.” (備前）

Recently, I realize how little I know about Japan. So, while I can, I hope to travel more. I am not interested in tourist-overwhelmed places, though. So, try to select prefectures that are less well known, yet abundantly interesting.

Bizen, although the pottery is world famous, is a sleepy little town. It is filled with one pottery studio and shop after another. Each piece is unique, and worthy of its reputation as a fine art.

Bizen asde, as soon as I told friends I was going to Okayama with a friend, they all said, “Ohara Museum of Art! It is very famous. I know you will appreciate it.” And I did. What I found fascinating was how European art influenced Japanese painters. Kojima Torajiro in particular captured the essence of Impressionism in his brushstrokes and colors, while staying true to his Japanese roots.

Art abounded in other places, too. The famous Koraku-en Garden (後楽園) in Okayama City had a summer light-up at night. 

And nearby Kibitsu Shrine (吉備津神社) breathed a symphony of Torii gates, all in natural wood.

We went to a very out of the way town, Takahashi, because we wanted to see a Zen garden there. Raikyuji Temple (頼久寺) Garden is nothing special compared to those in Kyoto. But on that very hot day, it was a welcome retreat of beauty and peace. It also boasted a “borrowed landscape”, meaning the surrounding hills were an integral part of the garden’s layout.

There are a series of islands that lie very close to Okayama, but are in Kagawa Prefecture. （香川県） They, too, held artistic treasures. Naoshima （直島） is particularly famous for its sculpture garden, Chichu Museum （地中美術館）and Benesse Art Site.

Even though Naoshima is the most famous, I personally preferred Teshima. (豊島) and its museum. It is mostly underground 

and surrounded by terraced paddies and a cooling forest.

A limited number of people can enter at one time. While inside, everyone is to remain silent. 

Stepping into that stark, womb space was like entering the most profound Heart of Prayer. The purity and silence evoked the deepest essence of Being

The ceiling had circular windows, revealing ever-changing clouds and sky. A silver-transparent string was loosely draped across each opening. It slowly, graciously moved with the breeze, bringing the entire space into the Breath of Life. Gently moving bodies of water on the floor added to the sense of time within timelessness and the Eternal.

My friend found the Teshima Museum to hold the essence of a Zen garden. A place, both outer and inner, to dissolve into and to experience with, and as, the deepest parts of ourselves.

Love,

Anne