Women potters have been on the move in recent years in Japan, which is quite a contrast to bygone days when they weren't even allowed near a kiln.
Veteran potters like Kyo Tsuji, Takako Araki and Yuriko Matsuda have paved a road that makes it easier for younger women to become established. I have followed the work of quite a few of these new ceramists, and one who has caught my eye is Mamiko Hayashi. She's having an exhibition in Ginza until Aug. 1 titled "The Possibility of Porcelain Clay: Softness and Tension."
Many people around the world are always bickering about the art vs. craft issue. Some say that anything with an open top or functional use is craft and only the creations that baffle the mind with their esoteric holiness are art. I don't buy either side's argument; it's a merry-go-round of the cerebrally inclined, and talk, well, is just that.