Following on from the “Shelter” exhibition held in September 2023, this exhibition is on the theme of “Food”. In the previous “Shelter” exhibition, we rediscovered how straw from rice (as a plant) was utilized in various ways in traditional Japanese houses. In this “Food” exhibition, we explore further about rice as an essential part of everyday life. Throughout history, rice has always been a core part of people’s lives. Connecting people and nature, the past and the future, rice is presented as the most important and sacred symbol.
Getting hot and sweaty working in the rice fields, then eating a rice ball in the shade of a tree, where a refreshing breeze blows. That incomparable deliciousness comes from the pleasurable feeling of how eating and rice fields become connected within our bodies. Even though I grew up in the city, I feel a sense of nostalgia when I see a scene of rice ears swaying in the breeze. Why is that?
Having enough food to eat has always been something people have wished for. Rice fields are a strong ally in making this wish come true. People clear the land below mountains to make rice fields and then offer part of the harvest to the deities. Life in Japan means living in tune with the cycles of the rice fields.
Festivals are held when the rice fields are planted out, and as the rice starts to mature, it is time for the Festival of the Dead when our spiritual ancestors return to this world. Later on festivals are held to celebrate the harvest. To the mountains that give us water, we pray for another bountiful harvest next year. It is said that in each grain of rice there are seven gods such as the sun, water, the soil and air, and humans—farmers are included too. Hearing this makes me very happy. Human beings are also included in the cycle of nature’s bounty. A huge living cycle. I hope it will continue on unchanged even after I'm gone.
People seem to have always relied on two principles in life. One is that we constantly seek to evolve, pioneering new frontiers, and the other is to live in harmony with nature, preserving what remains unchanged. The pendulumn constantly swings between the two, maintaining a balance. Now, it is swinging toward what remains unchanged. The time has come for us to realize again that we are a part of nature. We have built tall buildings, as if to lift ourselves off the ground and closer to the sky, but now we are gradually coming back down to terra firma. An attempt to fuse the unchanging with the changing, a very interesting and meaningful effort toward a soft landing.
I feel that this exhibition “Clothing, Food & Plants, and Shelter” is a study for that purpose. While listening to the stories of people for whom rice is an integral part of their lives, I want to contemplate a way of life, necessary for the future. There will never be just one answer to this. But without fertile soil, we cannot return to what we have had. That is for certain.
I feel that I want to live this way, being able to have freshly cooked rice in front of me. How happy I would be if I could live as part of the scenery in the various cycles of life.
eatrip director/chef. Became involved in the culinary world due to the influence of her mother who taught hospitality classes for many years. She seeks to convey the power, abundance, and deliciousness of food through her cooking.
Yuri Nomura, who chose rice as the theme for the “Food” exhibition, has been pondering this question—Why do we eat rice? She set out on a journey to find some hints that might lead to the answer. Yuri visited Ayabe City in Kyoto Prefecture to meet people whose everyday lives are connected to rice. In Kochi Prefecture’s Kami City, she visited an artist who creates pots that connect human beings with rice and with nature.
Ayabe City, KyotoLiving each day together with rice
“I have visited Ayabe before, and during that trip I met Yoshio Inoue, a full-time farmer; Wataru Hatano, who helps out on a rice farm while also pursuing his work as a craftsman; and akifumiking, who cultivates rice while also working as a wood craftsman. The insights I gained then in Ayabe became a major inspiration for the exhibition, so I wanted to visit again,” says Yuri.
The second time Yuri visited was at the height of summer. Yoshio Inoue’s rice fields were spread out across a valley in the western part of Ayabe. The vibrant green leaves in the fields swayed in the breeze. Looking out across that view, Yuri said in a loud voice,
“I envy you having such beautiful scenery to come home to.”
But Inoue said that for him, this scenery also gives him a sense of anxiety. “I love this scenery. But as a producer, I worry about whether the rice plants might develop some kind of disease. Growing rice has something in common with bringing up children. You worry about them, but over-protecting them might somehow make them weaker.”
Yuri learned that for Yoshio, being a rice farmer is an occupation that nurtures connections with other people and it is his very way of life.
