Japan, 2009
I recently visited Japan. On my trip I encountered two Masters of Art, Horiyoshi III who inked my arm and Kenji Kawakami who offered me the presidency of the USA Chindogu Society. I will dedicate a few lines to each. Horiyoshi III is a master of Japanese style tattoos. Kawakamisan is the founder of the Worldwide Chindogu Society and inventor of Chindogu, unuseless inventions.
Horiyoshi III is a master in a lineage of masters although not through familial relationships, rather purely artistic merit. Horiyoshi II was not his father. Horiyoshi III is training his son as an apprentice and his son actually inked the color in my arm, after Horiyoshi III finished the black ink. I was fortunate to get an appointment with him on short notice because of a cancelation in his schedule. The waiting list can be dauntingly lengthy from what I’ve heard.
He spoke no english. The day I walked into his studio for my appointment there were already three americans standing around and a Japanese man getting ink layed. Horiyoshi III said I feel like I’m in a foreign country today. One of the Americans had built a tattoo gun as a token of his appreciation for HIII and the inspiration he’d gained. Then another American walked in, a tattoo artist from San Francisco who came to observe and admire the master in person.
The Japanese man was interesting by the story he told. In Japanese society you need to be one of power to be decorated with tattoos. This man had waited 20 years with the single goal of being tattooed by HIII but because of fear of loosing his job he waited until he was promoted to a level where he could at least conceal his precious body art from his coworkers. He now visits HIII every week for 2 hour sessions.
Kenji Kawakami is the most radical person I met in Japan. He is no comedian although he had me laughing out loud. He demonstrates an ability to have a unique thought in a time when most people think its all been done before. For instance he asked me in a world of 6.5 billion people with 2/3rds awake at any given moment, how many people do you think are trying to make an ant smoke a cigarette?
Tracking him down wasn’t an easy task however not impossible; he is not in hiding. The website only lists a fax number and an address. Asa and I went to the published address, found nobody there so left a note. The next day he contacted us and set up a meeting at his workshop in Akihabara, Tokyo. When we got there we found him alone, he sat us on his couch and presented a full summary of his philosophy and inventions, which were on the slim side because of a current exhibition in Korea. See pictures.
I offered him a small 6 inch stainless steel ruler after hearing of his dedication to finely crafted chindogu. He blew my gift away by offering a vintage Ricoh half frame manual wind camera, circa 1970. He asked if I was able to make chindogu, I answered yes I think a can. After more discussion he offered me the Presidency of the USA chindogu society. I accepted without a second thought.
Chindogu is not for profit, it is unpatented and non commercial. It purely exists without a predominance for utility.
