A lesured old man, Shiho's talking over tea.

A lesured old man, Shiho's talking over tea.

DVD, The Fire Artist released.

Ms. Yuri Yoshimura who is a producer of ZUNO Film, visited to Shiho Kanzaki's studio on July 28. She brought me some DVDs. The DVD released on July 28. The title is "The Fire Artist. A documentary Film about Shiho Kanzaki. A Claude Gagnon Film.".
I saw many times, and I am so impressed to see it. Of course, I am so pleased to show the DVD in this world. Director Claude Gagnon started to shoot from Dcember 2002. And he finished to shoot on May 2006. The shooting time is over 200 hours. I would like you to see the DVD.
Befor everything, I have to say "Thank you Gagnon san, Yuri san, Takako san and Samueru san".

Movie Director Claude Gagnon wrote his message on Shiho Kanzaki's private BBS. I would like to show you his message.
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The Fire Artist…

The Fire Artist is, at long last, completed. It was quite a journey. I often wondered if I would ever see the end of it, if it even made any sense to keep going… But I’m very happy with the result and I hope that you will enjoy the documentary about this “strange man”, Shiho Kanzaki, who became one of my best friends after those many years of shoot.

There were a lot of happy moments, a few hectic ones and some very sad ones as we lost some dear friends during the course of the shooting… Fortunately, the movie magic will keep them with us for many years to come. Let’s not forget them… I am very grateful to our lost ones.

I also have to thank so many people who made all this possible for me. Of course, I begin with Shiho Kanzaki who was there for me anytime I needed him, never refusing anything, open to any suggestion or request. His generosity goes way beyond what can be written here. Kanzaki Sensei and his wonderful wife Keiko were just amazing, in every respect and I hope to keep them as my friends to the end of my days…

I have to thank all of you, who gracefully accepted to appear in the movie. I will not mention everyone by names, but you know that these words are addressed to you. Each of you, in your own personal way, made all this possible by speaking on camera, by receiving us in your homes, often feeding us, supporting us emotionally and even financially in some cases. Really, this movie could have never been made without all of you who appear in the end credits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

But I couldn’t go without a special mention for Saini San who was extremely helpful in making all this possible for us. He spoke on camera, let us use his personnal collection of work from Shiho Kanzaki and went much further than anyone could imagine in order for us to make this happen. And on top of all this, he makes the best rice crakers in the world!

This project definitely made me meet a lot of extraordinary people…

I also want to thank Yano san (who does not appear in the film…) for his very inspiring Shakuhachi albums and his generous collaboration for our film. And please, allow me to give a special thanks to my producers/wife/son, Yuri and Samuel. At times when the finances were extremely low, to say the least, they still allowed me to make my trips everywhere to pursue my dream of making this documentary. They trusted me a hundred percent, even though the revenue possibilities were extremely slim. They struggled really hard in order for me to make this film come true.

And I finish with Takako (“You think my slave”… as Uncle Takuma would say in KAMATAKI…) who was with me in this adventure from beginning to the end. She not only shot a good part of the material with me, made several of the interviews, but she was stuck with 200 hours of material. Editing this type of documentary is not like editing a feature film or a TV documentary. She hung in there, not only doing all the physical work, but pushing all my ideas to their limits, improving every suggestion I would make. Trust me, there is a lot of Miyahira Kun in this documentary…

I will conclude by saying that when I first met Shiho Kanzaki, I wasn’t too sure of the kind of man I had in front of me. When I decided to make the documentary, I chose not to have a personal opinion. I chose to go out there and watch, and discover. All of you made me discover my subject. At the start, I had absolutely no idea where this would lead me and what kind of man would emerge in the end. Fortunately for all of us, you all made us discover a wonderfully stimulating man, someone worth knowing.

Love everyone!

Claude
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You can purchase the DVD on Shiho Kanzaki's Direct Gallery.
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Month08 Day08 Year2007 (Wed) No.50 (Movies)

The 4th day and the 5th day of Shiho's firing.

