Pathway to Japanese Literature

Volume 1

○ Lin Benyuan Residence

What tremendous strength!
Even if told to live in such a house, we simply couldn't manage it.
To inhabit this requires tremendous strength.
To manifest such aspiration within daily life is truly remarkable.

○ Lin Benyuan Residence Collection: Characters on Steward Tablets

(Pointing to a few of them) These were particularly fascinating now.
This was beauty born from the constraint of having to fill a predetermined number of characters within a restricted space.
In crafts，constraint often liberates beauty.

○ Bamboo Luggage (Seen within Taipei City)

The way the rattan was woven at the corners was quite skillful.
With this method, the corners wouldn’t get damaged.
This was beauty born from practical use.
With the leather removed, it had actually improved.

○ Kikumoto Department Store Product: Ox Horn Tobacco Set

(Picking up the ox horn tobacco case) This case alone had merit.
In the West there were cups made from this material; when light passed through them, the liquid inside appeared truly beautiful.
In a hot land like Taiwan where drinks were constantly sought after, it would have been good to find ways to utilize this material.

○ Chuanwa Shan (In Banqiao and Shilin)

It had a rather refined charm.
This marked my first encounter with such a thing.

This was truly a method that made architecture look like proper buildings.
(Looking at the rice storehouse at Shilin Ferry Port and turning to Mr. Tateishi) "This would make a fine painting."

○ Shilin Knives (Visiting Several Makers’ Homes in Shilin)

I did want to get my hands on one somehow.
I should have asked that child by the roadside earlier to let me have what they were carrying.
It’s a shame for such things to vanish.

○ Former British Consulate Residence in Tamsui

What a fine building.
Why not take this and make it Taiwan’s Folk Crafts Museum?

○ Hsinchu City Chenghuang Temple

Faith is still alive.
If we speak solely of prosperity, places like Narita’s Fudō-san exist—but nowhere else in Japan will you find faith and daily life so vividly intertwined.

○ En Route from Hsinchu to Miaoli (To the President of a Certain Ceramics Company)

When it came to Taiwan’s traditional pottery, its backbone still remained after all.
The fact that the strength inherited since the Han Dynasty had not yet been lost was truly astonishing.
In places like Japan, apart from a few regional kilns, almost all were producing feeble pieces.
This was a disgrace to Japan.
However, the traditional pottery of Taiwan and Southern China included truly splendid pieces that could hold their own anywhere in the world.
To a people who had used such items in their daily lives, products like those from Japan proper at the time were too shameful to be offered.
“As you say,” I countered, “for them to begin their work with an attitude of ‘as long as it doesn’t leak water’ would be a grave mistake.”
The president retorted: “Indeed, they might not even recognize the difference between good and bad.”
“Ultimately,” he insisted, “it is the Japanese who must discern beauty.”
“Therefore, the Japanese must provide beautiful things and elevate their aesthetic sensibilities.”
“The Japanese bear that very responsibility.”
“To do that,” I interjected, “one must first acknowledge and respect the splendid things that they possess.”

○ At the Residence of Mr. Lin Xiantang in Wufeng

Lin Benyuan’s residence was also interesting, but this place was truly exceptional.
A house where people dwell lives.

○ Tasting the Sweet Called “Ma Luan” at the Lin Xiantang Residence

This was first-class among all the sweets I had eaten in Taiwan so far.
The flavor was genuine.

○ Lukang Jinsheng Lane

What a fascinating town.
In Taiwan, I saw for the first time a town that truly felt like a town.
In Japan, there exist none quite like this.
Sado’s Shukunegi Port alone shares something of this atmosphere.
A town where daily life seeps from its very fabric—might I call it that?

○ Ordering a Basket Steamer (Bamboo Steaming Basket) in Changhua City

It was a thing of tremendous strength.
It was strength itself.
There was nothing else quite that strong.
The fact that they could use such things effortlessly was proof of the breadth in their lifestyle.

○ Viewing Altar Tables in the Main Hall of a Changhua Folk House

What surprised him most upon coming to Taiwan was the altar tables.
Some of them would pass as first-class craftwork anywhere in the world.
And it was astonishing that even the poorest households possessed such splendid things.

○ At the Entrance to Changhua Confucius Temple

Demolishing splendid buildings merely to straighten roads—doing such things was truly foolish.
They were structures that would never rise again.
They should simply have rerouted the road instead.
That way，the thoroughfares might have retained their essential character.

