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A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part I: Karatsu

By:
Ai Kanazawa
April 23, 2013Karatsu Ceramics Travels

Karatsuware in our shop ->

As the cherry blossom season beckoned in Japan this spring, I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to Southern Japan to be the interpreter for a tour of classic pottery towns organized by renowned American potters Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi. It was a fascinating 10 day journey that covered a lot of ground and allowed the tour participants to meet and see the activities and lives of potters from all walks of life in Southern Japan. I will be sharing my observations of these towns and the accomplished potters that have made this part of Japan a vibrant and dynamic center of pottery creativity in this blog in the coming weeks.

Cherry Blossom
Cherry blossoms at Nakazato Tarouemon Studio in Karatsu, Saga, Japan

The first stop of the tour was Karatsu in Saga prefecture. Karatsu is one of the most famous pottery towns in Japan and its name literally means “port to Tang (China)”. This is fitting, as the town has been a major trading port to Korea, China, and the rest of Japan.

The development of Karatsu-ware began more than 400 years ago. A key reason for this was the arrival of craftsmen from Korea brought by Japanese warlords following two invasions of Korea in the 16th Century. These potters produced ware for tea ceremonies that were very popular among the Japanese elites during this period.

Chosen Karatsu
An example of “Korean style karatsu” or “chosen karatsu” vase welcomed us at the Nakazato Tarouemon studio.

The Korean craftsmen brought with them two technologies that revolutionized Japanese pottery making: the kick-wheel, and the multi-chambered climbing kiln. These technologies allowed for faster and larger scale pottery production in comparison to the hand-wheel and Anagama kiln that was used in Japan prior to this technological revolution.

Ochawangama
The multi-chambered climbing kiln of Nakazato Tarouemon pottery built in 1734. This kiln was in use until the early 1900s.
(Photo courtesy of Beorn Johnson)

Karatsu-ware or Karatsuyaki, is made of clay high in iron content that fires to a reddish-gray color and encompasses many styles. The styles that I am most familiar with are ‘picture karatsu’ or ‘e-karatsu’, which have simple drawings of plants and birds, and Korean style karatsu or ‘chosen karatsu’ that has a black glaze with runny white ash glaze over it.

Many Japanese, including myself, find that simplicity is more appealing than glitter and complexity, because one can only understand the beauty of simplicity through experience and the steady accumulation of knowledge. It is a very personal appeal that is nurtured and intensified over time and repeated use. It is similar to the sentiment you will have towards your favorite t-shirt or tea mug that is so comfortable because you have used it over the years.

Karatsu-ware today is sought-after by avid collectors and formal tea drinkers for their simple and rustic elegance. Although I am not very familiar with the formal way of Japanese tea ceremonies, even I know the Japanese saying, “Raku first, Hagi second, Karatsu third”, which denotes the rank order of the three preferred types of pottery used in Japanese tea ceremonies. But some of my Japanese friends who are knowledgeable about tea ceremonies say that they are most drawn to Karatsu-ware.

Paddle tools used to slap the coil built vessel walls. This method is called tataki giho.
Paddle tools used to slap the coil built vessel walls at the Nakazato Tarouemon studio. This clay forming method is called “tataki giho”, a traditional method that was lost but revived by the late living national treasure, Nakazato Tarouemon XII.

In Karatsu, I was especially excited to visit the Nakazato family kilns. The Nakazato name should be well known to anyone who regularly visits the Studio Kotokoto website because of Hanako Nakazato, who is one of our most talented artists. The Nakazato family has resided in Karatsu for the past four centuries and they include famous potters such as Nakazato Tarouemon, Nakazato Takashi and Nakazato Shigetoshi who are all relatives of Hanako. It was my private mission to get a glimpse of where Hanako came from to gain an appreciation of the traditions and lifestyle that have shaped her and her style of pottery.

Petal-edged or rinka plates at Nakazato Shigetoshi's Sangengama.
“Petal-edged” or “rinka” plates at Nakazato Shigetoshi’s Sangengama.

The sturdy, unpretentious beauty of Karatsu-ware profoundly moved me. I felt very familiar with their time-tested and functional forms because I have witnessed their essence in Hanako’s work.

Bob Okazaki's beautiful studio was built in the traditional Japanese style without nails
Bob Okasaki’s beautiful studio was built in the traditional Japanese style without nails

Another potter we visited in Karatsu was Bob Okasaki, who is a native of California but is now settled in Karatsu. Bob opened his own kiln called Tourigama after many years of apprenticeships under Fujiwara Yu, a famous potter in Bizen, followed by Nakazato Takashi, Hanako’s father, and Nakazato Tarouemon XII, who was a living national treasure.

I love what Bob does because he has so many beautiful works adorned with drawings of animals and plants. Bob and the Nakazato family are very close because he married Keiko, a daughter of Nakazato Tarouemon XII. Hanako, who was busy loading a kiln for a show in Tokyo, stopped by at Bob’s studio and I was happy that I got to meet her to say hello.

