Recently I’ve been challenging a new carrier: academic writing. From my background of exhibiting various olfactory art installations, I got interested in meta-communication in olfaction depicted in Japanese classical literature, mainly The Tale of Genji. However this essay has nothing to do with my art – purely an academic essay.
Title: “Oikaze: The Role of Heian Scent Culture and Olfactive Communication in The Tale of Genji” Author: Maki Ueda
Alabastron launches soon. We’re thrilled to announce that Alabastron is available for preordering. A journal that bridges the gap between academia and the public to explore aromatic history and culture, Alabastron is co-edited by Nuri McBride and Saskia Wilson-Brown.
Ishigaki Island is very popular these days. Many people visit us. We hope you will find this information useful for sightseeing. We will sell fragrance souvenirs of Ishigaki Island to those who visit this page (reservation required)! We also recommend our perfume making workshop to make memories of Ishigaki Island. Please contact us.
Ishigaki Island is a place of work for me, where I have lived for more than 10 years, so I am familiar with supermarkets and DIY, but you may know more about tourist information than me…. In this day and age, there is a lot of information on the Internet, and since your stay is so short, please use your intuition and go on an adventure. Everyone is friendly, and since you are in Japan, you shouldn’t have much trouble! Based on this assumption, I have compiled a list of my favorite places to go. These are the places that don’t really “look” good from a tourist’s point of view. The island is a fast-changing place, so please always check the latest information by yourself.
〜Food shops
Here are some of the places I often go to relax. Rather than the “attractive” food that tourists are looking for, they are all common restaurants that are crowded with local customers. They are not Okinawan cuisine at all (laugh), and they are all in the countryside, and all for lunch. The locals choose restaurants that are not frequented by tourists. In truth, I don’t want to tell anyone about these restaurants because they don’t have a lot of capacity.
Teuchi-kishimen Kagi (handmade kishimen) (Ibaruma) The aroma of the dashi broth is wonderful, and I love the total simplicity of the space with its wabi-sabi aesthetic. You must call to confirm because it is either closed or sold out quickly even if it is open.
Tonkatsu Riki (Yonehara) Tonkatsu restaurant in the same village. A hidden gem loved by locals for many years.
Kusabobo (Yonehara) A restaurant in the same village. A hidden gem loved by the locals.
Cafe Akubi (Nosoko) A hidden restaurant that you really don’t want to tell anyone about. Reservations required.
Ishigaki Shoten (Sakieda) Vietnamese restaurant using Ishigaki ingredients. The restaurant is owned by musician Yoshiyuki Ishigaki. I sometimes go there when I want to eat ethnic food.
Shunya Banchan (Shiraho) A restaurant that is affordable but tastes like a ryotei (Japanese-style restaurant). Reservations are required. Take-out daily meals Ban-chan is also available in town.
Smile Smoothie (Ibaruma) Smoothies to accompany your drive. It also has a tasteful general store.
The following areas in town: I sometimes go there. From the top, in order of most frequently visited.
Ishigakijima Suisan Eat-in I like fish, so when I eat lunch in town, I tend to go here for the cheapest option.
Chinen Shoukai’s Onisasa
Beef soup at Parlor Anburera
Yakiniku lunch at Misaki Gyu’s main restaurant
Chouichirou Easy to eat but with the taste of kappo (Japanese cooking). A favorite of local gourmets.
Komatsu Yaeyama soba with seafood broth. It is easy to park a car here, so I usually go here for soba.
[VEGETARIAN]
My son is pure vegetarian, grown up in this island. Here are some useful tips, even though there are few vegetarian places.
Tommy’s Bread (Yonehara) A bakery in the same village. A hidden gem, loved by the locals for many years.
Garopan (Nagura) Italian food. This is the home of my dog, Chiyoko. Order pizza margerita, or mix vegetable pizza, or 4 cheese pizza.
Forestale Uno (Nosoko) (Closed as of 2023. But the lacquerware gallery is worth a visit) “Italian with Urushi”. You can enjoy Italian food in the forest with lacquerware made by lacquerware artists. Everything tastes more tender when served on lacquerware. A restaurant that satisfies all the senses. Order “tofu-yo-no-pasta”, a pasta that uses fermented tofu as a cream. It’s delicious.
BARAQUE Vegetarian cafe. I like soy meat, so I often go here because it is next to the gym.
Nuchigusa Cafe View of the ocean yoga studio. Vegetarian curry is delicious.
