Newsletter (February 14, 2025, 14th Imaizumi Imaemon)

Hello everyone.

Today is Valentine's Day.
Every year around Valentine's Day,
We are busy preparing for the Karatsu Yakimono Festival, which is held during Golden Week.
The main visual for this year's 13th Yakimon Festival is,
Following on from last year, we asked Akiko Higashimura, a popular manga artist, to help us out.
This year's theme is "Happy Sea Bream," so we asked the artist to paint a picture of a huge sea bream sitting on a large Karatsu ware plate.
The theme exhibition by contemporary artists at the former Karatsu Bank is "Adorable Pottery Exhibition"
So, I associate it with happy sea bream.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with Akiko Higashimura-sensei to include the booklet for that day.
We had a discussion via the web.
We talked about a lot of things, including the autobiographical film "Kakkaku Shikajika" that will be released in May this year, and the teacher's feelings for Karatsu. Please take a look at the booklet when it is completed.

Well, this week's online store features new sake cups, mugs, and other items by Living National Treasure 14th Generation Imaizumi Imaemon.
It is no exaggeration to say that Professor Imaemon has now become one of Japan's most representative ceramic artists.
His reputation continues to grow not only because of the excellence of his work, but also because of his wonderful, never-arrogant personality.

Akiko Higashimura sensei and Imaemon sensei,
We are grateful for the connections we have made with such wonderful people, and we will do our best at this year's Yakimono Festival.
Please look forward to it.

Well, everyone, have a great weekend.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Naoki Sakamoto, Owner of Ichibankan