日時 2015年8月8日（土）9時00分～18時30分
内容 雄勝石についてのレクチャー、石割り体験、石切り場の見学、雄勝石を使ったアクセサリー制作など
場所 波板地域交流センター「ナミイタ・ラボ」（宮城県石巻市雄勝町分浜字波板140-1）
対象 小学校3～6年生と保護者 8名
講師 四倉俊成、鈴木紀雄
参加費 1,000円
協力 ナミイタ・ラボ、有限会社 四倉製瓦工業所、Glasspoint-Y
宮城県石巻市雄勝町の歴史的な地域資源である「雄勝石」をテーマにしたワークショップです。
雄勝町は江戸時代から続く硯の産地として有名です。屋根材のスレートとしても活用し、東京駅の屋根に葺かれていることでも知られています。
まずは日本唯一の天然スレート生産者で、第一人者でもある四倉先生から雄勝石についてお話を伺いしました。約2億5千万年前に海底に粘土や泥が堆積し、大きな圧力が加わって、雄勝石ができます。決まった方向に層状にはく離する性質を持っていること、化石が見つかる時があること、畳1畳の大きさの石から硯用の石が2～3枚しか取れないことなど、こどもたちは熱心に耳を傾けています。
続いて、雄勝硯職人の鈴木先生に硯の作り方を見せていただきました。参加者の中には書道を習う親子もいて、憧れの雄勝硯ができる工程に興味津々の様子です。さてここからは実際にノミとハンマーを使って、スレートづくりに挑戦です。5ミリ程度の薄板にスライスし、更に「押し切り」と呼ばれる道具を使用して、うろこ状に加工します。最後に釘穴をあければ完成です。慣れない作業に始めは戸惑ったようですが、一度、石目に沿ってスパッと割れる体験をすると癖になるようです。雄勝石とステンドグラスを使った、アクセサリーづくりも行いました。
午後は、切り場の見学からスタートです。石切り場には雄勝石の岩肌が露出し、昔切り出された大小様々の石の塊が散在しています。こどもたちは、石切り場の迫力に圧倒されながらも、午前中の四倉先生の話を思い出し、化石探しに夢中です。
会場となった「ナミイタ・ラボ」がある波板地区は、東日本大震災の地震により発生した津波によって大きな被害を受け、震災後に残った世帯数は4世帯。こどもから大人まで大勢の人が一緒に昼食を過ごす様子を見ていた地元の方が、「これだよ！この風景が見たかったんだよ！」と感慨深げにおっしゃっていたのが印象的となるワークショップとなりました。
Ogatsu Stone- Midsummer Stone Studies
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2015 9:00–18:30
Contents: Lecture about Ogatsu Stone, excursion to a stone quarry, manufacturing of Ogatsu Stone accessories and a masonry experience
Venue: Namiita Labo, 140-1, Namiita, Wakehama, Ogatsu, Ishinomaki, Miyagi
Target: Students from third grade to ninth grade and parents, 8 people
Instructors: Toshinari Yotsukura, Norio Suzuki
Participation fee: JPY 1,000
Partners: Namiita Labo / Yotsukura Seikawara Co.,Ltd / Glasspoint-Y
This workshop, with the focus on “Ogatsu Stone,” seeks to help participants rediscover the charm of the treasures lying dormant in the regions right around them and pass it onto children, who carry the future on their backs, using classroom lectures, field trips and experiences.
Ogatsu produces Genshoseki, a special type of slate, and is renowned for the ink stones that are made from this Genshoseki since the Edo period. It has also been used as roofing material since the Meiji period, one well-known example of which is Tokyo Station, where the roof is covered with Genshoseki slates.
The Namiita area sustained heavy damage when the tsunami wave that resulted from the earthquake of March 2011 hit. After the disaster, the number of households shrank to four. However, the research about and rediscoveries of the charm and possibilities of villages comprising mostly senior citizens, as well as connecting such elements to and passing them on to the next generation, resulted in the construction of the “Namiita Labo,” a regional exchange center.
When the group reached its location for the day, it first listened to a talk given by Mr. Yotsukura of Yotsukura Seikawara Co.,Ltd, the only natural slate producer in Japan and a leading authority. The children listened intently to Mr. Yotsukura. They learned that, roughly 250 million years ago, clay and mud accumulated on the bottom of the ocean and, under great pressure, formed what is today known as Ogatsu Stone. They learned that this stone comes off in a predetermined direction and in layers. They also learned that sometimes fossils are found, that a rock of 1.6m² in size can make only two or three ink stones and other facts about the historical material.
Afterwards, an artisan, Mr. Suzuki, gave the participants an actual demonstration of how an Ogatsu ink stone is produced. Amongst the participants were one child and parent who practice calligraphy and showed a keen interest in the prestigious Ogatsu Stone and how it is worked into its ink stone shape.
After the ink stones, the participants continued onto experience slate making, another industry branch of Ogatsu Stone. Making use of the stone’s characteristics of coming off in a predetermined direction and in layers, the participants used a chisel and a hammer to slice off 5 mm thin plates and proceeded to cut the plate into a scale shape with a guillotine cutter. The last step was putting in holes for nails. In the beginning, the participants struggled a little bit with a new experience, but once they experienced the process of clean cutting along the grainy rift of the stone, they quickly found it addictive. Participants continued challenging themselves with the production of slate even during the break time after lunch.
struggled a little bit with a new experience, but once they experienced the process of clean cutting along the grainy rift of the stone, they quickly found it addictive. Participants continued challenging themselves with the production of slate even during the break time after lunch.
For lunch, staff from “Namiita Labo” prepared a barbeque with a rich variety of local ingredients, such as scallop and sea squirt. Watching the kids, the adults spend their lunch together, one local person said, “This is it! This is what I wanted to see,” a comment which left lasting impression.
The afternoon started with an excursion to the stone quarry. At present, no new stones are being excavated in Ogatsu, but with the bare mass of Ogatsu Stone exposed, blocks that were cut out some time ago still lie scattered around the premise. While the kids were overwhelmed by the grand stone quarry, they were absorbed in finding fossils that Mr. Yotsukura had told them about in the morning.
The last activity for the day was making an accessory with Ogatsu Stone and stained glass, developed in an activity after the Great East Japan Earthquake through collaboration among “Glasspoint-Y,” a stained glass studio located in Ishinomaki, Namiita Labo and Ms. Toki’s group. By combining the colorful stained glass with Ogatsu Stone, wrapping the edges with copper tape and soldering everything together, the participants created truly unique accessories. After learning the steps from Ms. Toki and her students, the children proceeded to create not one but multiple accessories.
