About
Kotendo is a ludic studio in Japan of one who is highly skilled in the breaking of pottery, to which the name alludes. Unfortunately real pots do not transmogrify into rupees or hearts upon shattering.
Many projects are in progress; few are ready to be revealed. These are of analog gaming with pen and paper, physical dice and printed booklets: collections of tables with all the charm of an academic paper on theoretical physics!
Copyright
The studio’s works in general use Creative Commons licences, but the specifics vary from work to work. Details are included therein.
Name
First, ‘Kotendo’ ｢壺天堂｣ is an homage to Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda which is likely the gateway into gaming and fantasy for many in these times. Smashing pots is fun.
The name itself originates from the Hòuhànshū (Book of the Later Han) from the 5th century, the story of Fèi Chángfáng. It tells of a chemist with a very large pot, inside of which awaits a paradisiacal palace. Chángfáng sees the chemist entering the pot and is brought inside to share a feast there. He is later trained by him and acquires a talisman that grants him supernatural power. He punishes demons and controls the earth to travel great distances in short time, but eventually losing the talisman he is killed by a demon.
There is also an ancient Indian text, the Hitopadesha, that relates lessons for wise rule. Amongst these is the tale of pot smasher, a Brahmin who loses his feast-filled pot while fantasizing about what it might get him if he sold it: do not count chickens before the eggs hatch.
Technical Details
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Concerning Social Media
There are no accounts in social media networks associated with Kotendo. But the studio’s Creative Commons works may be freely shared thereupon.