Consider this e-mail sent in early May: "What a beautiful day . . . hope you're enjoying the sunshine. It was like living in a rain forest here last week. Finally all my guests have gone, I caught up on sleep, and feel refreshed. Lovely!"
If this makes Jay Jago sound like one happy man, you could be right. He lives in Kuroiso, near Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, on a piece of land he bought 15 years ago, in a house, studio and gallery built to his own design. The Gallery, as it is called, is new. It opened April 27, with 200 folks celebrating Jay's reputation as a Japan-based potter.
"It was a fantastic event," he explains over the phone, with Central American music in the background. "It was great to see so many different kinds of people -- locals, friends from all over Japan and abroad -- mixing freely together. The music was sizzling. Even the weather was kind, with everyone spilling out into the gardens around."