Funakura no Sato If you’re looking for a little celebration or date night, this is the place to be. Good atmosphere and local food both day and night.
Raikatsuyo (Kunatsuyu) Yaeyama soba noodles with rich broth
Nutstown Coffee Roasters (when working remotely) Rehellow Beach (for a resort atmosphere) Puka Puka (when you want to enjoy the resort atmosphere)
〜Dinner at night
The top tourist favorites Hitoshi and Yamamoto are not options for us locals. There are other gourmet restaurants that are just as good and much cheaper. Basically, we don’t eat out much at night, but if we dare to go, it’s in order of how often we go there, from top to bottom. (Note: Don’t expect to see any “installations”.
Kaijin Izakaya & Sushi: Cafe Umi-no-Hana (Benefactor’s restaurant. (A favorite of young local families) Kaijin Izakaya: Azumaru Kaijin Izakaya: Genmaru Shinkawa Kaijin Sushi: Eiko Yakiniku: Higa-chan Yakiniku: Otokichi Yakiniku: Watanabe (High Quality)
Normal Izakaya: Teppen, Koteppen, Doteppen, Mannen Housaku, Raifuya, Funakura no Sato too
If you want to take your time to savor the pairings, Hoshinoya Taketomi Island, Fusaki “Hare”.
The local delicacy of Ishigaki Island is actually sashimi! Fresh tuna sashimi is available all year round. Most people buy sashimi and eat it at home. The “Sakana Tempura” is also addictive. It is fun to visit sashimi restaurants. (They are usually open after 2:00 p.m.) Donakata made this “Sashimiya Map” for us: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1P523tnwSHz_tL00OmvlIpAgAAI0&ll=24.343354838218335%2C124.1571915&z=15
〜Souvenirs
We also sell Ishigaki Island fragrances at our atelier! Reservations required. Please contact us.
Osato Shoten (Osato): hand-netted baskets, organic vegetables, etc.
Yachimunkan (Shiraho): For those who love hand knitting. Hands-on production available.
JA Yurateiku Market (in town): Local farmers’ market
KAYAK (in town): A select store with good taste
Hellow Campers (in town): For camp lovers
Ichigusukumode (in town): T-shirt shop
~Fun and games
Ma Pei Mountaineering (Nosoko): There is a trailhead where you can cheat your way up from the middle of the mountain https://maps.app.goo.gl/64nGdHLqoGL2g1ar7?g_st=ic
Mt. Yarabudake (Sakieda): I hear it’s spectacular! I’ve never been there and want to go. https://maps.app.goo.gl/GmMgaB5f2kf4JZKa8?g_st=ic
Crystal Beach (Yamahara) Bring a colander and pick up crystals! https://goo.gl/maps/5eZpmsG9CXMrykEo7
Recently I’ve been challenging a new carrier: academic writing. From my background of exhibiting various olfactory art installations, I got interested in meta-communication in olfaction depicted in Japanese classical literature, mainly The Tale of Genji. However this essay has nothing to do with my art – purely an academic essay.
Title: “Oikaze: The Role of Heian Scent Culture and Olfactive Communication in The Tale of Genji” Author: Maki Ueda
Alabastron launches soon. We’re thrilled to announce that Alabastron is available for preordering. A journal that bridges the gap between academia and the public to explore aromatic history and culture, Alabastron is co-edited by Nuri McBride and Saskia Wilson-Brown.
Learn the art of kõdõ. Maki Ueda (olfactory artist) has arranged for you to experience “Utsusemikou”, a kumiko based on the motif of “The Tale of Genji”, at home. (Kumiko is a game of guessing the fragrance in kõdõ. It is said that more than 1,000 varieties have been handed down to the present day.)
You will receive +- 10 fragrance sample bottles and perfume strips by post. The fragrances you will receive are woody aromatic scents as agarwood that you can smell at an actual kõdõ session.
DATE
3/3 (Wed) 23:59 UTC +09:00 (Japan Time) Payment deadline 3/28 (Sun) 19:00-20:30 UTC +09:00 (Japan Time) TheWorkshop
TICKET
Payment can be made by PayPal (credit card accepted)
Please be sure to provide your address when making the payment by Paypal.
Zoom Link will be sent to you by 24 hours before the workshop starts, to the email address you have signed up for by Paypal. (You will receive email from: pepeandmaki@gmail.com.)
No refunds will be given. Even if you can’t participate in real time, you will be able to watch the recording for 3 days.
