I made them to use as vessels for making pickles. They are also urns for bones, burial jars, and vessels for life, including our bodies. During fermentation, each jar becomes a habitat for microorganisms. To make pickles, I add vegetables and salt, then press them down with a weight. Moisture seeps from the vegetables and the brine eventually overflows through their eyes.

I remember picking up my grandfather’s bones with chopsticks after his cremation. This is called Kotsuage. After that, we had a banquet together, talking about our grandfather and eating with chopsticks. It felt as if the Kotsuage was still going on, and the urn was a part of our bodies.