Concerned about Japan’s recent rice situation, Yuri asked Yoshio if he thought a time would ever come when we wouldn’t be able to eat rice anymore. Yoshio laughed and said, “No, because Japanese people are their rice fields.” Hearing him say that Japanese people are their rice fields eased Yuri’s concerns. Indeed, perhaps Japanese people are rice itself.
1 Yoshio Inoue has been growing rice for the past thirty-five years. He focuses on retail, delivering rice directly to the consumer.
2 “For me, growing rice is like a mirror that reflects my own way of living,” said Inoue.
3 The rice fields spread out across the valley. Inoue says he finds it very satisfying to see this beautiful view.
“By learning about the lifestyles and perspectives of people who are involved in rice farming in various ways, I think we can see the relationship between rice and people,” says Yuri. She is focusing on the ‘half-farmer, half-X’ lifestyle as a key concept for unraveling the connection between rice and people.
Wataru Hatano is a washi craftsman who has been involved in growing rice for more than twenty years. He helps with planting out and harvesting the rice on a local farm and in return, receives rice as a form of payment for his services.
“Farming is important; it connects directly with life itself. People eat to live, and need to be active in order to be able to eat. I want to always be mindful of these simple behaviors,” says Hatano. When Yuri asks, “What does rice mean to you, Wataru?” he replies:
“I think rice is the place where true hearts take form. Through rice cultivation, we become conscious of our connection to nature and our community, and our bonds with family and relatives. Within this, what I value most is true sincerity—that pure heart. The problems surrounding rice in recent years may stem from the loss of true hearts.”
1 Cultivating kozo (paper mulberry), which is the raw material for washi, making the washi, and creating works of art with the washi he has made.
2 For Hatano, making washi by hand is a way of passing on inherited knowledge to the future.
3 Beyond the studio window lies the verdant landscape of Ayabe's countryside.
Yuri also visited the artist akifumiking. She likes the works of art he makes from driftwood.
In his youth, akifumiking traveled around Japan and took on farming work to earn some money. That led him to thinking that he wanted to grow the food that he puts in his mouth. So he decided to study properly how to grow rice at the Akame Shizennou Jyuku in Nara. Since then, for fifteen years, he has continued to grow rice using natural farming methods.
“Rice is like water or air—something we take for granted. This might sound somewhat casual. I devote about half my year to rice, and for me it holds immense significance,” says akifumiking. At his home/guesthouse Bokkatte, he cooks up the rice he has grown himself, and makes it into rice balls, which he then serves to his guests.
Just seeing the shape brings happiness. Take one in your hand and pop it in your mouth, where it gently comes apart. “Perhaps what a rice ball truly does is tightly yet gently bring rice and people together,” says Yuri. Rice balls too, are another wonderful thing we take for granted, and I really feel that they are a great food that nourishes both mind and body.
1 Akifumiking takes the natural forms of driftwood and transforms them into works of art.
2 After pouring time and love into growing the rice with natural farming methods, he carefully molds that rice with his hands into rice balls.
“Japan has a large number of events centered around rice. Rice has always been at the heart of the cycle of life represented by Shinto rituals and festivals. In these celebrations, rice serves as a sacred entity connecting the gods and the people, embodying the very bonds of the community,” says Yuri.
Yuri visited the Asusugi Shrine, which has over 1,400 years of history and has been carefully preserved by the local community. At the shrine, the Myoga Festival has been held each year through the generations. This ancient ritual involves predicting the harvest timing and weather for early, mid, and late rice crops based on the growth of myoga ginger that sprouts in the shrine's sacred field, O-Takarada. It clearly shows how important the rice harvest is to the region.
A local festival organized by Yoshio Inoue was being held on the same day.
“The biggest problem facing Japanese agriculture is the widening gap between producers and consumers, leading to a loss of connection. The ideal relationship would be like that of relatives, where you can see the farmers' faces and hear the voices of those who eat their produce,” says Yoshio.
The Shigagō Beer Garden festival, held in an old storehouse that once stored rice, was filled with a warm energy generated by the connections between people, and between people and the land.
