Traveling through craft
My solo journey started when I landed to Hong Kong in February 2025, there I realise what I was doing and that I was all by myself so far away. After tasting and walking up and down the hilly streets of the city I finally arrived to Tokyo, megacity but still never experienced air so dry and clean, peaceful streets and safety. I immediately relaxed knowing I was in a safe paradise. Tokyo is where I mostly felt a tourist, not really feeling the real essence of the country, took a regional train for Kamakura where I sat next to this old man who spoke a little bit Italian, he recognise it from the book I was reading , his name is Takao, he's an architect, an old style one, with drawings in his hands, we still talk. Soon I will publish an interview about his latest projects.
Kamakura
Is the first hands on experience I've made, making a matcha cup in a pottery atelier on a turning wheel. The class was completely in Japanese, I only understood the body language. This ancient coast city is so rich of history and holy places to see, nature is wilder and mount Fuji is visible in the clearest of days. My journey then continued at the feet of mount Fuji, in the city of Gotemba. Known for an outlet, onsen and U.S military base. I stayed there for two weeks in a family, sharing meals and conversations, while I taught English to kids in an international school. I learned that japanese people (not all of them of course but there is a tendency) look at the west with fascination, in fact japanese couples started to wear western clothes for their marriage, instead of the traditional kimonos.. .
The journey continues visiting Kyoto and a family Tatami makers, a generational tradition.
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