IGEZARA WILL HAVE ABOUT 2,000 KINDS OF PATTERNS. AS IT IS IN BETWEEN MODERNS AND ANTIQUES, SOME OF IGEZARA WILL BE STILL IN DAILY USE. I BELIEVE IT POSSIBLE TO COLLECT MOST OF 2,000 KINDS SOME DAY IN FUTURE. I GUESS IT TAKES 3 YEARS TO COLLECT 1Q(500 KINDS), 6 YEARS FOR 2Q, 12 YEARS FOR 3Q AND 24 YEARS FOR 4Q. TOTAL 35 YEARS. IT IS A LONG AND WINDING ROAD BUT....

IN NOVEMBER 2004 I COULD GET THE 500TH IGEZARA (IT TOOK JUST 3 YEARS) AND ENTERD 2Q. IT IS A SUPER HIGH PACE TO COLLECT 500 WITHIN 3 YEARS, WHICH MEANS ALMOST 1 KIND EVERY 2 DAYS. THE MONEY SPENT FOR 500 KINDS WILL BE 1 MILLION YEN (2,000 YEN PER PIECE). I AM AFRAID IF I MAY RAISE THE VALUE OF IGEZARA WITH KEEING THIS WEB MUSEUM. I HOPE YOU TO UNDERSTAND IGEZARA IS AN EVERYDAY PLATE.

THE ABILITY OF A PERSON IS LIMITED, NOT ONLY FOR MONEY BUT ALSO FOR TIME. IN ADDITION, THE MORE I TAKE FORWARD TO 2Q AND 3Q THE LESS OPPORTUNITY I CAN MEET A NEW ONE. THEREFORE I WISH I COULD ESTABLISH "IGEZARA CLUB" WHERE WE CAN EXCHANGE IGEZARA AND ITS INFORMATION. IF POSSIBLE I WANT TO ISSUE A PICTORIAL BOOK "IGEZARA MUSEUM " AT THE CLUB.

I AM AN ANTIQUE AMATEUR. I STARTED THIS HOBBY BY COLLECTING SOBA-CHOKO (RIGHT PICTURE IS MY FIRST COLLECTION) IN MY 20'S AS MOST OF COLLECTORS DO. I HAD COLLECTED BRITISH AND KOREAN ANTIQUE FURNITURE, IRON TEAPOTS, UKIYOE AND FINALLY I REACHED IGEZARA IN 2001 ON WHICH EVERYBODY LOOKS DOWN. AS I LIKE THE WHOLE ANTIQUE, I CAN NOT CONCENTRATE TO IGEZARA ONLY. HOWEVER I HAVE DECIDED THIS COLLECTION TO BE ONE OF MY LIFEWORK. IT IS TOO LONG TO GO THIS WAY WITHOUT MILESTONES AND I PUT THEM AS FOLLOWS.

THE FIRST QUARTER IS OVER. I AM UPDATING AND RENEWING WEB MUSEUM (JAPANESE) EVERY TWO WEEKS. I BOUGHT APARTMENT IN ZUSHI MARINA (PHOTO: LOWER RIGHT), KANAGAWA AND MADE IT AS A TENTATIVE SHOWROOM AND ALSO STOCKROOM FOR IGEZARA, FOR NO OTHER PURPOSE. ALTHOUGH NO ONE CAN SLEEP AND DINE THERE, MANY FOREIGN AND JAPANESE FRIENDS HAVE ALREADY VISITED TO SEE.

I WILL ESTABLISH WEB MUSEUM(ENGLISH) IN EARLY 2Q AND WANT NON-JAPANESE TO KNOW IGEZARA. AS THIS WEB IS 100% HANDMADE BY ME, IF IT IS TOUGH FOR ME, I MAY ASK SOMEONE TO TRANSLATE. LAND FOR MUSEUM IS A BIG ISSUE. NOW ONLY 30-40 KINDS ARE DISPLAYED AT ZUSHI MARINA AND THE REST ARE STOCKED IN PLASTIC CASES IN CLOSET, TOILET AND BATHROOM. IN ORDER TO DISPLAY ALL, I INTEND TO BRING OVER AN OLD STOREHOUSE 0F 100 YEARS OLD FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE IN AND AROUND YOKOHAMA. THE STOREHOUSE'S WINDOW IS SMALL AND WE CAN USE THE BIG WALL USEFULLY FOR DISPLAY. THIS REAL MUSEUM WILL BE ALSO A CLUBHOUSE FOR IGEZARA.

I WILL ISSUE THE PICTORIAL BOOK "IGEZARA MUSEUM" (FULL COLOR/ENGLISH + JAPANESE) AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THE PRICE OF BOOK IS 50,000,- YEN (EXPENSIVE ?!) AND ONLY 100 PRINTS.

I WILL PUBLISH THE PROGRESS AND PRESENT SITUATION ON DIARY. IF YOU AGREE OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO SEND ME E-MAIL.
------------------------------------
KEIGO WATANABE
BORN IN 1953 AT UEDA, NAGANO / LIVES IN YOKOHAMA
30 YEARS IN COLLECTION