While enjoying the festival, Yuri says, “It's wonderful that there are local events where everyone gathers face-to-face, shares time together, and looks forward to them. I suppose it's important to feel affection for the land and scenery, to have a place you want to return to. Scenery with rice fields as a part of everyday life creates a sense of security. That's why, even living in Tokyo, I think of Ayabe and have fond feelings for it like my hometown. It makes me want to think positively about how we can protect it for the future.”
1 At Asusugi Shrine, rituals related to rice continue to be passed down, unchanged to this day.
2 Throughout the ages, rice has always been at the heart of Japan's sacred rites and local festivals.
3 Envisaged as a place where people could gather, the beer garden has become firmly established.
Profile
Rice farmer. For thirty-five years in Kyoto's Ayabe region, Inoue has grown rice using low-pesticide methods and organic fertilizers. As a producer who delivers directly to consumers, he is committed to direct sales where customers can see the face of the farmer who grew the rice.
Washi craftsman. Born in 1971. Designs and constructs spaces using washi paper. Also engages in artistic activities, conveying the appeal of washi paper through exhibitions both domestically and internationally.
Wood sculptor. In 2010, he relocated to Ayabe, Kyoto, upon joining the Satoyama Net Ayabe NPO. Since then, he has been a rice farmer while also creating sculptures out of driftwood.
Kami City, KochiA rewarding life created by meaningful work
The studio of potter Teppei Ono is reached by passing through several villages amongst the mountains, not far from Kochi Airport. From there, the view of the route Yuri has traveled stretched out in the distance, with the blue sky and green mountains dazzling in the sun. And in the terraced rice fields in front of us, the ears of rice were beginning to turn yellow. Teppei and his partner, textile artist Yumi Hayakawa, rarely enter the rice fields close to harvest time, but they went in barefoot to pull out some weeds and then washed their feet in some flowing water. The pair blended into the landscape.
“I distinctly remember when I first met Teppei. He said, ‘I will never stop making pots for daily life.’ Because of how close Teppei’s everyday life and his pots are, every day when I hold my rice bowl, I am reminded of the food I ate here,” says Yuri.
That food doesn't simply mean the rice and dishes prepared by Teppei and Yumi; it symbolizes their way of life. Yumi spreads a rug on the floor, and food is served in bowls, both large and small, made by Teppei. They gather around the food with their apprentices, eating and chatting.
That food doesn't simply mean the rice and dishes prepared by Teppei and Yumi; it symbolizes their way of life. Yumi spreads a rug on the floor, and food is served in bowls, both large and small, made by Teppei. They gather around the food with their apprentices, eating and chatting.
On the day of the photo shoot, Yuri enjoyed Thai-style gapao rice, one of Teppei's signature dishes. The breeze flowed through, cats stretched out asleep, and Yuri talked with them, discussing the thinking behind each of their approaches to life. A lunch that offers a sense of relief, yet also reminds you you're traveling. That balance mirrors life itself. Meals are a time to remember that they are a way to celebrate each day.
1 Teppei Ono and his partner Yumi, barefoot in the rice fields as they pull up Japanese millet weeds.
2 Teppei’s rice fields are first to receive water from a source in the mountains. The ears of rice are full and harvest time is not far off.
3 The dining scene of two people who have enjoyed traveling for decades. Today’s menu is Teppei’s gapao rice. A gentle breeze drifts through.
Primarily, Yumi was the one in charge of the rice farming which began eight years ago. But this year, Teppei has also been going into the rice fields from time to time to pull up weeds.
“I don't even know why I started wanted to join in the weeding this year. But just like splitting firewood for the kiln, stepping into the rice fields and doing meaningful work brings me peace of mind,” said Teppei.
This phrase, meaningful work, may well be one of the feelings Yuri wants to convey through this exhibition. Meaningful work is something that resonates with all your senses—mind and body alike, according to Yuri.
“No matter how much the world advances, we must never forsake physical labor. The taste of a drink of water after sweating from working in the rice fields is truly irreplaceable—it brings a profound sense of fulfillment. Another important feeling, I think, is what Teppei calls peace of mind. It's because we have peace of mind that we can become stronger. I think that when people get anxious they start to go down a path of taking things off other people. Of course, some of that comes from a so-called hungry spirit. However, I can see peace in the lives of people like Teppei and Yumi,” says Yuri.
