Five traditional craft artists hold fair in Kagoshima, showcasing collaborative tiger Hagoita

PUBLISHED Nov 18, 2021

Hagoita, co-created by five artists, featuring the tiger zodiac sign

JA-TSUMA, a non-profit organization in Kagoshima, will hold a fair on November 20 and 21 on the sixth floor of the Kagoshima Kenmin Koryu Center.

It will be the third of its kind organized by the NPO, which aims to inherit, preserve, and pass on Kagoshima’s traditional crafts and Japanese culture. At the venue, five artists of the NPO will exhibit and sell their works, including Japanese calendars, tatami-beri crafts, Oshima Tsumugi, White Satsuma ware, and Kimekomi doll.

At the fair, visitors can also find Hagoita, collaborative works by five artists. These wooden paddles feature the tiger, the Japanese zodiac sign for the coming year. The face of each Hagoita was made by Yumiko Igawa, a tatami-beri craft artist; and the tiger was crafted by Kaoru Sakaguchi, an Oshima Tsumugi artist, and Kimiko Chuma, a Kimekomi doll artist. Ryoko Tanabata, a White Satsuma ware artist, created the shuttlecocks and bamboo leaves; and Mayumi Arimura, a Japanese calendar advisor, wrote the descriptions on the works. “We have combined the skills of individual artists to create each Hagoita. This time, only five pieces are available,” said Tanabata.

There will also be a quiz rally where visitors can win prizes by answering all the questions correctly at each artist’s booth and screenings of videos summarizing the artists’ activities, dreams, and goals. The venue will also have a section where visitors can write their wishes on Ema, wooden wishing plaques.

Tanabata added: “Each artist has created exhibits with originality and ingenuity. We hope it will be an opportunity for the visitors to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and think about the individuals who have passed it down from generation to generation. We hope people will also enjoy talking with the artists.”

The exhibition is open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (until 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 21). Free admission.

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