Soft　Profile KOHZAN

HOME

■ Kindergarten　and　elementary　school　period

1956. I　was　born　in　Shimabara　city　a　Nagasaki　prefecture.
Last　son　of　four　brothers.

From　the　beginning　of　my　life,　I　discovered　
my　interest　on　arts.　
I　liked　painting and　making　all　kind　of　manual　works.　
When　I　was　at　the　fourth　year　at　the elementary　school,　
I　was　persuaded　by　my　teacher　to　participate　
as　a　member　of the　Parade　Team.　But　I　could　not　play　
my　flute. Therefore,　during　the　parade　I　walked　together　
the　team　only　moving　my　finger　without　flowing.　
I　was　not　interested　in　music　at　all.　Since　this　time,　
I　started feeling　pain　when　I　had　to　do　things　that　
I　did　not　want　to　do.

In　the　fifth　and　sixth　years　
at　the　elementary　school,　I　used　to　help　at　home
when　the　bath　had　to　be　prepared.　It　was　a　
traditional　bath　named　"Goemon　buro"
which　needed　an　under　burning　fire.　
When　I　boil　the　water　of　the　bath,　
I　liked to　hear　the　sound　"Pach　Pach"　produced　by　
the　wood　and　bamboo　while　burning.
The　sound　relaxed　me　strangely.

My　interest　in　those　day　was　to　understanding　
how　can　a　human　become　joyful, while　taking　a　meal.　
Why　does　this　pleasant　sensation　run　through　our　body?
Why　do　we　fell　happy　while　eating?　
It　was　a　very　important　problem　of　me.
When,　where　and　how　does　the　pleasant　sensation　
run　through　my　body?
Sometimes,　I　was　frozen　fast　having　
the　Hashi(Japanes　chopsticks)　in　my　hands.
"This　son　is　a　full."　My　father　used　to　shout　me.

When　I　was　at　the　sixth　year　at　the　elementary　school,　
I　spend　the　spring　and summer　vacations　at　the Kyushu　
University　Hospital　in　Fukuoka　(the　biggest　city in　Kyushu　
Island). Ｉ was　a　little　sick.　It　took　me　about　two　
months　before　I　became healthful.
For　the　first　time　in　my　life,　I　bathed　in　the　ray　of　
the　big　city　culture　keeping company　with　cultured　men　
and having　a　cultural　life.　
A　water　closet　and　an　escalator,
A　 public　telephone　and　an　electric　car,　etc...　.
Everything　wherever　I　could　see　was fresh　and　brilliant.
The　most　surprising　fact　was　that　a　girl,　
who　was　also　at　elementary　school,
could　write　perfectly　in　English　with　hand　writing.　
For　me　it　was　like　the　cultural
shock　of　Copernicus'　theory.　
I　realized　that　for　the　first　time　that　there　were
two　kind　of　school.　One　is　the　"Private"　and　
the　other　is　the　"Public".　She had　been　already　
learning　English　at　a　"private"　elementary　school.　
And　I　realized that　at　the　"Public"　elementary　school　
we　could　not　learn　English.


■ Junior　High　school　period

On　the　second　year's　summer　at　the　junior　high　school,　
although　if　I　did　not　know　the　detailed　circumstances,　
I　met　for　the　first　time　painter　Mr.Tohta　Nagao
who　arrived　at　my　aunt　house　to　stay　for　a　short　time.　
When　he　was　painting, my　cousin　and　I　were　sometimes　
invited　to　the　room　"atelier"　to　see　his　works.
When　I　was　surrounded　by　his　works,　
I　felt　that　my　mind　and　my　imagination eternally　swelled　
in　the　middle　of　my　heart.　
Then　I　saw　by　myself　how　real art　could　be　true　art.

One　day,　when　we　went　near　Hyohtan　pond　
for　a　walk　with Mr.Tohta,　he　stayed for　a while　
in　front　of　the　hen　house　muttering　to　himself.　
In　a　low　voice　he　said
"These　hens　living　here are　pitiful.　
Even　if　they　were　born　as　hens　
they　could　not　step on　the　land".　
Such　a　naturalismic　speak　could　run　through　the　heart　
of　a　sensitive　student　as　I　was.　
This　speaking　produced　on　me　so　much　effect　
and　helped　me　build　my　own　personality.　
This　was　as　an　arrow　that　I　tried　to　extract　from　my　heart　
many　times　but　this　arrow　is　still　in　my　memory.　
We　continued　walking and　Mr.Tohta　said　us　
"These　grass　could　be　eaten."　
and　suddenly　he　began　to　munch it　without　hesitation.　
We　were　very　surprised.　As　I　expected　artist's　interest　
and　instruction　are　different　from　normal　people.　
It　was　my　conclusion.　And　I　was　very　touched　by　it.　
But　when　I　heard　that　he　had　loose　bowels　the　day　after,　
once　again　I　admired　the　rashness　and　boldness　of　
the　artist　actions.


■ High　school　period

I was not so "much fine" neither "fresh".　
If　I　could　say　it　in　a　word,　
My　adolescence was　"complication".　
I　had　to　fight　against　myself　between　one　part　of　my　heart　
that　wanted　to　live　naturally　and　freely　
and　the　other　that　should　study　hard.　
I　could　not　understand　the　mental　state　of　the　students　
who　could　try　to　study　hard and　naturally　
without　thinking　on　any　question.　
I　was　jealous　of　such　state　of　their　mind.　
To　summarize　it　was　only　because　
I　wanted　to　enjoy　still　for　many　time.