1 Teppei cuts grass at the edge of the rice field in front of his studio.
2 The “grass” he cut is actually millet, another plant long associated with humans.
The year's rice harvest is stored in Teppei's room because there's nowhere else to put it. However, the peace of mind they speak of doesn't simply mean ensuring a supply of food. If you have the money, you could buy a year's worth of rice the same way, so why grow your own? When I asked this of Teppei, he replied, “Well, the rice in my room has a different kind of love poured into it.”
“We had two young people here until yesterday who came from Tokyo. They were born there and grew up living in a high-rise apartment building, where they weren't able to sing, dance, or even raise their voices. They had to live their daily life abiding by the rules of what they weren't allowed to do. Most people living in cities and towns have likely grown up in a similar way and that's how this country is built. It's the feelings and emotions of those people that shape this nation, isn't it? Living with the earth is only natural, isn’t it? Young people are the future. If they feel something, then that might make something move. Human beings are still continuing to do stupid things. For me, the anger that has persisted since my teens remains the driving force for me to make pots. The reason I started working in the rice fields and the reason I make bowls must be connected somehow. Eating, the rice fields, the pots—they're all connected, and the ultimate goal is still peace. Yuri shares that same feeling, and is trying to make it work somehow in Tokyo,” says Teppei.
Living with the earth is only natural. Teppei's words resonate sharply yet gently. Feeling the breeze while gazing at the terraced rice fields, listening to Teppei speak about love. That time itself is what gives Yuri the encouragement she needs.
“Having rice brings peace of mind both mentally and physically. That's because it is a direct expression of the blessings of the forest and water. I believe my role in this exhibition is to help people feel the connection between Teppei's ceramics and the terraced rice fields. By showing this way of life close to rice and soil, I think we're passing the baton on to the next person, the next generation,” says Yuri.
1 The genmai rice waiting to be cooked is grown organically by Teppei and Yumi.
2 The rice fields begin just outside the window. Making pots in his studio, Teppei listens to music and enjoys the breeze from the field.
3 Teppei’s pots waiting to be fired stand quietly, but they have a meaningful presence.
4 Sitting on the engawa at the side of the house, Yuri and Teppei’s conversation ranges from rice to the whole way of life.
Profile
Ceramic artist. Born in 1958. After completing training in Bizen, Okinawa and Tokoname, Ono divided his time between producing ceramics and traveling. In 1998, he established his home and studio in Kochi Prefecture, where he is surrounded by terraced rice fields. He has held many solo exhibitions both domestically and internationally.
Textile artist. Born in 1957. Using hand-spun and hand-woven fabrics primarily from Asia, she creates clothing and holds exhibitions in various locations. She tends rice fields, a vegetable garden and also a fruit orchard.
Planner
eatrip director/chef. Nomura became involved in the culinary world due to the influence of her mother who taught hospitality classes for many years. She has been involved not only in catering, cooking classes, magazine columns, radio appearances, but also event planning, production, and curation, expressing the possibilities of food in a wide range of ways. In 2012, she opened restaurant eatrip in Harajuku, followed by eatrip soil in Omotesando in November 2019, and babajiji house / eatrip kitchen in Yutenji in July 2024. She pursues activities that convey the power, abundance, and deliciousness of food through her cooking, with respect for producers, wild nature, and the seasons. Publications by Nomura include eatripgift, The Four Seasons of Deliciousness: A Handbook for Every Season, and 101 Delicious Foods and Their Producers I Trust: Because I Want to See Them and Eat Them (all published by Magazine House), as well as Tokyo eatrip (Kodansha), Tasty Of Life (Seigensha), Extraordinary Delicious Home Cooking—Fun Cooking for Elementary School Students (Shogakukan), and restaurant eatrip The Little Shop of Flowers Jingumae 2012-2023: 11 Years Spent in Jingumae (Seigensha).
Straft is a craft design unit formed in Tokyo by Tamaki Ishii and Kazuma Yamagami. They studied industrial design together at Tokyo Zokei University and, after graduating in 2021, launched Straft, based in Tokyo. Focusing on natural materials rooted in the local community, such as rice straw, and the cultural stories behind them, Straft creates works that span scales and genres, from spatial installations to products and fashion. Ishii and Yamagami place great importance on the handcrafted process of engaging with materials, and explore expressions that quietly resonate with contemporary spaces and values. While respecting traditional techniques and incorporating a modern perspective, they create new connections between people and nature. Currently, Straft is involved in a wide range of projects in Japan and abroad, expanding their scope.
