Category: Travels

On a dreary, rainy May day, I visited the remote pottery village of Onta in Kyushu for the second time as an interpreter for a pottery tour group organized by Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi. It has been 5 years since I last visited this magical place and I was keen to see its current state because the village had experienced a large earthquake in 2016, followed by heavy rains in the summer of 2017 that had flooded the town and surrounding areas. I had read news reports that the rain caused severe mudslides that cut off this already remote village from the rest of the world for a week.

Sakamoto Yoshitaka preparing clay in Onta. The clay is being dried on top of a drying kiln and to the left is a hut where the kara-usu -traditional clay-crushing devices- are to be reinstalled.

The impact of these natural calamities on Onta’s pottery-making infrastructure has been devastating, but the spirit of its potters has been resilient. Many of the kara-usu, the traditional wooden clay-crushing devices that operate like a seesaw and are powered by water from the local river, were destroyed.

This area was flooded in 2017 and all of the clay was lost. The kara-usu, seen in the top right insert of this 2013 photo, were also destroyed.

“Our kara-usu were destroyed and all the clay that we harvested were also washed away”, said Sakamoto Yoichi, a young Onta potter that we visited. He and his father Sakamoto Yoshitaka are the descendants of the original founders of Onta that began in 1705. “We have to go and get more clay”, Yoichi-san smiled and spoke cheerfully as he stood in the rain to show us the newly poured concrete in the clay-making area along the river.

Onta clay drying atop a wood burning dryer.

But “getting and making more clay” is no easy task. In Onta, the clay is prepared through the traditional method of harvesting, pounding, elutriating and drying of the material and this whole process takes well over a month of back-breaking work to complete. Onta’s way of life and especially its way of making pottery has changed little since Yanagi Muneyoshi (aka Soetsu), the father of the Mingei movement, visited in 1931 and recorded this approach in his famous book ‘Hita no Sarayama’.

The front of the Sakamoto Yoshitaka kiln in Onta during a heavy downpour. On a sunny day, the pots will be drying out in the front.

As we walked past Yoichi-san’s wood-firing kiln, we saw finished pots that were left inside of it. Yoichi-san explained that they were fired in the kiln in time for the Golden Week vacation (a week-long vacation in Japan from late April to the beginning of May), but the annual festival was cancelled this year because many Onta families still have not yet recovered from the 2017 disaster. “Even though the festival was cancelled, I was happy that many people came,” Yoichi-san said with a big smile.

The workspace of Onta potter Sakamoto Yoichi. With a kick-wheel, no electricity is required, except for the lighting and radio that he listens to while working.

In his studio, Yoichi-san and his father Yoshitaka-san demonstrated wheel-throwing and slip glazing for our group. “I wanted to demonstrate the tobikan’na (chatter marking), but the pots are not dry enough unfortunately”, Yoichi-san said apologetically, “so I will demonstrate the hakeme (brush patted slip marking)”.

Sakamoto Yoshitaka (left) and Yoichi (right) demonstrating slip-glazing and hakeme for the visiting group.

I was very happy to be able to see this demonstration because even though the chatter-marking is probably the most famous slip decoration of Onta, my personal favorite is hakeme, which is also known as uchi-hakeme. I like hakeme because it involves a simple tool of a brush, and the tapping marks speak of the maker’s rhythm. Some other traditional Ontayaki decorations include yubikaki (finger marking) and kushikaki (comb marking).

Hakeme and kushikaki on fresh Onta clay. Onta potters use very wet clay for throwing.

Cream colored ontayaki with traditional decorations.

Throughout the time our group was with the Sakamotos, I was touched by their kind and gentle manner. Just like the warm cream-colored Ontayaki (ontaware) pottery that they produce, their humbleness and optimism impressed me considering the huge challenges that they have had to deal with in the past several years.

The original Hita no Sarayama by Yanagi Muneyoshi with a stencil dyed cover. Onta was made famous by this small book published in 1942 and was designated as intangible cultural property by the Japanese government in 1995.

