A gallery where you can meet the owner.

A Stroll Through the Kanagawa Gallery
File.13 Vessel, Rapeseed Flower
Shino Yamamoto (Galerie Watts)

The direct mail I receive from "Utsuwa Nanohana" always includes a message.
That's the passionate feeling of the shop owner, Daiichi Takahashi, also known as Daichan.
At times, it's about how much he admires the artist, at other times, it's about his expectations for the unknown world of the creator, and at still other times, it's about the light that objects emit—all told through Dai-san's (that's what I call him) perspective.
They speak and express their feelings directly and frankly, which makes you want to go there when you read it.

While "Utsuwa Nanohana" is known for hosting exhibitions by renowned artists, this gallery stroll focuses on the fact that "you'll want to meet the shop owner too."

Leaving Odawara Station, it's about a 15-minute walk along Odawara Castle Park, where you can feel the history, and you'll find "Utsuwa Nanohana" along the national highway that leads to Hakone.

You'll immediately recognize the shop because it's adorned with a noren (traditional Japanese curtain) by Michiharu Mochizuki, a dyer, sculptor, and designer—a man of many talents.

By the way, this is what the back entrance looks like. There's a noren (traditional Japanese curtain) here too, with "Nanohana" written in Mochizuki's handwriting.

The exhibition featured wire sculptures by Gaku Kanbayashi, a sculptor well-known at Galerie Watts.

Mr. Kanbayashi's sculpting skills are remarkable, as he balances the figures on points no larger than a little fingernail, making them stand upright to the point where viewers might mistakenly believe they are glued to the floor.
As always, I was impressed when I saw the artwork, realizing that it's a feat only possible because it perfectly captures the coordination between the skeleton and muscles, and the movement of the human body.

As you pass through the courtyard and enter the back room, you'll find drawings by Motoko Yoshida, whose work was featured in the previous exhibition, in the background of Kambayashi's piece.
Both appear incomplete at first glance. But I sense the presence of something in the parts that are not visible.

For example, in Kambayashi's work, it might be muscles, or in Yoshida's work, it might be the people or voices in the space where objects are placed. That's why I might feel a sense of comfort in the compatibility between the two works.

Now, Mr. Dai (left) and Mr. Kanbayashi (right) have known each other for about 35 years and, coincidentally, are the same age. And they both love to drink. They don't mind if there's an exhibition going on. So it started right away.

Odawara was a post town during the Edo period, and in the Meiji era, it became a town associated with politicians, businesspeople, and cultural figures who lived there as villas or residences. Ms. Dai, who was born in that town in 1947, says that there were many unique people in her neighborhood.

"When I went to pick up my grandfather, who was playing Go at the nearby Uiro (a famous herbal medicine shop in Odawara) shop, there was a garden that made me feel at ease. Also, the Kataoka Art Shop, which is now a museum, had Joseon Dynasty white porcelain and other works of art. As a child, I didn't really understand what 'beautiful' meant, but I already had the feeling that old things were beautiful," says Ms. Dai.

On the other hand, he lived in the area with people like Chotaro Kawasaki, who lived in a storage shed on the Odawara coast and depicted the lives and human dramas of the lower classes, and "Garando" (Naotaka Yamauchi of Garando Craft Company), who also appeared in the works of Ango Sakaguchi. So, he apparently witnessed both the grittiness and purity of human nature firsthand. Perhaps that's why I feel such a sense of acceptance from Mr. Dai.

Now, Mr. Kanbayashi is a tough guy sculptor and mountain man who also worked as a caretaker at a mountain hut. He once told me this:

"Compared to painters, painters are more likely to commit suicide. Painters have to fit their work within a frame, so they probably feel limited. Sculptors, in a sense, are unlimited. Space is limitless, after all. That's why sculptors are mentally at ease (laughs)."

I thought, "That makes sense."

However, despite saying he's laid-back, he's strict about his approach to being an artist, and he makes it a point to "stay true to himself and not pander to anyone, no matter the circumstances."

They value their intuition and are true to themselves. And yet, because they are both so easygoing, their conversation over drinks ranged widely from art theory and materials to human qualities, making it truly fascinating to listen to. I left "Utsuwa Nanohana" with tears in my eyes as time ran out and a heavy heart.

Next, we headed to "Nanohana Lifestyle Goods Store," located in a corner of the underground shopping area at the east exit of Odawara Station. Here, you can find a permanent selection of lifestyle goods recommended by Dai-san and the Nanohana staff, and the store also regularly holds exhibitions featuring the works of artisans such as dyers and ceramicists.

Next door, at the "Nanohana Moon Cafe," a large artwork by Mr. Kanbayashi was floating in the air.

Actually, "Nanohana" is a long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in 1905, and Mr. Dai is the third generation owner. (His son has now taken over as the fourth generation.) Many people may have seen and recognized their steamed buns, "Hakone no Otsukisama," in the Odawara and Hakone area.
The moist outer layer and the sweet, brown sugar-based bean paste filling are just perfect. It's a simple, everyday steamed bun, yet there's a subtle elegance to it—just like Daisan? If I said that, Daisan would probably burst out laughing.

(Interview conducted in September 2020)

Gallery Information
Bowl, rapeseed flower
1-3-12 Minami-cho, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 0465-24-7020
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
*The gallery is only open during special exhibitions (the Manabu Kanbayashi exhibition has ended).
Parking: None
http://utsuwa-nanohana.com/

"access"
▶︎Approximately 15 minutes on foot from JR Odawara Station

Sister store
"Nanohana Lifestyle Goods Store"
http://kurashinodouguten.com/

"Hakone Rapeseed Flower Exhibition Room"
http://nanohana-tenjishitsu.com/