Thinking about Kenzan with experts 4/4 ~ Behind the scenes of the Kenzan exhibition and the future of Kenzan ~

Interviewee: Akiyoshi Hatanaka (Chief Curatorial Officer, MIHO MUSEUM)

He has been in charge of special exhibitions such as "Shigaraki - Heaven in a Pot" (1999), "Kenzan - A World of Mystery and Elegance" (2004), and "Future of Ancient Pottery - Ceramics of the Middle Ages" (2010). The Kenzan cooking photo book "Beautiful Kenzan Shikisai" (Beautiful Kenzan Shikisai), which he planned, won the Grand Prix (2006) and Best of the Best (2008) in the photography category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, as well as the Best of the Best of 2015.

Interviewer: Masatoshi Yokoyama (Owner of Koto Potter)

Q. Behind the scenes of the legendary exhibition at MIHO MUSEUM

Yokoyama : So far we have been talking about Kenzan from an academic perspective, but what I would most like to ask you about is the special exhibition "Kenzan - A World of Seclusion and Elegance" held in 2004. I imagine that a great deal of effort was put into holding this exhibition.

Hatanaka : The opportunity to hold this exhibition was the Kenzan Collection at the MIHO MUSEUM . Since there was a large collection, I talked to the founder, Miho Koyama, about holding an exhibition that showed the collection and other things that could be collected, and this led to the planning of the exhibition. However, 9/11 happened in the meantime, and I was worried about whether the items could be transported by plane.

* 9/11 : The terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.

(The catalogue for "Kenzan - A World of Seclusion and Elegance" lists the names of art museums and collectors overseas.)

Yokoyama: You borrowed a lot of works from overseas.

Hatanaka-san : Yes, that's right. There was Richard L. Wilson , who was researching Kenzan, and he told me who I should contact. So I decided to research Kenzan's works overseas.

* Richard L. Wilson : A leading authority on Kenzan. He also contributed to the exhibition catalogue.

Yokoyama : It seems like it would be difficult to research overseas.

Hatanaka-san : It took about three years. During that time, I borrowed Kenzan from the Dallas Bell Museum of Art in the United States, and traveled around the world twice to conduct research in various places.

Yokoyama : That's amazing. There are many of Kenzan's works overseas.

Hatanaka-san : Yes, there are some in Hawaii and Denmark. Kenzan's works are exhibited in art museums all over the world. Even if we found a good collection, of course not all art museums would cooperate, and we were sometimes turned down.

Yokoyama : Traveling around the world twice in three years...that must have been tough.

Hatanaka-san : Yes, but it was fun. There were so many things to eat and see at the places we went, and I wouldn't have had the chance to go there without an opportunity like this.

Yokoyama : I was a junior high school student at the time of this special exhibition, so I regret not knowing anything about Kenzan and not being able to see his works, but I am very grateful that they made it possible to see Kenzan's works from all over the world in the form of a catalogue. I still refer to it often.

Q. Kenzan and Japanese cuisine: Kenzan’s tableware is still highly acclaimed today

• Image: Beautiful Kenzan Four Seasons Vegetables MIHO MUSEUM
• Available at MIHO MUSEUM shop /online store ¥2,200

Yokoyama : Was this also a book that you created at the same time?

Hatanaka-san : Yes, I spent a year preparing to make this book. I was curious to know if what Tsujitome-san, who I know regularly, was saying was true. I was curious to know how to present food on these showy dishes.

※ Tsujitome -san... Kaiseki Tsujitome . A prestigious restaurant in kaiseki cuisine .

Yokoyama : So, what did it look like when you actually arranged it?

Hatanaka-san : When I actually arranged the dishes, it really brought out the flavor of the food. I wondered if it was really possible, but when I actually tried it, I was surprised by how attractive it was. MIHO MUSEUM has many of Kenzan's works, and there were many dishes that I could use, so I created a photo book using ingredients from each season.

• Image: Beautiful Kenzan Four Seasons Vegetables MIHO MUSEUM
• Available at MIHO MUSEUM shop /online store ¥2,200

Yokoyama : Even today, Kenzan's replica dishes are popular among Japanese chefs, but creating a photo book using the real Kenzan is a project that only MIHO MUSEUM could do! Wasn't it difficult to hold an exhibition and create a book at the same time?

Hatanaka-san : Yes, I focused on making the book until the exhibition started, and finished it after the exhibition started. It was published about two months after the exhibition.

Yokoyama : Are those certificates and plaques you have there awarded for this book?

Hatanaka : Yes, my photography was recognised and I won three awards for the same book.

Yokoyama : That's an amazing result! Kenzan's pottery and Japanese cuisine have been recognized around the world.

Hatanaka-san : Yes, that's right. Japanese cuisine has become a global trend. It's amazing that this book, published 20 years ago, is still so highly regarded today.

Yokoyama : But it's a little scary to serve food on Kenzan's precious works... They are important cultural properties and are carefully displayed in glass-walled showrooms, after all.

Hatanaka-san : That's right. There is a concern that the soy sauce might soak in. We use the container only when serving food and take it off immediately.

Yokoyama : It seems that some long-established restaurants in Kyoto own Kenzan's tableware, but to have such a large collection that it could fill a book, and to serve food on it, is something that only MIHO MUSEUM could do.

• Image: Beautiful Kenzan Four Seasons Vegetables MIHO MUSEUM
• Available at MIHO MUSEUM shop /online store ¥2,200

Hatanaka-san: It was a really valuable experience. I would be very happy if this kind of activity could spark an interest in Kenzan and help people learn about Japanese cuisine, pottery, and culture.

Yokoyama : In addition to Kenzan's exhibition, MIHO MUSEUM also holds many exhibitions related to Japanese culture and cuisine. It is a great learning experience for those of us who are currently involved in traditional crafts. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.

Hatanaka-san : Thank you very much.

Thank you Hatanaka-san!

What did you think?

The interview lasted an hour and a half, and we learned a lot about Kenzan.

Mr. Hatanaka, who has seen many of Kenzan's works, gave a talk that was academic, interesting and very informative.

Through this interview, I hope to have been able to convey the true nature of Kenzan, which has been difficult to see until now.

Why not come and visit the MIHO MUSEUM?

Thinking with an expert Kenzan <1> <2> <3> <4>

MIHO MUSEUM

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