The firing came to the 4th day, and real heat is attacking us. The condition of the firing is going very well according to Shiho's thought. An air vent is a little bit smaller than usual. So This firing is a strong reduction firing. It usually is starting to melt the ash pouring on the works at the 4th night. But it's getting late for the strong reduction firing as I thought.

My assistants are working an eight-hour shift. Mr Ogawa's shift is from 5:00 o'clock to 13:00 o'clock. The next assistant is Ms. Shiozawa and Mr.Hora. Ms. Shiozawa has never had an anagama firing. But she is very good at stoking. Just before Mr. Ogawa change his shift to Ms. Shiozawa, he sweep around the kiln clean. All of Shiho's assistants do that.

At the evening of the 5th day, the natural ash poured on my works were starting to melt. And a shape of the flame coming out of the chimney is getting brighter and brighter.
I would like to keep this condition.
At 23:00 o'clock of the 5th day, the temperature reached 1250 centigrade. You should look at the fire flame and smoke carefully, so the kiln teach you the condition of the kiln.

Month04 Day15 Year2006 (Sut) No.34 (Anagama)

The 2nd day and the 3rd day of Shiho's firing.

Today(Apr.13) is the 3rd day of Shiho's firing. Before everything, I would like to explain about the outline of Shiho's firing.
Shiho always has over ten-day firing. The longest one was fifteen-day firing.
Ten-day firing is planned this time. We need about 20 tons firewoods for it. You can see the 20 tons firewoods on this photo. We will be burning all of these firewoods. We have to take the firewoods to the kiln, and also we have to chop them while having a firing. We have stoking the firewoods and other much works.

We burn the firewoods in the undermouth from the start to the evening of the second day. After we were burning the firewoods in the undermouth over 24 hours, the temperature of kiln will stagnate. At this time, the temperature reached about 400 centigrade. We moved from the undermouth to the upper mouth and closed the undermouth with fire bricks. And we made an air hole at the center of the undermouth. The size of the hole is difference according to the weather, air condition and so on. This decision is one of the most important thing.

After we moved to upper mouth, we stoke three armful of firewood into the kiln. Around this time, all clay works are very weak. So we stoke the firewood carefully. Don't hit the firewood to my works.

I took this photo at 16:00 of the third day. The temperature is about 850 centigrade. Shiho doesn't use
a thermometer. So I have to see the feature of fire flame coming from the chimney and spy hole.

Month04 Day13 Year2006 (Thu) No.33 (Anagama)

The first day of anagama firing.

The loading kiln was finished about 5:30 on April 11. And we lighted up the firewoods at 6 o'clock.
I mainly made up tea bowls, pots and water jar for this firing. Of corse I build another works.
What I called Iga ware are almost water jars and pots.
I will introduce three staffs for this firing.Main person is Mr. Hironobu Ogawa who was independent from my apprenticeship 10 years ago.

Another person is Mr. Hiroyuki Hora who is a president of rental kiln company in Shigaraki. And Ms. Shiozawa who came from Chiba prefecture. She has her own anagama kiln. I always have a potter coming from over sea for my firing. But there is no Westerner for this firing. Because a professional potter coming from Germany was here just before the firing, but he ran away from my studio. So only Japanese potters have this firing.

Ms. Shihozawa's shift is from 13:00 o'clock to 21:00 o'clock. Mr. Hora's shift is from 21:00 to 5:00 o'clock. And Mr. Ogawa's shift is from 5:00 to 13:00.
I would show you the detail of the process of Shiho's firing.

Month04 Day11 Year2006 (Tue) No.32 (Anagama)

Starting to loading kiln.

Mr. Ogawa, Hora　and Ms. Shiozawa gathered at Shiho's studio to have a loading today. We've started it from today. Mr. Hora preparing the clay for loading. They brought all of my works to the front of the kiln.

I couldn't make my works for one and a half years. Because I suffered from gangrene since the middle of Novenmer 2004 until the end of Feb. 2006. Fortunately, I recovered from the illness.
So I am able to have this firing.This time, I've an assistant from Germany. He has his own anagama kiln in Germany, and also he had his anagama firing.
We need three days for loading my works into the kiln. We will have the ten-day firing from April 11. My guests are wanting to see my works coming out of the kiln.
I will be reporting here about the firing.

