unexpected.

to say the least. remember my last post. don't judge a book by it's cover. saturday's trip to shinzi katoh's shop and gallery is a perfect example. my friend and i were actually talking about that saying in the car. on the way over. h-kun was listening.

h-kun had called the day before. to make an appointment to stop by. he programmed the gps. and we found the place. in a subdivision. in a not-so-famous city. it's just a normal looking house. with two blue doors. we parked. rang the bell. someone answered. and we entered a tiny little shop.

so. i did a little shopping. okay. a lot of shopping. the three of us were wondering about the gallery. we couldn't see it. strange. we thought the shop was all there was. the lady helping us finally asked us if we wanted to see the gallery. yes, please. she opened a door into the gallery. now we were standing in a bit bigger room. with about a dozen paintings on the wall. and some china on display. the three of us were a tad confused. were expecting a gallery full of shinzi katoh's work. from his early years. until now. well, there was some work on display. some of his paintings. many different genres. was quite interesting. we had a look around. were ready to leave. when another gal came through a different door.

i  asked her if she spoke english. she did. so i asked about shinzi katoh. his paintings looked quite old. so i asked the obvious question. is he still alive? the response. yes. he lives here. would you like to see him? oh my gosh. yes. yes. yes!

i was giddy. beside myself. super excited. in shock. nervous. all of the above. i'm not sure what h-kun and my friend were feeling. they were just along for the ride. about 5 minutes later shinzi katoh appeared. and this was the beginning of a long time of sitting. chatting. admiring. drinking. and pinching myself. yes, it was real.

 

yes, i have pictures of him. and his chief manager. and us. and yes, i learned lots from our time together. where he studied. what he creates. how often he travels. what country he doesn't like. what his wife creates. (we met her, too. she answered the door. and helped us in the shop.)  how he chooses his employees. what projects he is working on now. what his coffee tastes like. (i hate coffee. but drank the entire cup of shinzi katoh coffee.) or how old he is. the most important thing i learned about him is that he prefers to keep his life private. he doesn't do interviews. he doesn't like to get involved with media. he prefers the slow life. and out of respect for this. i am not going to post any pictures with him. or tell you the details of our conversation.

 

but i will tell you that he is an inspiring man. an ambitious man. versatile. and full of an amazing amount of creativity.

h-kun was a great translator. he thinks that we were lucky that day. that katoh-sensei does not meet with everyone. that we were in the right place. at the right time. yes, i am still a little giddy. sitting here with a huge smile on my face.

(the pictures. from the top. 1. shinzi katoh's coffee. we drank it there. and got to bring some home. 2. book he makes for kindergartens. every month. i was able to buy old issues. to use for my japanese study. the pictures might distract me. 3. our new soap dipspenser. the box says it is for shampoo. but i want it in the kitchen. so i can admire it. 4. and 5. lovely tea cups. 6. a little pouch. 7. more dishes. h-kun loves the mushroom character. 8. and a pile of postcards. to mail. to pin to boards. or to sell.)  

Comments

[kirsten]

what an exciting, unexpected experience. those are the best kind!

[Jen]

WOW...

[Zoe]

now that's amazing

[emily]

what a treat! a gift. a marvelous experience. i imagine that you won't ever judge a book by it's cover again!

[jessica]

i love the soap dispenser...and everything. i would be afraid of walking into a place like that--i'm the most impulsive shopper when it comes to cute, quirky, unneeded but highly wanted things! it's the little things like that that make me smile. that make my day.
sounds like your day was amazing. what a great way to start out the new year!

[nicolette]

What a great story. I can imagine you still feel a bit giddy. Good of you to respect Shinzi Katoh and keep his words and photos private.

[harmonie]

cool story leslie! i love the unexpected (happy) moments of life.

[emily]

What a wonderful experience. I am so happy that it worked out that way for you and that you were able to share a bit of your story and sweet items.

[Kal Barteski]

SUPER COOL. That was a gift from the Universe for sure. Go Universe Go!

[Mary]

Wow. You know, you should write down the details of the visit for yourself (or future generations in your family!) so you can look back later. You may think you will never forget but..... I like that you have not shared the details. Everyone deserves their privacy. Wow.

[Shael]

That's crazy! Someone asked me once if Shinzi Katoh was just a myth and not an actual person at all. So wish I was there with you!

[aab]

i'm so jealous. what an awesome experience.

[Janet Rhoads]

That is just so awesome! I am so happy for you that you got to have that experience. I really respect the fact that you aren't sharing the rest of the details too!

[erin]

wow. that is just incredible.

[Andrea]

that story puts a smile on my face, life is full of unexpected treats, that's something you will remember forever, what a happy memory you have!

[kelly]

wow, what an amazing experience. -kb

How wonderful - sounds like a great experience and memory to cherish. Thank you for sharing!

[bianca]

Oh what a fantastic experience. Wonderful to meet such a great designer. Thanks so much for sharing and I love all the goodies you bought.

[Steph]

Oh wow, lucky you!!!

[Jade]

Wow! How exciting! I'd feel giddy in your shoes, too.

[shannon]

I am so jealous.

[barbara]

You are quite fortunate. I hope you were deeply inspired.

[leslie]

what a fabulous experience. so happy for you!

[Ella]

jealous! what a great experience for you!

[Tracy]

Wow, that is really cool, Leslie!