Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010
What’s your background?
I was born in Shibamata Katsushika, the shitamachi town made famous by the Tora-san films. My life turned a complete 180 when I got married and my husband’s job required us to live abroad for more than a decade. I lived in Jakarta for four years, Miami for two years, Buenos Aires for four years, San Diego for two years, Holland for a few months and London for a year. I finally returned to Japan five years ago.
What got you interested in pottery, and how did you make a career out of it?
I started pottery 15 years ago in the US. I had just given birth, but I decided I wanted a career that I could pursue for the rest of my life. Pottery was something I could pursue even if I had a child, and practice wherever in the world my husband’s job took us. I believed this was something I would never lose interest in.
Tell us what you’re working on now.
I specialize in pottery that can function as tableware, but on the side I spend a lot of time making maneki neko, or “Beckoning Cat” figurines. You see them in a lot of shops and restaurants in Japan. Since the economy is pretty dreary, these silly-looking figurines make me smile every time I see them—and every time I make one.
What kinds of students come to your classes?
Currently I have a diverse and lively group of students from England, France, the US, Switzerland, Singapore, Gabon, Cameroon, Australia, Spain, Peru and more. Most of these students work on traditional Japanese pottery.
Are there any differences between the kinds of things that foreign and Japanese students prefer to make?
All the students’ works are colorful and very original. In a sense, anyone who holds a stereotype of a race or culture will be blown away by the individualism of each student here.
What do you do in your spare time?
When I have time I go to the gym for yoga, swimming and some boxing-incorporated exercise. I have two daughters—one in middle school and one in high school—so on weekends I spend most of the day doing laundry and cleaning the house. When I get more than a few days off, I enjoy going trekking. Last month I went to Yakushima!
What’s one thing that everyone should do in Tokyo?
I recommend taking classes if you want to get to know Tokyo more deeply. And I don’t mean just any classes taught at schools or cultural centers, but classes held at the teacher’s house. It’s a lot more fun to experience being inside an ordinary Japanese home and getting a real taste of what it’s like living in Japan.
If you had an unlimited supply of clay, money and time, what would you create?
I’d love to build a house adorned with my own handmade tiles and murals. And of course, my very own kiln in the garden.
For more information about Kuroda’s classes, see www.pottery-tokyo.jp.
