Shiinamachi is a working-class neighborhood in northwest Tokyo that consists mainly of shopping arcades and two-story homes. It¡¯s where 78-year-old artist Yuyushi Furuta was born, where she grew up working in her father¡¯s sweets store, and where she still lives with her sister, Asae.
I have a personal connection to these two women, whom I¡¯ve come to think of as godmothers. Growing up, they¡¯d give my sister and me watermelon on hot summer days and cheer us on when we marched mikoshi (portable shrines) through the streets. Yuyushi also taught me ²õ³ó´Ç»å¨ (Japanese calligraphy).
Visiting her apartment felt like entering another world, and a particularly fun one for a child. There were many things to touch and play with: stones and carved things, soft brushes and books to flip through. Later on I came to realize these weren¡¯t toys but tools ¡ª the accoutrements of a beautiful art form.
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