Being a Pottery Apprentice in Japan

This short film is about my one year apprenticeship in Japan with master potter Ken Matsuzaki. It follows my journey prior to leaving and during my second month in Mashiko. It touches upon some of the cultural differences between East and west in the student-teacher relationship. This documentary was made for Hawaiian airlines in-flight programming "Hawaiian Skies", which features stories about lifestyle, culture or art that connects Hawaii to other countries. Directed by the talented Brett Wagner in 2016.
See also: • Ceramics
#mashiko #mashikopottery #kenmatsuzaki #japanesepotteryapprenticeship #apprentice #japanesepottery #handcrafted #teacherstudentrelationship #artisancraftsmanship #ceramics #pottery #bigislandartist #suzannewangceramics #woodfiredpottery

[@meishitan5042]

Wait a minute, why are there only 74 views? This is such an interesting topic re an opportunity mostly closed to foreigners, and there is such high production value....! I can't be the only one that searches Japanese pottery apprenticeship on TH-cam??

[@simatai33]

LOL, I'm not so great at promoting myself. I created this channel last year so this is a fairly new post. It was originally published on Hawaiian Skies (it was made for in-flight programming) for Hawaiian Airlines...so it got a lot of views there! Thank you for watching :)

[@Sapiewithwithpeas]

What an incredible movie, and story! This deserves to reach more viewers, and I hope you find your audience!

[@hewwoitssam1203]

lovely video! thank you for posting it.

[@daled8221]

Thank you so much for this video, there's so much truth & feeling in it! There is nothing like cone 10+!!!

[@mariadelacruzrodriguezpala8610]

wondefull! Thank you!!!

[@Sudokud]

This how booo want to live ❤️

[@alecpydde3726]

Thank you, this was a very well made video! If you dont mind me asking, you mentioned that you were not allowed to help him with any of his work. Were you able to actually make any of your own pottery, and throw on a wheel?

[@suzannewangceramics3280]

When this video was made, I had only been there a month. I was actually able to make some work of his from press molds, using slabs of clay. I wasn't able to throw any of his work because my throwing skills were not good enough at that time. I was able to make my own work near the end of my apprenticeship, and I made a body of work that was thrown and handbuilt from slabs and coils. These were presented at an exhibition at the end of my one year apprenticeship.

[@alecpydde3726]

Oh ok, thank you.

[@ROVS-JC-7]

Being a crafts man, pottery is only one thing have never tried.

[@urabagofcells2228]

Lovely video! Sooo many questions, how good was your japanese when you first started? How much pottery did you do before approaching Matsuzaki to apprentice? Did you just casually ask, or did you show your portfolio and explain yourself?

[@suzannewangceramics3280]

I barely knew any Japanese and was studying the language online. It was difficult to learn Japanese while apprenticing because we did not talk too much during work, and I had very little to practice it in conversations on my day off. I had been doing pottery for a couple years prior to my apprenticeship, but was very amateur. The application and portfolio process was rigorous. It took over a year, with lots of vetting. I also traveled to Japan to visit him prior to my acceptance.

[@simatai33]

I didn’t speak hardly any Japanese when I started and learned very little while I was there because we didn’t talk a lot in the studio. The lengthy process of getting my apprenticeship took about a year, in order to get the visa, and I made sure to travel to Japan first and visit his studio before I was accepted. It was a major commitment for both student and teacher:)

[@steve4nj]

I am supposed to go to Tajimi to study pottery so this video is great! How did you manage to get an apprenticeship?

[@suzannewangceramics3280]

It was a long process! I recommend reading John Baymore's advice on studying ceramics in Japan. See: community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/1268-advice-on-studying-ceramics-in-japan/

[@kevinleong4467]

Do you speak Japanese? This seems amazing. I have been doing ceramics for 8 years and I really want to do an apprenticeship in Japan. I don’t speak Japanese but love going to Japan and would like to learn Japanese and how they do ceramics.

[@suzannewangceramics3280]

I don't speak Japanese, which made this experience more challenging. But I did learn the basics while I was there. Maybe 30-50 words. It would be very beneficial to learn some conversational Japanese and pottery terminology if you want to travel there to study ceramics!

[@Angel_leah005]

I want to be able to do this so bad but I have no idea how.

[@ravichandel8690]

I wanted to know how can from india i can apply for apprentiship

[@malcolmcooke2024]

Pottery the art of waiting you make the piece wait then finish it wait again until ready for the firing load kiln wait fire wait for cooling and then get to see the result. No other art for is like this can be months between the concept and the result in the hand it it my be a failure in the kiln.

[@suzannewangceramics3280]

So true! That process can be nerve wracking but also is such a wonderful teacher on patience and perseverance.

[@ruthnoronha8206]

It’s not for everyone. It sounds oppressive