After returning to California, I re-read Hita no Sarayama to search for insights from what I saw during my time in Onta. Yanagi wrote, “we want to learn what fosters beauty … if we cannot grasp this important fact, we cannot be proud of our new culture. Just as we cannot indulge ourselves in the past. Hita no Sarayama (Onta) is the direct opposite of today. But that is why there are so many things we can learn from it. Because it has abundant aspects that we lack. It has the strength that is not subject to the aspect of time.”

The one and only main road through Onta is covered in yellow from the clay that is constantly used and transported around the village.

I now feel that I have a better understanding of what Yanagi meant. And if you ever have the opportunity to visit Kyushu, I urge you to make a special effort to visit this exceptional village and its resilient people.

Spring in Melancholic Uji: Asahiyaki Pottery and the First Harvest of Tea

June 18, 2015Kyoto Travels

Each time my tea teacher presented a collection of tea bowls for her students to use, I was invariably drawn to one with a delicate form adorned with a light shade of orange spots. Eventually, I asked my teacher where the bowl came from. She excitedly replied that it was “from Asahiyaki near Kyoto and it is one of my favorite bowls!”

An Asahiyaki tea bowl with kase markings. This bowl uses clay that is high in iron and is also called benikase, or red kase.

I had never heard of Asahiyaki, but a quick search revealed that it is a small pottery kiln located in the city of Uji, just south of Kyoto. With my curiosity piqued, I decided to pay a visit to Uji during a trip to Japan this past spring.

Located between Kyoto and Nara, Uji is easily overlooked by its larger and more famous neighbors. It is only 15 minutes by fast train from Kyoto and its most famous sight is the old Buddhist temple of Byodoin, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The famous Uji bridge is said to have been first built in 646, and rebuilt countless times subsequently. It is mentioned in the classic ‘The Tale of Genji’ written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early years of the 11th Century.

In the tea world though, Uji is a heavyweight and its name is associated with green tea. Uji tea has long been renowned for its high quality and fragrance, and what this translated into during the warring states era of Japanese history was, power, privilege, intense rivalry, and… traffic jams.

During the Edo (1603–1868) era, the Tokugawa Shogun in Tokyo demanded the first tea to be delivered from Uji annually in a tea-jar procession or ochatsubo dochu. These tea jars were given the highest status and wherever the procession went, all the common folk were required to stop whatever they were doing and kneel to the ground in reverence. They were also not allowed to overtake this procession as it made its slow, snobbish way to Tokyo. This most likely created the first-ever seasonal traffic jams in Japanese history.

A sign at a Uji tea shop depicting a tea jar.Uji is only about 20 miles west of the pottery town of Shigaraki, where many tea jars were made.

Not only were the ordinary public inconvenienced annually by these tea processions, but they also had no access to the tea as this was considered to be a precious commodity only available to the ruling elites.

In today’s more egalitarian times, tea is available to all and when I set foot in Uji on an extremely hot day in early June, I enjoyed the sheer pleasure of walking through streets lined with tea shops. Many of them were advertising tea from the first harvest of the year that had just been released.

New tea harvest advertised at the front of a Uji tea shop

I walked along the north bank of the Uji river past the Ujigami Shrine and this led me to the Asahiyaki pottery, where my earlier affinity with my teacher’s tea bowl had inspired me to travel to Uji. The Asahiyaki pottery is housed in a building with a thatched roof and a tasteful fabric sign. At the pottery’s gallery, I was met by Matsubayashi Toshiyuki, the son of the 15^th generation Matsubayashi Hosai currently in charge of the 400 year-old kiln.

Toshiyuki-san explained that Asahiyaki pots are made from clay that is dug locally and matured over many years, sometimes for more than a century. The pots are thrown and fired in a traditional wood-firing kiln. The distinct spots are called kase, which means ‘deer back’ because it resembles the back of a baby deer. The markings are created when the pots are repeatedly exposed to reduction and oxidation in a single firing.

The Asahiyaki pottery gallery in Uji

I told Toshiyuki-san that the gentle form of these pots was especially intriguing. He explained that it probably stemmed from the distinct method of throwing in which a stick is used to turn and create the momentum on the wheel. “The wheel only turns for a limited amount of time with force and the revolution becomes slow very quickly which creates a distinct gentleness,” he explained.