○ Residence of Mr. Yang Ziqing in Changhua City

I’d like to try living here for a bit.
If it’s a house like this, I could easily demonstrate how to inhabit it properly.

○ At the Same Residence

The eaves brackets and attic spaces were quite fascinating.
The brick paving was also quite fine.
If I were to live in Taiwan, it would only be natural to want to live in a house like this, though.

○ At Fukwashō Confectionery in Changhua City

This was wonderful!
I had very much wanted to see the confectionery shops.
(Upon hearing that production of high-quality sweets had been halted due to official price regulations) In Japan proper, they had now decided to make exceptions to official prices for items requiring special techniques.
Why didn’t Taiwan do that as well?

○ At Changhua City God Temple

The old men sitting in the temple had such kind faces.
As people age，their faces become sculpted.

○ In Changhua City, there was a house making bamboo stoves.

In Japan proper, I would buy this one and take it home, but...
(meaning that its size would make transportation difficult)

○ Regarding Changhua Confucius Temple Once More

To do such a thing to someone like Confucius-sama—now that’s truly improper from an ethical standpoint.
Even if you tried to rebuild it now, it would never be reconstructed.

○ Landscape of Thorny Bamboo Thickets

It was truly fascinating bamboo.
When I saw from afar how their tips spread out，it gave a feeling exactly like a painting.
If Bernard Leach saw this，he’d turn it into a painting right away.
When I approached and looked at the densely growing roots，I couldn’t help but marvel at their strength.

○ In Nantou

This village is wonderful!
The entire village is wonderful, isn’t it?
The white-walled houses were truly beautiful.

○ Old Acacia confusa Trees

Acacia confusa trees have such distinctive charm to them.
They’re such splendid things when they grow large.
When you come to Taiwan, the beauty of the trees stands out.

○ Listening to Mr. Umeli Shōtoku’s Yangqin in Douliu Street (Pieces: Hundred Families’ Spring, Joy Under Heaven, General’s Command)

It’s quite refined.
I wonder how many people still play this nowadays.

○ Returning to Bamboo Steaming Baskets

But those bamboo steaming baskets—what tremendous craftsmanship they embody.
Their structure and form alike radiate raw power.
Tradition indeed performs astonishing labor.

○ Regarding Mr. Umeli’s Lifestyle in Douliu Street

In any case，creating such a lifestyle was truly remarkable.
In Taiwanese households，this was the first time I had seen such a way of life.

○ In the Car

When it comes to furniture，Beijing stands unrivaled in all Asia.
Its sturdiness made bringing pieces back to Japan impractical.
Everything else would pale beside them.
The nonchalant strength displayed by Chinese people using such furnishings commands awe.

Even within Japan，Himeji Castle’s keep demonstrates remarkable power.
That era when vibrant daily life enveloped such structures must have been glorious indeed.

With craft objects，their true nature only reveals itself through lived interaction.
My repeated journeys to Korea taught me this—only by witnessing crafts actively used did I finally grasp their essence.

○ Yinglan Basket Produced by Shih Seikō in Chiayi City

This was superb.
This might surpass even last night’s piece from Mr. Umeli of Douliu.
Both technique and form were remarkable.
Those coiled edges at the corners held such depth of character.

○ In Chiayi City, observing a writing box made of asunaro

I’d never encountered wood like this before.
This could become something tremendously compelling if reworked differently.

○ Similarly, Observing Vendor Stalls in the Same Location

Even something like this has truly fascinating aspects.
The fact that they go so far as to make even such things beautiful is astonishing.

○ Triangular Rush Slippers Supervised by Mr. Gan Suiryu, Displayed at the Tainan Industrial Exhibition Hall

It would be better to expand the section further ahead.
But isn't it fundamentally quite good?

○ Yellow Ox Horn Belt Hook at the Same Location

This one is good precisely because it lacks any distasteful elements.

○ Javanese-made Bamboo Folding Bag at the Same Location

This is a well-made piece.
This is precisely the sort of thing they should be crafting.
They could produce these in endless quantities, I might add.

○ Similarly, Fuzhou-made Bamboo Baskets

Technically, they’re quite advanced.
The technique is truly remarkable.

