Hannah K. Wonder Man-A Memoir of a Craftsman Who Is Recognized As an Artist
Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter 2: Masaaki Hiroi’s Family Root
Chapter 3: Boyhood Story: A Memoire
Chapter 4: A Start of a New Journey
Chapter 5: The Birth of Wooden Tippe Tops
Chapter 6: Sense of Mission to Preserve Japanese Culture
Chapter 7: Tops Playing a Role in TV Commercials
Chapter 8: Visiting Other Countries, Making New Friends
-United States- Seattle & Bellevue, WA:
Chicago, IL:
New York, NY and Fort Lee, NJ:
-South America- Sao Paulo, Brazil:
-Middle East- Visiting Countries with Diplomatic Privilege:
-European Countries- Rotterdam, the Netherlands:
Paris-Toulouse, France:
Chapter 9: The Historical Moment
Chapter 10: Being a Guest Competitor
Chapter 11: Meaning of Preserving Culture
Chapter 12: Secrets of Making Extremely Delicate Tops
Making a Good Tool:
Woods:
Secrets of Unique Drawings:
Chapter 13: A Story Told by a Top
The Story Told by Trick Tops:
The Life of Standard Tops:
Chapter 14: Meaning of Culture
Appendix
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“My mother, my younger brother, and my classmates were all gone on March 10th, 1945. Where are they? I couldn’t even say good-bye to them. What happened that night? All traces of part of my family and friends ‘disappeared’ in one night. They are all gone. Those who were playing with me the day before are almost all gone. The only thing left for me about my family and my classmates is ‘memory’ in my mind. I want to build up the same kind of good relationship with people as I did before I lost all of them… And, what can I do for it? First of all, I need to live my life. And, I need to do something for the loved ones, my mom, my younger brother, and my classmates who were almost all gone… What should I do for them? I loved them. I miss them so much. I wanted to have fun with them and to share happiness. I made tops for them and they looked happy when they had them and played with them. I could do something by making tops even under the cruel life during the war. I wish for playful and peaceful moments to make a difference. How can I do it? I want to see people having fun. When I see people having fun and sparkle in their eyes, I can recall the fun moment with the loved ones. What should I do? I am good at making tops. Maybe…, I could do it by making tops. My mother, my younger brother, my classmates and my friends were so happy with the tops I made. It was such fun playing with tops with them. Even my mother was amazed and smiled at the tops I made. I have decided never to forget them as they were. I will always remember them. They might be seeing me from heaven. To make them happy and smile, I will make tops. I will make the best possible tops I envisage. To make better tops, I have to know the world outside home. The pursuit in my mind to make up for the lost stirred me to see the outside world. I have to know as much as I can about the world to make a difference. I have to become a person with a broader view about the world…. And, besides traditional crafts, I want to make something, which comes out of imagination and curiosity, with playfulness.” ~ Masaaki Hiroi
There is an ordinary-looking man sitting in front of the lathe carving wood in his workshop. He stops for a while and starts carving the wood, again. Even, he doesn’t know what he will make as a final product. He sits for hours and hours, trying to turn his imagination into tops or toys…
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Culture should play an important role to teach children to enjoy the moment they are living. These days a lot of Japanese children are not well disciplined. This is seen in his exhibits. When they break Masaak Hiroi’s tops or wooden toys in the exhibit, they do not even say, “I’m sorry.” What is happening in Japan?
Cultural exchange activities among different cultures are important. Cultural exchange activity is one important means to understand each other’s culture. Cultural exchange activity leads not only to understand each other but also to give opportunities to see your own culture from outside. At the same time, you could deepen the understanding of your own culture.