As I left Asahiyaki pottery, I thought that gentleness is indeed the most appropriate word that captures what Uji is about, perhaps together with a little sense of melancholy. This maybe because I had read that Uji’s name originated from the Japanese word ushi, which means sorrow. Or conceivably it was from the historical depiction of Uji in The Tale of Genji -required reading during my school years- where the forsaken in life were exiled.

Looking down towards the Uji river from Ujigami shrine, which is a World Heritage Site

For the next several hours, I strolled around the river bank visiting small shrines and popping into several tea shops. At Rishouen tea shop –recommended by my hosts at Asahiyaki- the kind owner offered me a taste of unblended Uji tea, produced only in limited quantities.

When I finally arrived at Byodoin temple, the highlight for most visitors to the area, it was already late afternoon. I had come to the temple with little in the way of expectation as I had already previewed the building countless times featured on the back of the 10 Yen coin. The famous bronze phoenix on top of the temple roof is also on the 10,000 Yen note, which I see far less often.

The magnificent Byodoin temple in Uji

But when I saw the temple, I was stunned by its sheer exquisiteness. The temple was built in 1053 by Fujiwara no Yorimichi, a powerful noble who lived in the late Heian (794-1185) era. It was constructed to represent a tranquil paradise that the Heian Buddhists dreamed of after death, the heaven on earth imagined by people weary of all the turmoil they endured towards the end of an era. Magnificent colors had been restored in recent repairs to the temple, and the hues seemed to heighten the temple’s sorrowful beauty in the late afternoon light.

San-no-ma of Uji bridge, the part of the city’s famous bridge where water is drawn every October for Uji’s tea festival. It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th Century daimyo and the country’s second great unifier, had water drawn from the same river for a tea ceremony.

As I left this unexpected paradise and walked back towards the train station, I wished that more buildings had survived from the Heian era. I even ambitiously thought that it would be interesting to visit Uji again after revisiting The Tale of Genji.

If you are ever in Kyoto, I highly recommend that you make the time to visit the quietude of Uji, take a sip of the acclaimed tea, and glimpse the tranquility of a bygone era.

The Flavor of the Earth: The Rustic Ceramics of Shigaraki

February 25, 2015Ceramics Shigaraki

Situated below Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture and surrounded by the low mountains where the famous Koka Ninja mercenaries perfected their deadly skills during the Warring States period is the pottery town of Shigaraki. Last fall I accompanied a pottery tour group organized by Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi to this sedate town where we met local potters who practice the old art of wood-firing unglazed Shigaraki pottery.

Shigaraki jar by Takahashi Rakusai. The jar displays the landscape of fire color (hi-iro), scorch (koge) and burst rocks (ishihaze). The white feldspar dots protruding out of the surface of the clay are lovingly called kani-no-me (crab eyes) by enthusiasts.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

Shigaraki is one of the oldest pottery towns in Japan with a history dating back more than 1,200 years. Historians say that local kilns were producing roof tiles when the emperor Shomu briefly relocated his palace to the area from Kyoto in 742 AD. These days, many Japanese know Shigaraki for its Tanuki or Japanese raccoon dog ceramic figures that became popular after the Meiji (1868-1912) era.

Shigaraki racoon dog figures are considered to be auspicious icons that bring good fortune.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

By the mid 13^th century, historical accounts suggest that Shigaraki began production of simple unglazed wares with irregular colors ranging from gray to reddish orange and even black. Its distinct rough surface is due to the local clay that naturally contains numerous pieces of feldspar and silica stones of various sizes. The surface markings are achieved by a very primitive form of wood-firing kiln called Anagama.

Close up of a Shigaraki vase by Kohara Yasuhiro showing the dynamic textures and colors created naturally by the clay, fire and ash. The green wash (bidoro) is achieved by the vitrified ash from pine wood used to fire the kiln.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

These wares, like jars and urns, were coil built and made mostly for use by farmers. In the late 16^th Century, tea masters of the late Muromachi and Momoyama (1573-1603) periods deemed these simple vessels to be of exquisite beauty for their flavor of the earth or tsuchiaji. For example, the antique Shigaraki uzukumaru, small jars for storing seeds, are highly prized as flower vases.

Looking at Shigaraki pottery, I feel similar emotions as when I see a weathered piece of wood, or old stones covered in beautiful moss. It reminds me of the power of nature and triggers both awe and longing to connect with its essence.

