Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.10 Ofuroso
Yamamoto Shino (Gallery Watts)
"Because it is heated with 100% firewood, the water is very soft and good for the skin, warming you from the inside out," says Takatsuyu, a public bathhouse that was loved by locals for many years and is located just a two-minute walk from Takatsu Station on the Tokyu Denentoshi Line. Kawasaki Frontale also supported the bathhouse with their slogan "Come to the bathhouse with us," but it closed down in 2015, much to everyone's regret.
The space is now a shared office and gallery for artists, named "Ofuroso" (a Japanese bathhouse), making the most of the original building.
I heard the rumor so I'm heading in for a bit! No, I'm off now.
Oh! The words "Takatsuyu" are still there. Actually, my husband and children were taken care of at Takatsuyu a long time ago when our house was under construction and we couldn't use the bath. Now that I think about it, I regret that I should have taken a bath at that time. I would have been embarrassed if I had met the neighbors. Haha.
The reception desk and black telephone give it a very retro feel, but these were commonly used until a few years ago, so even those born in the Heisei era could immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Showa era at Takatsuyu.
Now, if you go through the women's bath, you will find the artists' studios.
Contemporary decorator Kohei Kyomori, artist Yutaokuda, and flower artist Takashi Shirakawa are active in the changing area. In the bathtub space, there are three creators working on music, dyeing, and more.
Kyomori's work, with its eye-catching colorful graphics, has a Western nuance to it while still featuring striking Japanese motifs. He says that his two years studying abroad in Italy gave him the opportunity to think about his identity as a Japanese person, and at the same time, eliminating prejudice and discrimination between ethnic groups through art became a major theme in his work.
▲ A sense of depth created by partially raised ink
"I think that the emergence of a common sense between ethnic groups will help to eliminate barriers, based on the history of cultures that have developed across borders and influenced by decorative elements," says Kyomori. The work features a skull motif and the A-un symbol. Through the universal concepts of life and death, the work asks the viewer questions about human equality.
On the other hand, yutaokuda is known for his detailed monochrome expressions.
The motifs, drawn with extremely fine lines starting from 0.03 mm, are mostly animals and plants, and exude a certain elegance.
▲The artwork is drawn with conductive ink and plays music when you touch it, making it a very catchy piece.
"That's probably because I started out in the fashion industry."
Yutaokuda, who said this, was a designer for the fashion brand "TAKEO KIKUCHI" before going independent as an artist.
Inspired by the worldview expressed by Alexander McQueen, he decided to pursue a career in fashion, but when he realized that McQueen's true nature was that of an artist, not a fashion designer, he finally understood what he was aiming for.
"Art is a self-projection, a way of expressing your true self. Because there's no room for fakery, when someone tells me they like my work, it's the same as them praising me for who I am, and that's what motivates me to paint."
By coincidence, Kyomori and Yutaokuda both graduated from Istituto Marangoni, the oldest fashion and design school in Italy. Kyomori studied at the Italian school, and Yutaokuda at the London school, but they met in Japan a few years after graduating. What a coincidence! Life is interesting!
And it's wonderful to have a relationship where we can aim for high levels and inspire each other.
What I like about Ofuro-so is the presence of flowers. Like art, they are an important element in enriching the soul. Shirakawa-san of (hana-naya), who also handles spatial displays for apparel and other items, has a bright personality that makes you an instant fan even if it's your first time meeting him. According to the two artists, he's like a fun, older brother. In the summer, the three will hold an exhibition called "We've Started Ofuro-so."
"Women love flowers to an incredible extent. I wanted to deliver flowers to people who, due to aging or poor health, would like to go out and buy flowers as they usually do but can't, so I left a major florist and started a delivery style business," says Shirakawa, who also runs a mobile sales business, riding around the Nakameguro area on his stylish three-wheeled bicycle, in addition to selling from his shop.
▲Everyone seems to look forward to the monthly subscription.
"I choose flowers based on my intuition on the day I go to the market. The producers are working hard and growing flowers with various nuances, so I get excited. I want to have a flexible sense rather than arranging the same flowers," says Shirakawa. The bouquets are not designed in a design-like way, but are lightly combined with the awareness that they are dealing with nature.
Now, if you go through the men's bath, you will find yourself in the salon and gallery space. I remember the Space Invaders game table fondly.
The bathhouse space, with its tiled floor, faucets, showers, and mirrors all still intact, has been turned into an event space. It has become a place for various artists to express themselves, and the fact that it is not a white cube seems to inspire the creative spirit. 
"It would be nice to have a place where you can experience art and creation that is casual, like a public bath that you can just drop in to. With that in mind, we've kept the feel of a public bathhouse intact," says Nakamura Miho of NENGO, who is in charge of planning and producing Ofurosou.
▲When we visited NENGO, which is also located in Takatsu Ward, we were surprised to find a drum instead of a doorbell!
Unfortunately, Ofuroso will only be available until September 2020.
Since there are already artists like Kyomori and Yutaokuda who are highly regarded overseas, I hope that this will become the Tokiwa-so of the manga world. It makes me excited just to imagine the future of aspiring artists growing up here.
It is a place associated with the potter Hamada Shoji and the artist Okamoto Taro, and I strongly hope that it will become a sacred place unique to the Oyama Kaido area, where cultural figures passed by.
(Interviewed in October 2019)
Gallery Information
Ofuroso
3-8-13 Mizonokuchi, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 213-0001
TEL: 044-829-3324
Opening hours: Check the website
https://www.facebook.com/ofuroso/
"access"
▶︎About 2 minutes walk from Takatsu Station on the Tokyu Denentoshi Line
《Artist Information》
■Kohei Kyomorihttps ://www.kohei-kyomori.com/
■yutaokuda https://yutaokuda.jimdo.com/
■(hana-naya) https://hana-naya.jp/
