Do you know the Japanese things Apple’s founder Steve Jobs loved?
I’m Nobu, the certificate English guide in Japan for 7 years.I show you hidden Japan which you have never seen and heard!
Steve Jobs’s first encounter with Japanese thing
When he was a teenager, he was so fascinated by a new woodblock print at a friend’s house that he asked the friend’s parents to give it to him.
After dropping out of college, he attended a Zen center in California and studied under a Japanese Zen monk.
The things Steve Jobs loved , potteries
Among them One of Steve Jobs’ favorite purchases was the work of Yukio Shakunaga, a potter of Etchu Seto ware from the town of Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture.
Echu Seto pottery is made in the Seto area of Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture.
When Yukio Shakunaga had a solo exhibition in Kyoto, Jobs and his wife visited and liked his work very much.
Jobs then came 30 minutes before the store opened and waited outside for the duration of the 3-day exhibition.
Ecchu Seto Pottery
Etchu Seto pottery has a history for over 400 years. Its long history has been supported by the wide variety of ceramic clay produced at the foot of Tateyama.
Even today, the clay is dug out and used for color identification as brown, yellow, blue, and reddish brown.
Among these clays, there is a special clay called white clay.
White clay has no iron content and its particles are fine and highly refractory. White clay is mentioned in an ancient document from over 400 years ago.
In the early days, the kilns were used exclusively by the Samurai lord Maeda family or Kaga family.
Many of the tea containers and water , as well as many of the excellent pieces handed down through the generations, are made of white clay.
White Clay
For three days, Jobs asked Shakunaga nothing but questions about the clay.
Mr. Shakunaga uses white clay to make his pottery. Then he told Steve Jobs that Mr. Shaku uses white clay to make his pottery.
Then Steve Jobs asked Mr.Shakunaga even more questions. Jobs seemed to want to fly to Toyama right now to see the white clay.
(Jobs had mistakenly thought that Toyama was only an hour away and was terribly disappointed to learn that it was not.)
While most potters buy clay from suppliers, Mr.Shakunaga digs his own clay from the mountains behind his house.
This Mr.Shakunaga’s attitude from the clay stage may have made an impression on Jobs.
After that Steve Jobs began to order frequently Mr. Shakunaga.
From then until his death, he ordered by fax or phone, asking one with his idea and one with Mr. Shakunaga’s idea.
He also ordered a bowl in the shape of the original icon in the iphone.
Toyama prefecture to travel
Toyama prefecture is 2 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen. It’s a beautiful local area with 3000m tall Mt.Tateyama, silent Toyama bay and full of fresh foods.
You can also enjoy local cultures like ceramics, woodcrafts and local festivals.
If you’re a fan of Steve Jobs, check out Toyama!!
I’m Nobu, one heart enjoy together!!!