○ Viewing a Red-Glazed Plate from the Late Qing Period at Kiri Antique Shop in Tainan City

Of course these fall short when compared to Wanli or Tianqi red-glazed pottery, but it's truly remarkable how they manage to be good despite being so flatly painted.
Subdued pieces have room to breathe.
But gaudy ones are difficult.
Even Hamada or Tomimoto can't yet paint this flatly.

○ Viewing Dioscorea-Dyed Fishing Nets Drying on Fishermen’s Gates at Anping Port

This is some fine dyeing work.
What a splendid color.
With this color alone, one could dye quite a variety of things.

○ Viewing Bamboo Rafts at the Same Location

Even something like this is truly fascinating.
The power of form, I must say.

○ Religious Prints in Use at Myōjūgū Shrine in the Same Location

This is splendid—truly remarkable.
This lotus motif here is particularly fine.
Isn't this available for purchase locally?

○ Miniature Shrine Within the Same Shrine

This is a splendid miniature shrine.
Such things are truly hard to come by, you know.

○ Anping Town

This place has aspects that don’t pale in comparison to Lukang.
This place truly has life to it.

It was truly a town through and through.
With its slopes and such vestiges of its former character remained.

○ Floral-Patterned Ko-Ware Flowerpot Furnishing in the Deputy Director’s Office of Tainan City Hall

Where did this come from, I wonder?
This is rather nice.

After all, in the past, it must have been quite something to have nothing but things like this.
It’s an era where bad things can’t be made, after all.

○ Shoulder-Pole Noodles at Tainan City’s Taichō Market

It had a robust, powerful flavor.
This was authentic food.
Even the poor were eating this.

○ Relief Carvings on the Main Gate Wall of Mazu Temple in the Same City

All of these here are excellent.
This is the finest carving I’ve seen to date.
Indeed, things do tend to improve when they’re from a slightly older era, I must say.
This one here should be designated as a protected structure, I must say.

○ Great South Gate in the Same City

This is the finest city gate I’ve seen to date—even when considering Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, and others.

○ Confucius Temple in the Same City

This too should naturally be designated as a protected structure.
In the Confucius Temple, this remains unsurpassed, I must say.

This was a fine place.
I wanted to come sit here quietly.
How pleasant it would have been to spend half a day like this gazing at roofs, clouds, and people.

The way this wall rose slightly near the gate—nothing extraordinary, yet quite good.

Each latticework held its own distinct fascination.

○ In the Same Town: Collector Physician Dr. Lin and Dentist Dr. Huang

That kind of lifestyle has its own fascination, I must say.
At any rate, it’s good because they’re thoroughly enjoying what they do.
Seeing people enjoy themselves is a pleasant feeling, I must say.

○ Wooden Chairs in the Collection of Mr. Xie Ruchuan in the Same City

What a curious thing this is, I must say.
This is the first time I’ve seen this.
It must indeed originate from something around Aran, I should think.
At any rate, it has been skillfully executed.

○ At Kanmiao Temple in Kanmiao Village, Shinpō District, Tainan Prefecture

This is a fascinating place.
After all, places where work is being done hold such fascination.
There’s a palpable vitality here.

○ Eating Grass Jelly at the Market in the Same Location

This is delicious.
This sweetness is something you won’t find much in the mainland, I must say.

○ Lu Family Residence in Chūō Buraku, Dōshōden

This is a first-rate residence.
This is truly a magnificent way of life.
Such splendid residences for craftsmen as these—you wouldn't find them anywhere in the countryside of the mainland.
The structure is fascinating.

I was truly impressed by this structure.
This structure is perfectly suited for bamboo work.
Truly remarkable.
If I showed this to Kawai Kanjirō and the others, they'd be delighted at once.

That's extraordinary.
It's not haphazardly done, you see.
They've been carefully planning and executing this with generations to come in mind.

○ Viewing the Bamboo Cupboard at the Same Location

This may be crude, but it's a splendid piece of work.

○ Ceramic Chopstick Holder at the Same Location

This was a rare thing indeed.
Where could this be sold, I wondered?

○ Viewing the Attic Structure at the Hall (Meitokudō) in Hanazono Buraku of the Same Village

Hamada (Shōji) does bamboo roofs too, but his can’t match this one.

At the same location, being presented with numerous pieces of blue-and-white tableware, my travel bag grew abruptly heavy.

A blessed weight this was.

○ Viewing the Bamboo House at the Same Location

This is just like a tea room.
If Hamada and Kawai saw this, they’d make quite a fuss.

