When you think of Tottori, what comes to mind? Sand dunes, 20th-century pears, and Matsuba crabs. Perhaps the name of photographer Shoji Ueda, known for his sand dune-themed photographs, comes to mind. It's also the least populated prefecture in Japan, and the last prefecture in Japan to open a Starbucks. On the 16th of this month, Yoshikazu Yamagata visited his hometown of Tottori for his AW16-17 show at Omotesando Hills. I had the opportunity to accompany him as he created his collection, titled "gege," which pays homage to the manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, along with the craftsmanship of Tottori's artisans. And, of course, Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of Gegege no Kitaro, is also from Tottori. A visit to Tottori reveals its naturally blessed nature, with a diverse sea facing the Sea of Japan and a unique landscape shaped by its unique topography, as exemplified by its sand dunes. Also, looking out over the fickle, majestic Mount Daisen, whose peak never once showed during my stay, I sensed that Tottori, a land deeply beloved by nature and culture, is a place that still bears the strong influence of producer Yoshida Shoya, an indispensable figure in any discussion of Japan's folk art movement.



In this series of articles, FASHION HEADLINE will be sharing information about Inshu washi paper, mortar work (sand sculpture production), Nakai Kiln, and Enkoji Kiln, which we visited in Tottori. This series began with an unexpected invitation from writtenafterwards designer Yoshikazu Yamagata, who accompanied me on a collection production tour of his hometown, Tottori.

My work often takes me to various locations around Japan. I often hear the phrase, "There's nothing here." But there has never been a time when there was nothing there. For someone like me who spends my days in Tokyo, everything from the cool breeze from the mountains to the damp softness of the soil under my feet was a new stimulus.



I've visited Tottori three times, and the culture and history that the land has nurtured are permeated throughout, and I feel I've only just scratched the surface of its charm. While I know that the best way to convey this is to get people to visit the area, I would like to share the stories of the Tottori makers I visited this time.

Next time, I will visit Nakahara Shoten, a company that makes Inshu washi paper, with designer Yamagata Yoshikazu.

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【Tottori Trip Vol.1】Inshu Washi Nakahara Shoten "Tradition and tradition are different" - Visiting his hometown of Tottori with Written Yamagata (Published March 19th)

【Tottori Trip Vol.2】Inshu Nakai Kiln - Green, white, and black pottery born from subtraction (Published March 21st)

【Tottori Trip Vol.3】Tottori Enkoji Kiln - Even with second-rate clay, we want to create first-rate beauty (Published March 21st)

[Tottori Trip Vol.4] With funding from JAXA, "Mortar Magic" (released April 12th) also takes on a project to solidify sand from the Moon and Mars
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