Wonder Man-A Memoir of a Craftsman Who Is Recognized As an Artist. Hannah K

He could learn a lot about culture in the lectures.

      Masaaki Hiroi has a lot to say about culture. According to him, culture plays an important role to make people happy. People’s consideration to others is cultivated through culture. In other words, he thinks that people’s richness in sympathy, compassion and thoughtfulness leads to bear fruit as culture. At the same time, sharing culture with people from different cultural background is important to get to know each other. Culture matters a lot when it comes to helping make people happy.

      In this book, there are stories from Masaaki Hiroi’s childhood, various episodes of his life-time experience and challenges he has been making in his life. His challenges have been to create new kinds of tops out of his imagination. There are also stories about Masaaki Hiroi’s devoting himself to preserving Japanese traditional culture and introducing Japanese culture to other countries in this book, which is not commonly known even to Japanese people.

      The stories of preserving Japanese traditional culture include reviving Kyokugei Koma, Japanese Acrobatic tops, which are used by stage performers in Japanese vaudeville-style performance even now. Even though he learned a lot from his father about making tops, the only kind of top, which his father never taught him to make, was Kyokugei Koma. You will find out why he decided to revive Kyokugei Koma in Chapter 6.

      Throughout his life, he has been to more than 30 countries for the purpose of sharing culture with people in foreign countries with different cultural backgrounds. Throughout his visits, he gained international acknowledgment and made various achievements. At the same time, his endeavor to introduce Japanese culture in his own way in a number of countries has brought forth a lot of honorary awards. One of them is becoming the first honorary citizen of Seattle City, WA, The United States of America.

      I have used Japanese terms in this book. Singular and plural form are expressed in the same way in Japanese language. I wanted to add Japanese terms in Japanese. However, due to technical issues, I could not add words in Chinese characters in Japanese and the Japanese alphabet. For example, a top or tops are written as Koma.

      This is a none-fiction biographical memoir of a “Wonder Man,” Masaaki Hiroi, a man with extraordinary talent and gifted hands…

      Chapter 2: Masaaki Hiroi’s Family Root

      Edo Period(1603~1868), when the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan, Masaaki Hiroi’s ancestors served as doctors for the Tokugawa Family. During Edo period, when every ancestor passed away, Masaaki Hiroi’s family was ordered to build one temple from Tokugawa Family. Some of those temples still exist in Tokyo area.

      It was close to the end of Edo Period that his great-grand father started making Edo Koma, Edo tops, as part of his hobby. The first person, who started making Edo tops out of curiosity, served as a doctor for the last Shogun of Tokugawa Family and took his Edo tops to the family as tributes. Masaaki Hiroi’s family started making Edo tops as a hobby for the purpose of playing in the rooms, not outside.

      After the Meiji Restoration, Mr. Masaaki Hiroi’s grandfather served as one of the doctors for Meiji Emperor. His grandfather was the last person to serve for the imperial family as a doctor in Masaaki Hiroi’s family. Masaaki Hiroi’s grandfather’s hobby was also making Edo tops. Later, from his father’s generation on, making Edo tops became his family business.

      His family root is in the public historical records including the record called Kanei Sho-Kakei-Zu Den, which holds the record of 1,400 families who served for the Tokugawa Family. Kanei is the name of the last era of Edo period. Sho means “various”, Kakeizu, “family tree.” Masaaki Hiroi’s family was recognized as one of the great families in Japan during Edo Period.

      The interest thing is…

      He is never proud of his family roots. His passion is to devote his whole life to making people happy come before his prominent family ancestor’s story. He keeps on evolving various kinds of tops seriously. Probably, the personal character of sincerity and seriousness runs in his family. I sincerely hope you will understand why his desire and passion to make Edo tops and toys never subside through reading this Masaaki Hiroi’s memoire…