In the late 1950s, Ehime engineer Tamotsu Miura resolved to do something about the smog above Tokyo that was obliterating the view of Mt. Fuji,. Not that he alone could solve the problem, but Miura developed a small, efficient boiler named the “Z”. These boilers could be arranged in series and switched on and off at short notice so that Miura’s customers no longer had to rely on large, dirty, uncontrollable boilers that contributed to the smog over Japanese cities.
Besides being a visionary engineer, Tamotsu Miura also had a passion for ceramics and art. With the growing popularity of the Miura Z boiler in Japan and other countries, the founder of the company was able to pursue his interest in art. One manifestation of this is the MiurArt Village which stands behind the Miura Head Office and plant in Matsuyama. There’s a long tradition of industrialists enthusiastically patronizing the arts, and it’s gratifying to see that a provincial city in Ehime also has its exemplar.
The ‘Village’ is a modernistic structure of long galleries that intersect at different heights, bordering a square of turf adorned with a sort of Art-Henge – a circle of monoliths decorated with large ceramic panels. Visitors are free to enter this garden without charge. In addition to the monoliths, there are some even bigger panels of ceramic art, including several by Tamotsu Miura. These have a rather dated, 1970s atmosphere, but viewed up close, the glaze of the ceramic appears as glass with a jewel-like quality, and the works do have a compelling beauty. The garden is next to a small lake, which is home to a variety of ducks, herons and cormorants. If you’re quiet and stealthy, you can watch them going about their business.
The long gallery running along the left side of the garden holds rotating exhibitions of the Miura collection. This includes scrolls from the Edo period, works by celebrated Japanese painters of the last century, and a couple of pieces by Andy Warhol. There’s also a fluid and dramatic work by Taro Okamoto, known for his huge sculpture at the Osaka Expo, a Rodin head, and a small Henry Moore. There are also some vases by Tamotsu Miura that hold their own well amongst their august company. When I visited MiurArt Village, the second floor gallery was showing some oils by an amateur painting group from Osaka.
The gallery shop has a small but very tempting selection of art-themed postcards, lapel pins and ceramics.
