In search of powerful, pure vessels born from a down-to-earth lifestyle
Located about a 15-minute drive from Toyama Station, CARGO is a little ways from the city center, yet it attracts many visitors from both inside and outside the prefecture. Shop owners Kojiro Nomura's edgy selection is sure to excite, with items like a George Peterson stool, a large vase by Kazunori Hamana, vessels by Toyama-based glass artists Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zelkowitz, sculptures by Yuji Ueda, and a cactus-shaped wood carving by Yuto Yamazaki.
Nomura's selection of artists begins with getting in touch with their lifestyle. "When I noticed, many of them lived close to nature, with their feet on the ground. It was almost wild (laughs)."
Born in 1980, Yoji Yamada studied slipware making in the UK before going independent. Yakishime slipware round plates (small) 4,950 yen each. 
Hanging on the wall is George Peterson art made from recycled skateboards.
Among the pottery artists he particularly trusts are Yamada Yoji, who creates slipware using a unique technique in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, and Watanabe Takayuki, who creates pottery from clay he digs himself and firewood he collects in Izunokuni, Shizuoka Prefecture. Both of their pottery has the strength that is unique to earthenware, and it feels natural to hold it in your hand, as well as to serve food on.
"Life and creating art are inseparable and well-balanced. There's no intention behind it, so there's a purity to the pieces. I'm drawn to people like that, and I want to support them."
