To remain independent, free and sustainable, our community needs the help of friends and readers like you.See all languages ​​above?We translate Global Voices stories to make citizen media accessible to all.Ryota Koshika and Ognen Janeski.Photo used with permission.Macedonian journalist Ognen Janeski shared his memories of Ryota “Koshka” Koshika [en, like all subsequent links, unless otherwise stated], a Japanese sculptor who spent time in Macedonia and left an indelible mark.Global Voices publishes this literal translation of a Facebook post by Janeski [mk] written on the day Koshika died, January 25, 2021:In memory of Ryota Koshika - Koshka (1967-2021) A few words for the Japanese who spoke the Prilep dialect - sculptor loved by Balkan history:I remember I was already in my teens, at that time I was living with my family in Prilep.It all happened in the late evening of Tuesday, during the autumn of 2000, the beginning of the new millennium for humanity.The receptionist of the Hotel Lipa (Linden), located near our street in the Boncheja neighborhood, called my father, Dime, to tell him that a Japanese artist had arrived at their hotel.At first they thought he was Chinese, but then they saw his passport.Since he said he was an artist, they thought he was looking for us.In fact, the employee of the Hotel Lipa (closed since then) believed that anything having to do with foreigners and art in Prilep should be communicated to our family, as my parents organize the oldest annual Art Colony in southeastern Europe, founded in 1957. At that time, that Japanese man did not know that we would be useful in helping him achieve his goal, which is the one that brought him to our city at the foot of the Markovi Kuli hill (the towers by Marko).That evening, my father came home, taking the Japanese artist with him.He spoke English, but despite this, we could not understand his name or surname during the visit.We just realized we could call him Koshka.This has remained imprinted.On his first day in Prilep he had already received his nickname, like most of the locals.Prilep [en] is the fourth largest city in North Macedonia, with a population of approximately 66,000.Its rich history ranges from being the seat of the medieval kingdom of King Marko [en], to the site of a World War II revolt against fascism in 1941 [en], earning it the nickname "hero of the city."The Prilep [en] dialect is one of the central dialects that make up the core of the modern standard Macedonian [en] language, while retaining some distinctive features.Local cultural traditions include storytelling and drama, comedy and joke, as well as folk customs such as giving nicknames to individuals and families.The most famous export products of the local economy are tobacco and the trademark of the white marble from the neighboring quarries, called Sivec, used for sculpture and architecture since ancient times.And nearly all of Prilep's citizens knew Koshka in the next four years he spent in the city.He initially lived in the hotel, then with my family and finally rented a house.He learned to speak Macedonian, but exclusively in the Prilep dialect.He became known as "the Japanese man who spoke the Prilep dialect".“My friend Koshka has never turned down an invitation for a visit.He drank some rakija, ate a piece of meze, and adopted the local ways entirely, like his adoptive fellow citizens ”as any citizen of Prilep would remember him today.The citizens of Prilep had accepted him as if he were one of their own.They helped him make his 5-ton sculpture "New Life" [ja] which he created at the Mermeren Kombinat (Marble Works Company) premises using only hand tools, without any machinery.Ryota Koshika sculpture entitled "Serbian Woman".Photo used with permission.He came from Tokyo through Italy and Greece to Prilep because he had heard that there he would find the whitest marble in the world.He used marble to create a monumental sculpture of Olympia, the mother of Alexander the Great, which he intended to donate to the city of Athens to be exhibited during the 2004 Olympics.That year he left Macedonia and only returned in 2017. he Had a million stories to tell about this land, which he considered of him.I wouldn't have time to write them down and repeat them all.But each of these spoke of Koshka's friendships made in the country and the region, and these can tell the same stories.He made friends in Prilep, Ohrid, Resen, Ljubanishta, St. Naum, Bitola Skopje, Strumica, Belgrade, Novi Sad ...He will only tell one of these stories, which is related to January 25, the day I write this, to show how strange this universe of ours is.During his years in Macedonia, Koshka fell in love with Macedonian music.Folk songs were his favorite of him, but he also liked the songs of Toše Proeski [en] (also spelled as “Toshe” Proeski).I remember I enjoyed listening to him sing the lines "I ledena - i medena se pravish svojaaa!"("Both icy and sweet, you act like you don't need anyone ...") of the song "Ledena."The following video shows Proeski singing this song during a concert:On occasion Koshka approached Toše, who at the time was already one of the most popular artists in the Balkans, and asked for his autograph.The singer asked him what he was doing in Macedonia and remembered the stories about the Japanese man who spoke the Prilep dialect.After Toše figured out who he was, Toše said to Koshka: "I should be asking for your autograph, not the other way around!"So they exchanged autographs.Koshka left Macedonia in 2004. Toše died [in a car accident at the age of 26] in October 2007. Koshka was in Tokyo at the time and after hearing of his death he made a marble relief of the profile of Toše in his honor, which ended by the following December.Later he sent the relief by plane and asked my mother and father to give it to the Proeski family for the Toše museum in Krushevo.If you have visited the place you must have seen it.Koshka died on January 25, 2021 in Tokyo, at the age of 53, after a short illness.He died on Toše Proeski's birthday.I'm sure that somewhere up there, while Toše sings, Koshka is sculpting other famous figures from the history of mankind.Ryota “Koshka” Koshika was born in Sapporo, Japan, in 1967. He began his career as a sculptor 30 years later, in 1997. He earned a doctorate from the University of Tokyo.Hellen Keller Sculpture by Ryota Koshika.He was fascinated by the history of the Balkans and the lives of famous contemporaries who are no longer with us.Therefore, he carved busts or reliefs or other types of sculptures of the Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna [en] (seven such bronze works are spread all over the world), Toše Proeski, American activist and writer Hellen Keller [en], Mother Teresa, both in their youth, as well as a sculpture of Mary, the Madonna, and others.His works have been exhibited in Japan, Macedonia, Greece, Italy and Serbia.During his short life, but also very short career, Ryota Koshika has become one of the most important classical sculptors working with marble in Japan, and has received numerous awards, including the Paul Ambille Prize and the Governor of Tokyo Prize.On his way to success, Koshka hasn't forgotten who helped him along his path.All those people he mentioned by name or surname thanking them via a special page on his he website koshika.net, which features his works of him.Koshka, my friend!Rest in peace.We will miss you.Much!The Bridge includes personal essays, commentaries and creative nonfiction that seeks to illuminate the differences in perception between local and international coverage of news and events, all seen from the unique perspective of members of the Global Voices community.The views expressed do not necessarily represent the opinion of the entire community.all articlesemail address (will not be made public) (required)follow the comments to this post by emailGlobal Voices is supported by the efforts of our volunteer associates, foundations, donors and mission-related services.For more information, please read our Fund Policy and EthicsSpecial thanks to our many sponsors and donorsPlease support our important workthis site is covered by Creative Commons Attribution 3.0. 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