Written on July 30, 1991 [Permalink]

July

Weeks again without an update! If I had been crazy busy I could understand it, but actually it hasn't been too bad this month so far. Michiyo hasn't had many translations for me to do, and there haven't been too many distractions. The biggest problem has been the weather. I find it really difficult to keep at the carving work when it's this hot and sticky. I carve for ten minutes, and then find myself laying down the knife and wandering off for a stretch or something ... As a result this month's print is going to be quite a bit later than the nominal 15th of the month deadline. I don't think that's a problem, as there will be no print shipped next month, and as long as I can get this one out before we head off to Mie Prefecture at the end of the month, nobody will be complaining.

So what's happened over the past couple of weeks? The Fuji TV filming went off very well last Saturday. The seven man crew was here from nine 'till about eight in the evening. They were very well organized. The 'script' for the whole show had been faxed to us earlier, and they followed it to the letter, shooting not only carving and printing, but goofing off at the river with the kids and having an English class. This should be the best show we've had so far, and will run about 14 minutes long. It's too bad the broadcast time is going to be so early in the day (6:45 am Saturday August 3rd), and I suppose there won't be much reaction.

Matsuzaki-san was here for the last half of the day, to 'watch over' my printing and offer comments to the viewers. Of course, I blew it. The new baren skin I had put on the night before was too rough, and the paper was a bit on the wet side. I couldn't manage to get a smooth colour without ripping the back of the paper to shreds. The camera people had no idea that things weren't going so well, but Matsuzaki-san sure did! If there had been nothing going on, it would have been a simple matter to re-cover the baren and adjust the paper, but with the tight filming schedule, there was no chance to say to the director, "Um, excuse me for an hour or so, while I fix this stuff ...." It's too bad, because I really wanted Matsuzaki-san to get the impression that I was getting a bit of control over the printing process. I'm sure he got exactly the reverse impression.

Of course, he had lots of comments and hints to offer, and I tried to keep them all in my head 'till everybody had left and I could make some notes. He thinks that it's basically impossible for anyone to do this job left-handed, and thinks that I'll have lots of problems when I move up to a more complex type of print. The idea is that the left thumb should hold the paper down (the holding point being well away from the kento corner) while the right hand gets the baren. I hold the paper only at the kento corner (with my right hand), while my left hand gets the baren. He feels the level of control is very different.

He also had lots to say about the actual use of the baren on the back of the paper, and thinks that I am way too sloppy with it. After his filming bit was over, he started to head home, but we invited him to stay longer. He did, going down to the river with us, and heading out for sushi together after the crew left. We had a good discussion about the future of the business, etc. Of course, he thinks it's dying, and of course, I think that a good dose of P/R could put it right back on its feet. In a couple more years, when I get a bit better known, and my Japanese gets better, and the kumiai guys have accepted me more, we'll have to get going on it ....

Nothing much else of note has happened. Himi's teacher Baba-sensei came and picked up a set of 10 prints, and may want more next year. Rebecca Marck called to say that her print was damaged in transit (for the second month in a row). I got the little 'kamban' from the kumiai that identifies me as a member, and hung it at the entrance to my workroom.

Ms. Maruyama from 'Sun Power' magazine came over for an interview and pictures. It's some kind of a private publication, not available in bookstores (a religious group?), but goes all over the country. I'll be getting four pages (B&W) in thee issue coming out in mid-August.

Phoned Mr. Kobayashi, a bucket maker living near Matsuzaki-san, and placed an order for a couple of nesting wooden buckets for my 'travelling box'. One is for a sharpening kit, and the other for use in printing. They may be a bit expensive, but Michiyo is going crazy with the mess I make at the sink when I sharpen my knives there, and it's not fair to her to keep doing it that way. (Not to mention that it just may be easier to do the sharpening sitting at my workbench ...)

Margaret Price called and confirmed that I am to go with her to Aizu Wakamatsu the first two days in August for the Saito Kiyoshi interview. That means that we won't be leaving for our holiday 'till August 3rd, probably calling first in Sendai to see one of Michiyo's friends, then crossing over to Niigata to see Usui-san the knife maker, dropping down to Fukui to call on Yamaguchi-san, and then heading down to Mie. All the train fare and minshuku fees are going to add up a bit, but I think Baba-sensei and Kato-sensei's money should cover it. Easy come ....