Interview with Hyodo Momoka
We spoke with instructor and Jomon artist Hyodo Momoka about what inspired her to make Jomon pottery and more.
What first introduced you to Jomon pottery?
Hyodo (surname only)
When I was in my second year of junior high school, I was invited to go with my mother to the Ifurai Museum in Niimi City, where we took part in a Jomon open-fire pottery festival. When I first saw Jomon pottery being fired, I just thought, “Hmm,” and wasn’t particularly interested.
But when I saw the work of Jomon artist Ifurai on display at the museum (whom I would later study under), I felt a warmth rising in my body. It captured my heart.
However, I didn’t start making Jomon pottery at that time.
So there was another opportunity that brought you back to Jomon pottery.
Hyodo
In the summer of 2019, I attended a lecture and a pottery class (Jomon pottery) at the Ifurai Museum. At the time, Ifurai told me, “You should keep going while your hands still remember how to make pottery,” so I went again a week later. I’ve continued ever since, for about five years.
When people visited Ifurai saying, “I want to learn about the Jomon period,” he would suggest, “Why not try making Jomon pottery first?”
By making Jomon pottery, you gain not only the skills to make it, but also a feeling of connecting with the hearts of the Jomon people, which can deepen your understanding of the Jomon period. As a result, those who receive this suggestion also continue making Jomon pottery.
You value the heart as well as the skill of making Jomon pottery.
Hyodo
The Jomon pottery displayed to the left of the venue, “Mizushima Park Management Lab.,” is mainly modeled on pottery that has been excavated.
As you can see, even though we refer to it simply as the Jomon period, it lasted for more than 10,000 years, so the characteristics and shapes varied from one era to another. Even the shapes, patterns, and thickness of the pottery differed.
By closely observing the works at the Ifurai Museum and faithfully recreating each shape and pattern, I sometimes feel the thoughts of the Jomon people who made these pots at the time.
- What kind of prayer was expressed in this line?
- For some reason, that pattern resonates with me.
- What kind of ingenuity would have gone into making this pot’s angle and shape?
Through copying, I sometimes sense the depth of expression of the women who made pottery during the Jomon period.
To begin with, what was Jomon pottery made for?
Hyodo
Jomon pottery was used for cooking food.
Jomon pottery is made by stacking coils of clay on top of one another. For beginners, the pottery often collapses during the process.
Among the works on display, there is a pot with six distinctive protrusions. Is this your own creation?
Hyodo
This piece is neither an original creation nor a copy; it is a reconstruction. I made it by imagining the complete form based on an actual excavated fragment.
This pot in particular has six hollow, square protrusions and is relatively thick, so I recreated it through trial and error, figuring out how it had been made before the clay dried.
Based on my experience working with many pieces, I think I was able to recreate the process of making it as well.
Meeting Ifurai, whom you studied under, must have had a great impact on you.
Hyodo
As of 2024, Ifurai is 77 years old. He had been making Jomon pottery since he was young, and in 1986, he moved with his family from Chiba Prefecture to Hokkaido in search of the “Jomon spirit.”
In Hokkaido, he built a pit dwelling in the wilderness and used it as a studio, living a self-sufficient Jomon-style life with his family. Since they lived in a pit dwelling dug into the ground, their everyday perspective was at the same level as the earth. Through this way of life, he came to feel that all life is born from the earth and is equal and of equal value.
After that, he searched across Japan for a site for a museum, and from among several candidates, a site in Niimi City (the present-day Ifurai Museum) was ultimately chosen. Making Jomon pottery while living as people did in the Jomon period—and being able to do so with the family who moved there together—seems remarkable to me.
Now, as a pottery instructor at the Ifurai Museum, I also help with pottery classes held on the second and third Wednesdays and Sundays of each month.
Finally, could you tell us what you find appealing about Jomon pottery?
Hyodo
When I’m making Jomon pottery, my hands move easily and naturally, and I can immerse myself in the work with a feeling of being connected to the pottery.
And it’s not just Jomon pottery, but also the Jomon spirit.
I’m drawn to “Jomon pottery as a vessel of life, embodying the compassion and respect that Jomon women held for all things,” which reflects an essential way of thinking as a human being.
Every step of making Jomon pottery in nature makes me feel that my heart is becoming richer.
From the Writer
When I heard the words “Jomon period,” I came to the workshop knowing only about the “flame-style pottery” I had learned about in class.
By taking part in the “Jomon Clay Bell and Clay Mask Workshop,” I learned the following:
- It was a peaceful era that lasted for more than 10,000 years, without conflict.
- Making Jomon pottery was women’s role and was one of the rituals for nurturing all life, among other things.
Despite the workshop lasting about three hours, I was fortunate to meet the other participants and enjoyed exchanging with them while making a Jomon clay bell.
I also plan to take part in the open-fire pottery firing at the Ifurai Museum, held twice a year (scheduled for April 28, 2024).
I encourage you to take part in the Jomon Salon, where you can learn about the Jomon spirit by viewing and making Jomon pottery.
The “Jomon Clay Bell and Clay Mask Workshop” is held regularly, but as it is difficult to accommodate many people at once, we recommend booking early.
Announcements are made regularly on Hyodo’s Instagram and elsewhere.
Jomon Clay Bell and Clay Mask Workshop Information
| Name | Jomon Clay Bell and Clay Mask Workshop |
|---|---|
| Dates | Held regularly every month To register, contact Hyodo via Instagram DM or at kamomo821@gmail.com *For details, check Hyodo’s Instagram and elsewhere. |
| Location | 10-8 Tokiwa-cho, Mizushima, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Jomon Clay Bell and Clay Mask Workshop: ¥4,500 Jomon Talk: ¥1,000 |
| Website | Hyodo’s Instagram |
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