Mishima, nestled at the foot of Mount Fuji, is certainly not a center for yakimono (ceramics), one of the most revered arts in Asia. But it is home to Robert Yellin, one of the foremost English-speaking experts on the craft.
Living in the now, Yellin looks to the past for the future, and the Shizuoka Prefecture city brings all aspects of time together for him. It was the first place he lived in Japan, over two decades ago as a university exchange student.
Japan beckoned Yellin from early in his life. His father, Jerry, flew fighter planes in World War II and carried home with him feelings of ambiguity toward the Japanese. Still, Yellin remembers his childhood home, decorated with Japanese antiques.