Art feeds the soul.

I feel a bit out of sorts today. Not sure why. The weather is lovely – a bright and sunny, cool day.

I’m quite a solitary person and am used to lots of alone time so this respite shouldn’t make me feel this way.

Yet it does – a bit.

I cross the bridge to Blue Bottle and have a quiet cup of coffee.

Yesterday evening, I revisited Textiles Yoshioka. The small space has purses, noren, wallets, coin purses – color spread all over the room. But even so, it’s simple, understated, and beautiful.

One of the artisans they call Dictionary. He is very respected because he started working there when he was 17. Now, he’s 70. He works mainly with indigo dyes.

The artisans use only natural dyes and all the fabric is hand woven (of course).

I am tempted to go into a deep dive of these colours because nothing is more interesting to me. Quite honestly – nothing! But I’ll stop myself for fear of boring you.

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A friend recommended a journal shop called Tobichi. I set about finding it today since I’m already across the river.

In finding it, I make several lovely discoveries along the way.

For some reason, I have it in my head that the journal shop is on the second floor. So up I go.

Instead, there’s a fabric shop called Atelier Shimura, another store dedicated to hand woven and naturally dyed fabrics.

Fukumi Shimura, given the honor of Living National Treasure, will be 100 years old next year. She started Ars Shimura – an art school – as a way of teaching and preserving these ancient techniques of hand weaving and hand dying fabric. Atelier Shimura evolved as a place where graduates from Ars Shimura can find job opportunities.

(The webpage linked above gives a nice description about Fukumi Shimura and how the craft is done.)

The shop assistant and I talk about art, pigments, Atelier Shimura for a long time; it is very special for me to be able to share some time with her. She gives me a newspaper from 2018 that details the life of the woman who started the shop.

A beautifully illustrated storybook (in Japanese) on how fabric is hand dyed is for sale. I am tempted to buy it just for the illustrations.

Up to the fifth floor where I discover the elusive little journal shop, and also this sweet little bookshop.

Yes – only Japanese books are for sale but some of the children’s books are familiar to me – and best of all, gently used.

Love!

Right beside the bookshop is a tiny gallery featuring the work of an artist called Yuki Sakamaki. Their work is fun – playful in its surrealism.

A bit of research tells me the artist had a show earlier this year entitled Little Things Like the Scent of Grilled Fish Coming from Somewhere – a name I just love.

Later this evening, I come back to the apartment.

I have dessert – the last of my grapes and a strawberry mochi which I got from a mochi shop nearby. It may not be much to look at perhaps but it’s fresh, and the strawberry is bright and tart and firm.

It’s the very best thing I’ve eaten all day today.
And everything just feels better.

Good night….

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