Bob Okazaki Urinbo
Baby boar plate by Bob Okazaki.

The tour group had a wonderful time in Karatsu, a town in a remote corner of Japan but with a very open and international feel to it. This undoubtedly stems from the town’s proximity to Korea and China, which makes it an important regional cultural gateway.

In my next tour blog, I will talk about our visit to Onta, a pottery village hidden in the deep mountains of Oita.

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三玄窯 Bob Okasaki 中里太郎右衛門 Japan hanako 中里太郎右衛門陶房 pottery karasuyaki 中里重利 Hanako Nakazato kick-wheel 佐賀 karatsu nakazato 唐津 中里花子 Pottery tour 東里窯 Bill Geisinger sangengama 陶芸家 kiln shigetoshi 陶芸 tarouemon monohanako tourigama Ben Horiuchi

13 responses on “A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part I: Karatsu”

  1. ISHTAR OLIVERA April 24, 2013 at 6:11 am

    this is FASCINATING!!!!! thak you so so much for sharing!!!! .: D

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorApril 24, 2013 at 7:03 am

      Thank you for your comment and for visiting our blog Ishtar! I hope that this blog inspires you to visit this lovely part of southern Japan someday.

      Reply ↓
  2. Stephanie Schriver April 28, 2013 at 11:03 am

    Ai~I’m sharing your blog with Tannery Arts Center ceramics and clay artists. We are anticipating your next chapter. I so enjoyed our tour and your interpreting!

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorApril 28, 2013 at 1:07 pm

      Hello Stephanie! Thank you for your comment and for sharing the blog with Tannery Arts Center and your clay artist friends. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour and my interpreting. It was fun! I hope we get to meet again someday. Take care,

      Reply ↓
  3. Gunther June 8, 2013 at 1:09 am

    Hi Ai, Thanks for the wonderful post. My wife and I are currently in Kyushu and will be visiting Karatsu, Onta, and Arita/Imari in the next few days. I wondered if you had specific recommendations of studios to visit (besides the two in this post)? We would love to purchase some fine examples to take home with us. Thank you!

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorJune 8, 2013 at 2:31 am

      Hello Gunther,
      Thank you for visiting our website. I just visited another excellent kiln in Karatsu called Ryuta-gama which is run by Nakazato Takashi/Taki who is the father and brother of Hanako Nakazato. The address of the kiln is 4333 Mirukashi, Karatsu-shi, Saga-ken, Kyushu, Japan Tel:0955-74-3503. Their work is also available for purchase at the gallery inside Yoyokaku, a beautiful ryokan in the heart of Karatsu with an exquisite Japanese garden. Yoyokaku’s address is 2-4-40 Higashi-Karatsu, Karatsu-shi, Saga-ken, Kyushu, Japan tel:0955-72-7181 I hope you and your wife will have a wonderful time in Kyushu!

      Reply ↓
      1. Gunther June 9, 2013 at 2:51 am

        Thanks! We visited several today, they were all wonderful. And the ryokan you mentioned is stunning, wish we had discovered earlier to stay there. We look forward to visiting more kilns in Onta this week.

        Reply ↓
  4. Ken Campbell September 25, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    Hi Ai-san… Loved your blog . I am interested in buying Karatsu yaki but do not know from whom.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorOctober 12, 2015 at 4:02 pm

      Hello Ken-san
      Thank you for your comment. Robert Yellin in Kyoto sells beautiful Karatsu yaki online. You might want to visit his website at http://www.japanesepottery.com/gallery.php
      I hope this is helpful!

      Reply ↓
  5. Jenny Lam March 18, 2016 at 3:40 am

    Hi Ai
    Great to find your blog whilst I am looking for ceramic places near Fukuoka. Is appointment required with the studio that you mentioned in your blog? Any good restaurant in that area?
    Thanks,

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorApril 24, 2016 at 8:50 am

      Hello Jenny!
      Apart from Nakazato Tarouemon gallery, you will need to make appointments to visit the studios. There is a place called Furusato Kaikan Arpino near Karatsu station where you can see and purchase many Karatsu ware! Thank you.

      Reply ↓
  6. Soon Loo April 23, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    I am an amateur potter, and we will be visiting Kyushu in early May. Is it possible to visit some studios on my own in Karatsu? If so, how do I arrange the visit. Thank you

    Reply ↓
    1. Ai Kanazawa Post authorApril 24, 2016 at 8:42 am

      Hello Soon Loo,
      Thank you for your comment! Nakazato Tarouemon gallery (not kiln) is open to public, but you will have to call all other studios in advance to arrange visits. If you don’t speak Japanese, the best way is probably to hire an interpreter/guide to arrange visits to the studios on your behalf. You can search for a registered interpreter/guide in Japan through this link. http://www.guidesearch.info/
      Thank you!

      Reply ↓

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