■ Institute　of　design　period

I　 studied　at　the　National　Kyushu　Institute　of　Design　
which　was　a　little　strange. Now　this　Institute　is　a　Iamplight　
in　front　of　the　window,　that　because　in　the　following　year　
it　would　be　integrated　to　the　National　Kyushu　University.　
At　the　beginning　　I　wanted　to　become　a　designer,　
but　soon　I　understand　that　it　was　not　adequate　for　
my　personality.　Until　this　moment,　I　had　been　thinking　that　
this institute　was　the　just　place　to　improve　our　sense
of beauty　as　a　designer,　but　it　was　not　that　way.　
The　institute　was　a　place　where　we　could　not　make　
the　difference　between a　 good　design　or　a　bad　one,　
then　I　knew　that　institute　had　been　training　how
theoretically　and　skillfully　did　we　present　our　design.　
According　to　me　the　presentation　was　not　a　main　thing,　
because　the　good　design has　to　be　judged　with　direct　sense.　
A　beautiful　lady　is　beautiful　because　
she　could be　serious　and　affective.　
It　would　arrive　the　day　when　this　lady　could　tell　us　the following　
"I'm　so　beautiful"　
and　explain　us　her　beautyness　by　herself.　
When　it　would　happen　one　hundred　years　of　our　love　
for　her　could　finish.　To　summarize　
I　did　not　want　to　become　a　simple　tool　of　commercialism.

During　the　Institute　period　I　preferred　staying　in　the　Studio　
practicing　with　different　tools　sad　materials　like,　
wood,　metal,　plastic,　etc,　rather　than　drawing　a　plan.
There　I　used　to　work　with　various　kinds　of　machines　and　tools　
in　order　to　make　myself　creations.　
On　the　other　hand　my　interest　in　Art　was　
directed　against　something　ideological.
I　 was　deeply　impressed　with　the　ideology　of　Mr.　William　Morris,　
who　had　valuated　the　importance　of　gratitude　to　manufacturing　
works　and　the　use　of　artistic　products　in　the　current　life,　
in　a　period　when　the　machine　was　more　important　than　men
after　the　industrial　revolution　of　the　19th　century　in　England.　
Besides　he　wanted　to　come　back　to　the　primary　richness　
of　human　life.　Mr.　Morris　used　to　said　to　that　
"The　true　Art　is　a　human　expression　of　the　gratitude　for　working",　
so　this　words　again　touched　my　heart.


■ Master course period

I　 broke　down　with　the　idea　of　becoming　a　designer.　
Then　my　interests　turned　gradually against　Arts　and　Crafts　history.　
This　was　the　period　of　my　life　when　I　studied　the　most.　
I　forget　with　foreign　books　comprehension.　
Every　day　I　had　to　carry　with　me　
different　languages　dictionaries　during　the　all　long　day.　
Although　I　was　not　proud.... 　in　those　days,　
I　had　sometimes　a　dream　in　which　I　could　speak　perfectly　English.　
And　in　the　middle　of　the　dream　another　I,　
was　trying　to　confirm　if　my　speaking　was　correct　or　not.　
But　when　I　got　up　on　the　needed　time,　
I　realized　that　I　could　not　speak　English　at　all.　
Dreaming　is　really　a　very　strange　thing.　



■ And then

Even　if　I　had　already　finished　my　studies　and　
I　had　been　doing　that　wanted　to　do,　I　could　not　find　a　job.　
It　might　be　because　of　my　selfish,　it　was　my　conclusion,
and　I　felt　that　I　was　playing　for　my　penalty.　
But　after　all　in　those　days,　I　sometimes could　help　my　art　history　
professor　and　Senpai　as　a　researcher　of　the　Insutitute.
Therefore　I　could　also　visit　some　Kilns　in　my　region.　
It　seemed　that　the people　who worked　at　those　kilns　were　
always　having　a　fresh　and　a　comfortable　life.　
I　thought　that　I　could　work　as　well　as　the　workers　
on　the　kilns　that　I　visited.　
It　was　the　beginning　of　my　work　as　a　craft　man.　
This　casual　event　permitted　me　to　choose　pottery　
as　my　"work"　for　all　my　life.　
The　biggest　change　in　a　human　life'　rudder　
is　caused　by　a　little　event.

And　the　rest　is　omitted.

It　becomes　the　present　suddenly.
Now　I　have　two　sons;　the　first　one　is　at　the　junior　high　school　
and　other　one　at　the elementary　school.　
I　think　that　I'm　a　husband　of　good　and　I　feel　happy　with　my　wife.

Since　then　I　have　been　doing　exclusively　my　personal　works.　
To　say　in　a　few　words　I'm　selfish.　
But　I　also　have　been　giving　importance　to　my　sense　as　a　human.
I　like　to　make　not　only　pottery　but　also　manufactured　things　
that　have　to　be　made　accurately.　
When　a　work　is　made　that　manner,　
I　feel　the　most　joyful　man　on　earth.　I'm　such　a　simple　man.
Where　would　I　go　from　now?
And　I　continue　my　trip　with　my　selfish　life.
Please　come　to　Kohzan　secret　base;　ＫＡＮＫＯＲＯ hermitage　
(the　room　of　my　hobby)　if　you　have　free　time.

HOME