(Available at http://www.okstore.la/ )
Having grown up in Sweden during the 80s and early 90s, I was too young to appreciate Ingmar Bergman’s film work beyond Fanny and Alexander, which I remember watching the Christmas it was released. Let’s just say, I had nightmares.
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties when I saw Yasujiro Ozu’s, Tokyo Story (1953), that I started grasping what Ingmar Bergman was about.
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties when I saw Yasujiro Ozu’s, Tokyo Story (1953), that I started grasping what Ingmar Bergman was about.
The film follows a married couple, visiting their children and grandchildren in a big city, Tokyo. The sadness lies in that the younger family members have little time to give their elders, which intensifies the disconnect between the generations. I see this theme in Wild Strawberries, Autumn Sonata, Saraband and although the language and traditions are different, the sensibility and knowledge of how one is supposed to act and feel, even its importance, feels familiar.
(Available at http://www.okstore.la/ )
Moving into this house, I was introduced to the beauty of Japanese design and I’ve had the opportunity to meet some incredible people that make and sell some of the most beautiful things I’ve seen, but none of this prepared me for a visit to Hokkaido.
The appreciation and knowledge of Scandinavian design is immense. It was funny to walk into a store, finding Swedish snowboard gear and pottery in one place. It made me proud of my heritage, but more than that, it fit. Woodwork, pottery and ceramics have a long tradition in Japan and although I wouldn’t venture to deem the techniques to be shared, there is the sense of a common form.
My photos don’t give this justice, but please take a look at the Kitka blog post on Asahikawa:
Ray Hamabe was our guide in Asahikawa and here’s a post on one of his stores, Less (Life Ease Simple Stylish):
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