○ Matsukyashi Buraku in the Same Village

This kind of village is truly splendid, I must say.
Life contains work within it, and work contains life within it.

○ At the Workshop of a Private Residence in the Same Location

This was truly impressive.
This differed from work done in towns.
And compared to modern factories these days—what a stark contrast.

How I wanted to work in such a place for at least half a year!

Here—in such conditions—inferior work simply couldn't come into being.
So long as mainlanders kept their hands away—that much was certain.

This village truly has endless things worth seeing.
Among all I've encountered so far, it's Taiwan's number one village—as a workplace, mind you.
What they make here differs completely from things made in towns.

○ Viewing Chair-Making Work in Gokō Buraku of the Same Village

Kawai’s (works from Kyoto under his guidance) are beautiful, but that beauty belongs to refined urban sophistication.
This one possesses far more structural integrity, I must say.
It’s entirely the beauty of nagae-dake bamboo as a material, I must say.

○ Journey Back from Guanmiao

Ah, how fascinating that was. This single village alone made the trip to Taiwan worthwhile. It was far more fascinating than anywhere else.

They had truly harnessed the extended family system as an organizational structure so effectively. As a craft village, it came close to the ideal. Even if we had tried to plan it out, we couldn’t have made it work that well.

After all, children of about ten or eleven could make things that skillfully.

That they had formed a cooperative was excellent. That was a good thing. As long as the cooperative fulfilled its proper role, the work would never fall into disarray.

Aren’t all the villagers good people?
It may be because they’re wealthy, but with that, they’ll only grow wealthier.

This village is well worth studying.
This touches on the very essence of craft issues, I must say.
I’d like to bring someone like Mr. Muraoka and, say, Kawai or Serizawa—any designer really—to work together here.
Kawai would probably get completely absorbed in this.
Well, I should write Kawai a letter tonight.

Below

○ Viewing a Thai Rattan Kickball at Mr. Gan Suiryu’s Residence in Tainan City

What skillful work.
This is truly astonishing.
It’s solidly constructed.
It possesses formidable strength.
It’s perfect beyond improvement.

○ Viewing Bamboo Furniture in the Same Manner

Because bamboo has such a defined character, when employing it, one should create sets composed solely of bamboo within a single room.
It doesn’t quite harmonize with wood.

A bamboo set in Tokyo would largely give off a summer feel, I must say.
It offers a sense of coolness.

○ Viewing the Brick Stepping Stones at Shinrō Hospital in the Same City

This kind of work traditionally has established methods, producing skillful, well-practiced pieces, I must say.

○ Thicket of Thorny Bamboo

It has character, I must say.
It feels just like wood, I must say.
This is a beauty of bamboo unseen on the mainland, I must say.

○ Chōei Middle School Building

It’s a fine building.
The students are fortunate.

○ Kaiyuan Temple in the Same City

There are some truly excellent stone reliefs here.

The shape of this well is also quite intriguing.

○ In the Same City

Buildings carry responsibility.
Even if I were to build one myself, their exteriors become public property after all.
They must give this proper consideration—otherwise it simply won't do.

○ On Lungshan Temple in Taipei City

On the boat, I heard someone say, "You should first see Lungshan Temple—it's Taiwan's finest."
Yet when I actually saw it, nothing could be more dreadful than that, I must say.
That approach truly represents its ultimate form, I must say.

○ Small Red-glazed Plate

When items are said to be made by Main Islanders or Takasago tribes, contempt often follows—but these are splendid works. We must proclaim that they can be used with confidence.
Take this piece—an everyday utensil, yet red-glazed pottery of this caliber simply cannot be made anywhere in the world today.

We must recognize that even among the Takasago tribes exist many things worthy of respect.
We must candidly acknowledge they possess splendid skills beyond our own capabilities.

○ On Taiwan’s Ceramic Industry

I had only just come to grasp Taiwanese pottery this time, but I never imagined it would be thriving to such an extent.
After all, there’s this substantial a foundation here.

After all, making it a motto not to imitate the mainland—that should be our guiding principle, I must say.
It’s no trouble at all to surpass the mainland’s work, I must say.

Crafts have form, after all.
Things with form are honest, so the contest concludes swiftly.
There is nothing that makes victory so decisively clear as this.
If one creates good work, they cannot help but compel admiration—that’s how it stands, after all.