Born in 1969 in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. Ceramic artist, sculptor, art director. After studying ceramics at Aichi Prefectural Seto Ceramic High School, he established his kiln in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, in 1992. Since then, he has created ceramics and conducted research by visiting kilns around the world. Not limited to ceramics, Uchida creates works and spatial designs using various materials such as metal and wood. In 2015, he established the BANKO archive design museum to promote the appeal of Banko ware. He has been active in holding solo exhibitions at domestic and international museums and galleries.
Born in 1958 in Ehime prefecture. Ceramic artist. After apprenticing to the ceramic artist, Ryoji Koie, he established his own kiln in Tokoname, Aichi prefecture. With his family, he traveled throughout Asia, living in places that include Thailand, Laos, and India. In 1998, he moved to a village surrounded by terraced rice fields in Kami City, Kochi Prefecture, where rice farming is flourishing, and in 2001, after three years of hard work, he finished building a wood-fired kiln. He creates everyday tableware and art works that are both dynamic and warm in feeling.
Born in 1995 in Gifu prefecture. Ceramic artist. After graduating in 2019 from Musashino Art University’s Industrial, Interior and Craft Design course, Karugane continued her studies at Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center’s Ceramics Lab course, which she completed in 2022. Based in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, she creates and exhibits tableware, vases, and wall installation pieces. Depending on the piece, Karugane uses various techniques such as molding, hand-coiling, or throwing on the wheel to bring out the warmth, generosity and delicate expressions of clay.
Born in 1983 in Hiroshima prefecture. Ceramic artist. After graduating from the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto, she established Tsukumo Kiln, in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, together with her husband, Tenshin Juba, also a ceramic artist. After a period of ten years away from ceramics while her children were young, Juba resumed her creative activities in 2017. She grows rice and vegetables with her family and uses the ash from rice straw, a byproduct of rice cultivation, to make white matt glazes. Made with raw clay and these glazes, Juba uses a wood-fired down draught kiln to create her distinctive serene and expressive pieces—vessels and other items closely connected to daily life.
Born in 1981 in Hyogo prefecture. Ceramic artist. While still a high school student, Juba came across slipware in Shimane prefecture and after that encounter, he decided to become a ceramic artist. After studying abroad in the United States, he enrolled in the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto. Upon graduation, he established Tsukumo Kiln in Kobe’s Kita ward. Juba renovated his original family home, which has a thatched roof, and lives there now growing rice and vegetables while continuing his creative activities, including making art pieces, flower vases, and pots.
Born in 1977 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Ceramic artist. After graduating from Bunka Gakuin College of Art's Department of Ceramics in 1999, Nikaido established his studio in the city of Moka in Tochigi Prefecture in 2001. In 2002, Nikaido relocated to Mashiko, a town close to Moka, then to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture in 2015. Currently, he is based in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Since 2010, he has been organizing “To-ISM,” an exchange event for young ceramic artists, and after the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has been involved in social activities such as Utsuwa no Chikara, a project to donate tableware to people living in temporary housing. His works, which pursue the natural aesthetic of an unglazed clay surface of deep brown and black vessels, and the beautiful patina that develops with age, are highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.
Born in 1969 in Osaka. After graduating from MiraCosta College in the United States, he returned to Japan and worked in various fields, including managing a sneaker shop and then restaurant, followed by being a fisherman. Nikaido now resides on the eastern side of Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula, surrounded by the sea and mountains, where he is engaged in community development rooted in rice farming while continuing his artistic expression in harmony with the natural environment. Inspired by large jars that have been made since ancient times, he has developed his own unique techniques incorporating improvisation and experimental methods, and continues to gain fans both in Japan and abroad.
October 10 to November 27, 2025.
Hours: 11:00am-8:00pm.
Open every day October 10-November 27.
Free admission.
GYRE GALLERY |
GYRE 3F, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
