Seventh Hokkaido Suiseki Federation ExhibitionDescription and Photographs of Seventh Hokkaido Suiseki Exhibition
By Thomas S. Elias, August, 2019
The seventh Hokkaido Suiseki Federation Exhibition is a fine example of the importance of local and regional stone exhibitions. Held in Sapporo at the end of June, it provides a good opportunity for collectors to come together and display the stones they have collected from different regions from northern Japan while giving visitors a window to learn about the broader Japanese suiseki community. This give us a better perspective of suseki from the hobbyist view point rather than the excellent but more formal and often business-oriented perspective as seen in the Japan Suiskei Exhibition in February of each year at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
The exhibit of 82 stones was held in two large rooms of the Citizens Gallery, a beautiful public facility for the display of arts and crafts, in downtown Sapporo. It was organized by the Hokkaido Suiseki Federation, a group of six active clubs through Hokkaido. The Sapporo club took the lead in the planning and staging of the exhibit. Fortunately, the Citizens Gallery has portable backdrops and tables; thus, the federation needs only to supply table coverings and the materials used in the exhibit. Each stone is given ample space so people can view and appreciate them without one stone interfering with another due to crowding.
The federation provided two informative lectures during the exhibition for their members and the public. These educationally oriented events are designed to help develop a more informed group of stone enthusiasts.
To offset the cost of the exhibit space, each exhibitor is charged a nominal fee, between $50 to $70 total. This is a modest charge when compared with the total fees of $450 to $1,000 to display a stone in The Japan Suiseki Exhibition in Tokyo. As a result, many members of the Hokkaido clubs can afford to participate. The affordability is one of the major advantages of a regional exhibition. Another advantage is to bring together members of the six clubs in Hokkaido so they can exchange collecting stories, share information, meet old friends, and even sell or exchange stones they no longer wish to keep in their collections. The members gather for a dinner and auction the first evening of the event. Stones at this auction sell for amazing reasonable prices, and 10% of the total sales goes to offset the fees for the exhibit space. There is a more relaxed informal atmosphere at this exhibition that is conducive to the friendly exchange of ideas and opinions among members and guests.
There is a small room adjacent to the exhibits that is set aside for vendors. These are hobbyists offering to sell some of the stones and related items that they no longer wish to retain. As a result, the prices are very reasonable. This year, one hobbyist was selling small plants that could be used as companion pieces in displays. The Hokkaido association also has exhibit catalogs for sale from their prior major exhibitions.
The Hokkaido federation exhibits are mainly composed of Hokkaido stones, approximately 90% of those displayed. This prefecture has a rich geological history that is idea for the development of a variety of excellent viewing stones. The past volcanic activity brought stones from deep within the Earth’s mantle to the surface and also created metamorphic stones from some sedimentary stones. It is a stone collector’s paradise.
There are always several fine stones from the Kamuikotan region of the Ishikari River in the exhibition. While these are most black basaltic or serpentine stones, stones of other origin and color are also found. But, there are many other excellent stones found in other regions of this northern most major island of Japan. For example, the Kotaro stones come from high in the mountains in central Hokkaido where there are dug from the earth or found in nearby rivers. These often have a rugged texture. The large hut stone illustrated here is a red Kataro stone. Black, Bluish-black and green colored Aotora stones from the Nukabira River are prized among Hokkaido stone collectors. The Pompira stones from the northern most pat of Hokkaido are strikingly different from most other stone. These weathered sedimentary stones make scenic landscape stones. The many other regions and rivers in Hokkaido yield additional nice suiseki.
Every other year, the Hokkaido Federation joins with the All Japan Aiseki Association to hold a joint exhibition in Sapporo. This is usually a larger display of stones from throughout Japan. Stone enthusiasts have the opportunity to combine a nice vacation in this less populated area of Japan while enjoying a great stone exhibition.