Month04 Day08 Year2006 (Sut) No.31 (Anagama)

Ten-day anagama firing from Apr. 11.

I'm very busy, because I will have ten-day anagama firing from Apr. 11. I am sitting in front of the handwheel every day. I wanted to have a rest for a moment. So I went shopping with my wife Keiko yesterday. It was very good time for me.
I always have some visitors during the daytime, so I have to make my works from the evening to the midnight. I had two guests today.
They asked me, "while you are making your works, what do you think about? Many guests has asked me the same question. When I got the question, I asked me the same question. "What do you think while you are making your works?" In the other words, I'm making my works without thinking. So I couldn't reply immediately to them. I will show you how to make my works.

I have to say before everything, I always am making my works with coil building.
I do a spiral wedging and a final wedging, then I take a handful of clay and put it on the center of a handwheel, and flatten it out to a thickness of about 1-1.5 cm for making bottom part. And turning the handwheel, I cut off the clay to make a circle. At this time, I decided what I make from now, Then I make something that is very rough with coil building. During this time, I am not thinking anything. There is no design in my head.

I'm only thinking to build tea bowl by the same thickness. After it all was made the same thickness, lubricate the inside and out side of the tea bowl with water. And support the out side with left hand and placing the right hand in the bottom of the tea bowl. And throwing the tea bowl up at a breath. That's it. At that time, I don't think to make a good thing. I pay heed to inside of the tea bowl when I am throwing.

Month03 Day25 Year2006 (Sut) No.26 (Anagama)

Claude Gagnon lived in Shigaraki.

Director Gagnon had returned to Shigaraki on the middle of March 2003. And he temporarily lived at an old house where Shiho Kanzaki grew up in Shigaraki. After a while, he introduced some staffs for his movie to me. There were an assistant director Mrs. Miyahra and other main persons among them. Director Gagnon's knowledge about Shigaraki was increasing more than me though I was born and grew up in Shigaraki.

He visited many potter's studio, houses that has its own particular atmosphere in Shigaraki. I saw him who had collected many data day after day. I found that they need too much materials beyond the imagination for making one movie. Whenever I met him, he told me cheerfully about Shigaraki resident's point of view, customs in Shigaraki, a way of their life and so on. I found out many new things when I listened about those things from a Canadian Claude Gagnon though Shiho is a resident in Shigaraki.
We had many hours in common together. And I thought that all of his experiences must be making his next movie.
At the same time, I began to understand the outline of movie "KAMATAKI".

Month03 Day21 Year2006 (Tue) No.21 (Movies::KAMATAKI)

Making pottery after a long time silence.

Since March has come, I can sit down more often before the turning wheel since September 2004. Two years ago, Mr. Claude Gagnon shot his movie "KAMATAKI" at my studio and kiln site according to my kamataki schedule. So the scene of kamataki in the movie was real Shiho's kamataki itself. Quite a few person who watched the movie can understand a way of Shiho's kamataki.

I was suffering from gangrene after shooting on the film finished. So I couldn't sit before the wheel. Fortunately, I recovered completely without an operation. Doctors said, "it's miracle". When I decided to give up a modern medical care, the doctor said "a folk remedy can't
heal your disease. If the gangrene became a serious situation, you should come here anytime." I have believed spontaneous recovery.
I disobeyed the Doctor, I threw away all of the medicines that he gave me. And I completely recovered under the treatment of homeopathy.

When I've sit down before the wheel, the delight well out from the bottom of my heart. I've nevere experienced like this feeling.
Mr. Araya who was a steel cameraman for movie "KAMATAKI" came to my studio this evening to take photos. He took these　pictures.

Month03 Day15 Year2006 (Wed) No.19 (Anagama)

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Shiho Kanzaki

Documentary Film About Shiho Kanzazki.

DVD, The Fire Artist, A Documentary Film about Shiho Kanzaki, A Claude Gagnon Film.

Shiho Kanzaki

Shiho Kanzaki is called a lesured old man. He has many experiences like you. He is talking about it here. Photo by Syukou

KAMATAKI Movie

Home Page of Movie KAMATAKI.

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