The recording will be shared internally in the group only. However if you don’t want your face to be recorded, you can participate by mute.
There are no plans to hold the workshop again so far, so if you are interested, please take this opportunity!
You can also join with a partner with your ticket.
Note:
PRICE: 75 EUR – fragrances, perfume strips, shipping, tax and paypal fee included – only 10 places available
Pay 75 EUR with Paypal (Subscription Closed)
Story
The Princess “The Shell of the Locust” (Utsusemi), sensing Genji’s creeping presence in the darkness by his scent, fled her bed, leaving behind a piece of clothing that looked like a cicada shell. There would have been no woman who would not have fallen for him, and he would have been the most attractive and beautiful man in the world. So why did she fled? In this session, we will use the fragrance to imagine (or fantasize?) the night crawling of Genji and the game between men and women.
Without knowing the story you won’t be able to enjoy the session. The knowledge from literature plays an essential role in kõdõ. Please read at least these two chapters before the workshop: – The Broom Tree – The Shell of the Locust (p. 34 – p.57) http://www.public-library.uk/ebooks/39/11.pdf
About Kodo
Along with the tea ceremony and the art of flower arranging, kõdõ is one of three classical refinements that developed into formalized ceremonies in the 16th century Muromachi period. The practice utilizes incense to create a space for participants to share emotions, imagination, and connections with people living in a different time and space, and is often accompanied by smelling games known as genjikō and kumikō, among others.
The principles behind kõdõ are about more than the scents themselves, however. With its deep roots in Japanese culture, kõdõ touches upon semiotics (the study of symbols and their interpretations), rhetoric, and communication. The result is a ceremony and art with a potentially vast impact.
Mining her own rich catalogue for examples, Maki Ueda will start the workshop with a talk about how conceptual interpretations of kõdõ could be applied in the western artistic context. This will be followed by a thoughtful and artistic interpretation of the kõdõ ceremony.
What do you smell if you walk around the city? Savory fragrance from food stands and restaurants, green and fresh scent in a market, salty sea bleezes, or stinking garbage? How does your home smell like? What’s the source of the smell?
In this workshop, participants are going to explore the smells of daily lives and the environment, and extract smells from the materials.
(The material can be anything – from spices like cinnamon to materials like newspaper, but it has to have clear odor. )
[TOOLS AND MATERIALS TO PREPARE]
– teabags (x2)
– ziplock (x2)
– measuring cup for 50 ml (x1)
– scissor (x1)
– other necessary tool to make the material small if necessary
– electric kettle, thermos pot, or microwave (x1)
– kitchen bowl for Bain Marie- pyrex is better than stainless (x1)
00:05 – 00:15 Process the material and make it as fine as possible
00:15 – 00:20 Stuff it in ziplock / Prepare Bain Marie
00:20 – 01:10 Heat it
01:10-01:15 Filter it
01:15 -01:30 Sharing and closing
[PRECAUTIONS]
Keep your lab/kitchen well aired.
Don’t smoke nearby because vodka is flammable.
In case you get nauseous, go for a walk in fresh air, and drink a glass of milk.
Do not use a cooking table that use gas during the workshop.
Don’t smell the vapor directly. Use the perfume strip always to protect your nose.
Wear latex gloves to protect your hands if you are allergic to alcohol.
[DATE]
Sunday, February 28, 10:30-12:00 CET（UTC +0100) = Sunday, February 28, 18:30-20:00 JST（UTC +0900)
[PRICE]
35 EUR (incl. 5 EUR handling fee)
Payment can be made via PayPal (credit card accepted)
The registration deadline is 24 hours before the workshop starts.
Zoom link will be sent to the email address you signed up for Paypal by 24 hours before the workshop starts, from the email address pepeandmaki@gmail.com
No refunds available. Even if you are unable to participate, you will be able to watch the recording for 3 days (Actually you can learn pretty much from the recordings, so don’t worry!) .
If you don’t want yourself to be recorded, you can participate on mute.
Participating with children or partner is welcome.
Spoken language: English
Note:
[PAYMENT]
35 EUR (incl. 5 EUR handling fee)
PHOTO IMPRESSIONS
Scent material: Any fragrance is goodFinely chop in a way tailored to the materialWhen we do it as a group, we have a friendly relationship. You can feel the atmosphere online as well.Eventually, the extract is filtered.Online Extraction Workshop in Corona Disaster in October 2020 at Willem de Kooning Academy of Art in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Some Students Followed the Workshop at Home.
