The Hendersons in Himeji: Shizutani School and Bizen City

Another week come and gone and we are left worn out and feeling blessed to have such wonderful friends. This weekend five students from my Shogai class took us away for another day trip. This time we had the pleasure of going to Bizen, which is in the Okayama prefecture. They picked us up at 9 am and we proceeded to follow the same routine as our last trip. Audrey in one car and me in another. While we love spending time with each other it is a great opportunity for us to get to know these lovely people better and at the same time allow them to practice their English in a more intimate setting. The drive to Bizen took about an hour and a half but time flew. Audrey enjoyed getting to know a few of my students and I had the privilege of helping another student write a letter to her pen pal back in America. Our first destination was the Shizutani School. Its primary claim to fame is that it was the oldest free public school in the world as construction began back in 1670. It was a Confucian school, dedicated to family, respect for elders and superiors, and discipline. The school was built to educate the children of the commoners in the province -- not just the children of the samurai class. Audrey and I were amazed by the beauty and history of this place. It is located out in the country side so it is very quite and peaceful. As we walked around I could not help but think of the students that roamed this area over the past 330 or so years. The auditorium is still in immaculate condition. Their pride in craftsmanship is evident throughout the many buildings we were able to tour. Just beyond the main school campus there is a newer building that was built as a museum for the school. They had everything from pictures of former head masters to beautiful calligraphy that had been written here hundreds of years ago. I really enjoyed seeing drawings of what it was probably like back in its glory days. Students filling the auditorium on their tatami mats sitting quietly and respectfully listening to their teachers. It left me in awe of the rich history of this place. The beauty of the school buildings were easily matched by the beauty of the fall colors that surrounded us. After walking around for a couple of hours we decided to go grab some lunch and then meander through the main streets of Bizen. Little did we know, Bizen is a famous hub of pottery here in Japan, and throughout the world. Bizen pottery is an unglazed, high-fired stoneware. The firing takes place at high temperatures with red pine wood and gives the pieces a natural wild appearance, with red-glaze streaks, charcoal-like patches or iridescent blue-green patterns. By now our senses were on overload. These pieces were incredibly beautiful and very expensive. Due to the nature of the firing no piece is the same. Since they do not use glazes, the potter doesn't know the exact color of the piece until they are removed from the kiln. It was so nice to have our Japanese "tour guides" with us as they were able to show us places we never would have been able to see on our own. The first shop we went into actually let us go into the back and look around the kilns as they explained the firing process. Then my students took us off the beaten path into a nearby neighborhood. They randomly rang a door bell and we were welcomed into the home of a man who we later found out was considered a "Living National Treasure". He and his wife had a small room next to the entrance of their home that was filled with his pottery. It was INCREDIBLE! Many of his pieces were for sale but I couldn't quite bring my self to spend our whole years salary on a vase. After thanking him numerous times for allowing us to view his work we headed back to the main street and into a couple more shops. Only to be even more amazed by the beauty of these one of a kind pieces. By this time it was already 5 p.m. and our friends were ready to head home. Audrey and I didn't mind one bit as we were pretty worn out from a day of new experiences with wonderful friends.