They are unknowingly creating good work.
The act of creating good work unknowingly is a noble thing.
To know that this is a good thing and do good things.
This is of secondary importance in moral terms.
They do good things without knowing.
This is what is ideal.
Only good things can be born from remaining unknowing.
Such a world of crafts still exists here in Taiwan, I must say.

When it comes to beautiful things, the Japanese make such a fuss.
Making such a fuss over appreciation means it’s not yet genuine.
They must reach the point of effortlessly wielding beautiful things as a matter of course.
In an era when only beautiful things could be born, such a lifestyle was simply ordinary.

○ At the Shop Front

Whether it’s snake skin or bagworm cases—they ought to be able to make something from those.
No matter where I go, it’s all identical wares—utterly devoid of artistry.

○ On Bamboo Crafts

Bamboo crafts should by all means be kept alive.
The materials are there, after all—and techniques unknown on the mainland.
That sort of technique simply doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

○ Folk Houses in Karihanshiryō, Hokumon District, Tainan Prefecture

Bamboo pillars truly exuded such rustic charm.
If tea masters had seen this, they would have shed tears of joy, he mused.
However, this could only be done here—it simply wouldn’t work without this bamboo (thorny bamboo).
If transportation hadn’t been an issue, he would have liked to take some to Tokyo and try building one.
What splendid things could have been made.

○ On the Newly Made Straw Sandals in Xuejia Village of the Same District

There was a traditional form, you see—the front part was open.
From a practical standpoint, it was functional, and even in terms of form, that approach had strength.

○ Star Fruit

What excellent form this confection has.
Its very appearance speaks of deliciousness.

○ Xuejia Village’s Ciji Temple Old Coin Window Design

These details hold such fascinating depth.
How splendid it would be to preserve them through collection.

○ Viewing a Newly Built Bamboo House in the Kusa[illegible] Village of the Same District

What a marvel.
This craftsmanship.

○ Screw Pine Hats of Hokumon Village

(Looking at a hat made from unbleached screw pine fiber) This one's better.
Strong.
The bleached version inevitably feels weaker.
This could become an exceptional hat if properly handled.
We must by all means establish this as superior.
They'll persist in wasting effort on such nonsense (sending it all the way to Kobe for bleaching).

○ Nankunshen’s Wangye Temple

This kind of building had truly reached the limits of its form.
Yet this too constituted a form of strength.
The sustaining of that strength was formidable.
If it were us, we would have deemed it absurdly foolish and abandoned it.
It was ultimately sustained by a formidable ethnic will.
Were this force channeled more effectively, something extraordinary could surely be achieved.
This was a formidable power that we Japanese lacked.

○ At Guanmiao Village Again

(Stone-footed tub, stone washing basin with relief carvings) How stylish these are!

(Flat bricks used in decorative wall cladding) This method of assembly was truly fascinating.

○ Men’s Guangdong-Style Cloth Shoes from the Main Island, Held by the Kaohsiung City Commerce and Industry Museum

This is an interesting piece.
This could be used right away.

○ Water Buffalo Horn Seal Materials

(Regarding claims that Taiwan’s first-grade products equal the mainland’s third-grade) But I’d wager these are actually superior.
The mainland’s refinement process isn’t inherently beneficial.
That’s a phenomenon utterly divorced from users’ needs, I tell you.
It emerged purely from middlemen’s logistical conveniences.
The same holds true even for things like hats, I must say.

○ At the Symposium Hosted by the Kaohsiung Prefecture Commerce and Industry Section

To truly understand Taiwan, looking at Taiwan alone makes it profoundly difficult to grasp. One cannot comprehend its true nature without knowing Taiwan’s position through comparisons with the mainland, Korea, China, or indeed the wider world. Though my direct experience of Taiwan remains limited, I consider myself somewhat qualified to speak on craft-related matters—particularly regarding Taiwan’s comparative standing as I’ve described.

Viewing Taiwan through this comparative lens and discovering how many things on this main island command deep respect has given me immense pleasure. First, among the Takasago people, their textiles stand overwhelmingly superior. Had these reached Japan three hundred years earlier, they would undoubtedly have been enshrined as celebrated textile masterpieces. Moreover, had they arrived a thousand or several hundred years ago—extravagant though this analogy may be—even mingled among the Shōsōin treasures, none would question their worth. There can be no doubt they would now be fervently studied.

