Kawai Kanjiro’s House in Kyoto

Near Kiyomizudera Temple (a must-visit in Kyoto), on a small side street in a quiet part of Kyoto, Kawai Kanjiro’s House stands as a memorial to the renowned ceramicist and potter, Kawai Kanjiro. 

The house he built and used as his workshop remains the same as when he lived there with his family. His granddaughter turned it into a museum showcasing his ceramics, sculptures, and wood carvings.

Kawai Kanjiro was one of the founders of the Mingei Folk Craft movement, which focused on the beauty of everyday objects and crafts created by anonymous artisans. Not interested in official honors, Kanjiro refused to accept the designation of Living National Treasure.

If you liked In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, you will enjoy seeing how the legendary artist Kawai Kanjiro arranged his home to take advantage of the sublime interplay of light and shadow. He showcased his work and created an environment where art and home life interact harmoniously. Quite simply, it’s an inspirational place.

Here’s the location

Here’s the official website

Chankonabe

I mentioned chankonabe in passing when I wrote about sumo previously. However, I think it deserves its own piece. 

Chankonabe is a traditional Japanese hot pot stew with deep roots in sumo culture. To be effective, sumo wrestlers must bulk up, which takes years, and lots of food. That’s where chankonabe comes in. It’s the backbone of their diet.

Chankonabe is not for the faint of heart. Remember, we’re bulking here. It starts with a dashi or chicken broth base flavored with mirin or sake. Then, large amounts of protein are added to the soup base with some vegetables. This is eaten along with copious amounts of rice and often beer. There is no fixed recipe for chankonabe, which generally consists of whatever is available at the time. 

This dish is served in massive quantities with senior wrestlers and special guests of the sumo stable going first and junior wrestlers getting what’s left. It’s good to be the king.

You don’t have to be a sumo wrestler or visit a sumo stable to try chankonabe. There are numerous retired sumo wrestlers running chankonabe restaurants where you and your companions can go and eat your fill. Look in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo, which is famous for sumo stables and tournaments. This area has several chankonabe places.

Or, if you’re feeling extra daring, embrace the Japanese tradition of making your own chankonabe at home.

Shouganai

Early on in my Japan adventures, an expat friend told me about the expression “shouganai” (casual version) or “shikata ga nai” (more formal version). It basically means “shit happens”. Technically it means “it can’t be helped,” but “shit happens” is a useful translation in understanding how Japanese people use this word.

It’s used on occasions when you can’t do anything about what is happening, so you may as well accept it. You’ll hear it frequently, daily even, if you interact with Japanese people.

Sometimes, Japanese people say shouganai in situations where Westerners may think, “What are you talking about? Just do x!” But Japan and Western countries are different. Something that is no big deal in your country may be an insurmountable obstacle in Japan and vice versa.

Some examples of shouganai in action:

You got caught in the rain without your umbrella. Shouganai. (This one’s actually an easy fix as every convenience store sells umbrellas).

You just missed your train. Shouganai.

Your boss wants you to work late tonight (or every night). Shouganai.

In Western eyes, many times when you hear shouganai, you may be tempted to think, “What do you mean shouganai?! Just do x, and you won’t have that problem.” I’ve seen it lead to a lot of frustration for Westerners living in Japan, as they view it as resignation instead of a way of simply letting a negative situation roll off your shoulders. At the time, my buddy told me about shouganai, he strongly disliked the saying.

We all have a slew of cultural programming that we are not even entirely aware of. This affects how we think about everything, and it’s easy to impose our worldview on others without incorporating their opinions first. 

I know I’m treading on dangerous territory here, and I don’t want to get out of my depths trying to decipher and explain every situation this expression comes up in and whether it’s something that can easily be solved with a bit of action or if it’s something that needs to be accepted.

Just realize that when a Japanese person says this, they are choosing to accept a situation rather than fight it. The combination of great importance being placed on cultural harmony, and the deep roots of Buddhism in Japan lends itself to accepting lousy situations and making the best out of them, instead of trying to fight everything and complain about everything. There is a stoic aspect to this expression.

In any case, you will hear shouganai a lot.

Last week’s most clicked link was about the Japanese concept of Omotenashi, which is much deeper than Western hospitality

The 2nd most clicked link was for Third Places, which Japan famously does well

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