While it may seem natural on one level to view the Takasago people as a primitive group and regard them as inferior, it is equally necessary to recognize that there are aspects where we ourselves must bow our heads and seek instruction from them. How many of contemporary Japan’s first-rate dyeing and weaving artists could create something of this caliber? I can assert with absolute certainty that no one could create such works.

The same quality can indeed be sensed in the works of Han Chinese on the main island as well. Taking pottery as an example, I had been told Taiwan had no pottery whatsoever and imagined this might be true, but upon visiting, I was astonished by its thriving state. These products are what is commonly referred to as coarse kitchenware pottery, and they are generally dismissed as cheap and trivial. However, within these ordinary coarse kitchenware pottery items, the bone and vigor inherited from the Han Dynasty have been preserved. The correct dignity of Eastern “form” has been preserved here, and while this same strength still exists to some degree in Korea, in mainland Japan it has nearly vanished save for one or two kilns.

I believe that as current affairs progress, the necessity for pottery to become increasingly self-sufficient within the island will grow more pressing, but the notion of adopting mainland products is mistaken.
There are aspects that mainland Japan simply cannot rival.
To take something that has fortunately preserved an Eastern power not even found in mainland Japan and dilute it with today’s feeble mainland products is truly foolish.
I hope you will utilize these forms and techniques to advance into the future through your own distinctive methods.
I believe this must also serve as a driving force to strengthen the power of Japanese crafts in the future.

Next, I believe one of the things most lacking in present-day Taiwan is dyeing and weaving crafts.
Yet from my recent observations, Taiwan boasts a remarkable diversity of fibers.
In this regard, I would argue this land is rather blessed.
Within the broad spectrum of hemp fibers—particularly those like banana fiber—successful application of this alone could at least meet Taiwan’s summer clothing needs.
I implore you not to disregard mixed fibers but instead put them to full use.

Moreover, the presence of mud indigo provides tremendous strength in dyeing, and the excellence of Ryukyu textiles owes much to this very mud indigo.
Indigo is the monarch of colors in the Orient, and it is this indigo hue that Westerners never cease to admire.
Mud indigo, in particular, has the advantage that its technique is remarkably simple.

In a place like Taiwan where plants are abundant, I believe tea-based colors too can be easily achieved.
For reds, something like dioscorea can be used, and for yellows there must surely be Garcinia subelliptica, gardenias, Amur cork trees, and the like.
Moreover, if there are indigo and yellow, green can be freely produced.
If there is sappanwood, red can be produced, and with this and indigo, purple can also be produced.
It seems Taiwan has few dyeing traditions, but by researching and utilizing these natural dyes, I believe Taiwan could readily achieve self-sufficiency.

Next, moving on to wooden items, what astonished me most in Taiwan were the altar tables found in every household’s main hall.
Of course, among them there were some with peripheral, unpleasant decorations, but these were primarily found in wealthy households, while those in middle-class and below homes were generally quite splendid.
Households using such items were rarely found in the mainland.
In Taiwan, even the poorest households used them.
It was truly astonishing.

Future Taiwanese furniture should be able to draw countless designs and tremendous power from these [items]. In bamboo crafts, I was particularly struck by those from Guanmiao in Tainan Prefecture. Whether it be their organization, workplace, work ethic, products, or sales structure—a craft village operating so seamlessly is something rarely found anywhere in the world. As a craft village, it gave me the feeling that something close to an ideal we had conceptualized actually exists in this world, leaving me truly astonished. I hear there was a time when they invited mainland Japanese artisans for guidance, but ultimately the mainland’s approach proved inferior—the local methods were far stronger and superior. After all, crafts are tangible things, so their merits are quickly judged. When instructors were brought from the mainland, it typically resulted not in improvement but deterioration. Why did this occur? It stemmed from failing to respect the main island’s indigenous works. To believe that simply remaking things in mainland style would bring immediate improvement is a naive and presumptuous view.

The bamboo crafts of the main island are mostly agricultural tools and miscellaneous goods, so there are rough aspects. Attempting to refine them into the delicate mainland style—yet even technically speaking—Taiwan possesses remarkably superior examples. For instance, the steaming baskets made in Chiayi are splendid items without a single flaw to criticize.

I hope local water buffalo horn crafts and similar works will develop through this island’s unique character.

I hear Taiwan converges elements from across East Asia in various aspects—it must become a base for developing East Asia’s formative culture henceforth. I believe it holds a noble future mission. To achieve this—as I’ve stated—since mainland crafts have grown feeble and decadent—you must not take them as models. You must respect this land’s traditions and properly nurture them moving forward. Yet regarding discernment between good and bad—the Japanese possess a first-rate eye by global standards. Therefore—as leaders—it would be prudent to involve Japanese guidance. To do this—we must first become students and study—then build upon that learning to guide others and draw out their strengths—this I believe constitutes guidance’s essence.

○ At the same gathering

To live here, you must feel joy in residing here.
I wanted to live in Guanmiao so intensely.

○ At the same gathering

Among ceramics, there were truly splendid items within Southern China-made coarse pottery.
Taiwanese potters had ample models to emulate for their future.

○ At the same gathering

When seeing Taiwanese bamboo chairs, the German architect Bruno Taut was truly astonished.
Taut was a world-renowned architect who was also deeply knowledgeable about furniture.
When it came to chairs in particular, he had thoroughly absorbed and mastered Western traditions.
What first astonished him when he came to Japan—it was Taiwan's bamboo chairs that astonished him.
I had constantly associated with Taut, but I was struck anew by the sincerity of his astonishment.
Upon seeing the bamboo chairs, Taut became unable to move.
He declared he truly couldn't hold his head up and slumped in defeat.
He had been utterly overwhelmed by Taiwan's bamboo chairs.

○ At the same gathering, upon seeing a Chinese-made tobacco pipe that a certain gentleman had brought

Chinese ones have a springiness to them and carry themselves with authority.
There are elements that simply don’t slot neatly into Japanese life as they stand.
Even this tobacco pipe possesses a kind of power you won’t find anywhere in Japan.

○ At the same gathering

Since there are so many varieties of wood here, excellent mosaics can be produced.

○ Upon seeing a certain folk house in Bandan Village, Donggang District

Bamboo houses are truly the finest folk houses in the world.
This flavor exists nowhere else.
The robustness of thorny bamboo pillars demands marveling.
The harmony with white walls achieves true splendor.

○ At the same gathering

The trunks of thorny bamboo are used as pillars in their natural curved state.
It’s precisely because they don’t consider things like being curved or warped that such strength emerges, you see.

○ At the same gathering

If these bamboo houses had been known in the mainland earlier, they would undoubtedly have established a distinct style for tea ceremony rooms.

○ At the same gathering

If good photos of bamboo houses were presented, everyone would be astonished!

○ On Thorny Bamboo

Since coming here, what astonished me in terms of form was thorny bamboo, I tell you.
The power of gathered roots was truly an astonishing thing, I tell you.

○ At Rai-sha, Chōshū District

When I saw such splendid things—the Paiwan textiles—the desire to respect and sustain the lifestyle that creates them arose in me at once.
I felt we could not rest without doing so, yet wondered if this conviction held true.

○ On the Folk Art Illustrations in This Journal

“Mr. Tateishi’s folk art illustrations are fascinating, aren’t they? I sincerely hope those will by all means be continued and compiled into a book.”

○ The Tayal Tribe of Hanxi, Luodong District

Hanxi exemplifies effective utilization of the Tayal's distinctive qualities.
Moreover, their villages and dwellings have been rendered clean and sanitary through improvements—truly commendable.
In this respect, it presents a diametric contrast to circumstances observed among the Amis people.
Hanxi offers one viable solution to the challenges of indigenous governance policy.
One might say it has achieved a passing score.
Their garments and similar items—crafted through dyeing ramie fibers and hand-weaving—yield exceptionally fine products.
This enduring instinct to create beauty persists undiminished, I must say.

On Yilan

The altar tables at Yilan’s Mazu Temple were among the finest I encountered during this survey.

The low doors found in gateways of Yilan’s folk houses possess remarkable quality.

We ought to visit Yilan together someday—all of us.

○ At the symposium hosted by the Director of Cultural Affairs, while presenting Changhua City’s bamboo steaming baskets

The breadth, strength, and depth of life that casually handle and master such objects in daily use must be greatly respected.
And we must absorb that power.

The lifestyle of present-day Tokyo is far weaker when compared to this.
Tokyo’s kitchens lose to this item.
They lack the fortitude to use these effectively.
When I consider Japan's modern culture growing increasingly frail and insubstantial, I cannot help but feel profound unease about entrusting our nation's future to this.