In our exploration of Shigaraki, we first visited Kohara Yasuhiro, an internationally famous potter who owns a large gallery and shop in the heart of Shigaraki town that features many local potters’ work.

Shigaraki small jars and large plate by Kohara Yasuhiro
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

Kohara-san’s work combines the rough Shigaraki clay with the natural and beautiful markings from the Anagama kiln. A prime example is the green glassy pool and dragonfly eye formed by the collected pine wood ash and bright orange clay surface against the dark koge or burn marks. His work is refreshingly free and contemporary while boldly reflecting the tradition and spirit of old Shigaraki ware.

Kohara-san explained that while it is often said that what happens inside a wood-fired kiln cannot be controlled, it can be anticipated through experience. His work clearly demonstrates his knowledge and expertise in the process, and potters from all over the world seek advice from him.

For those lucky enough to be going to the 28th Annual North Carolina Potter’s Conference taking place next week, you will be able to meet this talented potter along with his wife Kohara Shizuko who will be giving a presentation on Shigaraki pottery on March 5.

Anagama kiln of Kohara Yasuhiro. Left: Kohara Yasuhiro, Right: Bill Geisinger

Another potter we visited was Takahashi Rakusai V, whose family has been making wares in Shigaraki for over 180 years. The Takahashi Rakusai kiln was started by Takahashi Tozaemon, who was regarded as one of the master tea ceramics makers in the late Tokugawa Shogunate era (1853-1868).

Tea ceramics by Takahashi Rakusai
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

But by the time that Tozaemon was active in the early to mid 19^th Century, Shigaraki had already lost its leading role as a tea ceramics maker. Many of its kilns were converted to the mass-production of glazed wares with processed clay that had all of the feldspar and silica particles removed.

Takahashi Rakusai III took over the running of the family kiln in 1917 and sought to revive the beauty of unglazed tea ceramics made during the Momoyama period. His efforts were instrumental in beginning the gradual revival of unglazed Shigaraki pottery. Takahashi Rakusai III was designated as the Shiga Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property in 1964.

The inside of the snake kiln (jagama), a type of anagama at the Takahashi Rakusai kiln.
The family fires three different types of wood-fired kilns.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

The Takahashi family continues today to produce tea ceramics and other pots for daily use. The current Takahashi Rakusai V took over the family title in 2010 and is known for his tranquil and simple work style. He is an avid student of chaji or tea matters who had studied with the renowned tea scholar Kazue Hyonenshi, and chabana or tea flower with Kato Tansai.

The three generations of potters at Takahashi Rakusai Kiln. From the left, Takahashi Rakusai IV, the current Takahashi Rakusai V and his daughter Yoshiko who is also a potter.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

The last potter that we visited was Arakawa Satoshi, who fell in love with Shigaraki clay and relocated from far away Yamagata prefecture. I was especially excited to meet him because I had seen his beautiful work at the contemporary Japanese ceramics exhibit at the Mingei Museum in San Diego in 2012.

Shigaraki potter Arakawa Satoshi’s Anagama. In the last remodel, he increased the height of his chimney.
(Photos by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

As with many Shigaraki artist potters that fire Anagama, Arakawa-san designs and builds his own kiln. He excitedly showed us the improvements that he had made to the kiln and also the area in his backyard where some of the local clay can be found.

Arakawa-san makes beautiful large jars with spectacular fire colors, that were accepted by the Japan Kogei Association for two consecutive years. He also creates lovely table wares, especially sake wares.

Shigaraki sake cups and bottles by Arakawa Satoshi
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

The visit to Shigaraki made me think about the interesting evolution that old Japanese pottery towns are going through. Many, if not most of them, look to make progress by improving efficiency at the high cost of discarding their local traditions and distinctiveness. Fortunately for many pottery towns like Shigaraki, influential visionaries have fought to continue the traditional ways that are deemed essential for making beautiful work that are distinctive to their local regions.

By sharing these brief stories of Kohara-san, the Takahashi family, and Arakawa-san, I hope to have piqued your curiosity into learning more about Shigaraki pottery. After all, our interest in Shigaraki ceramics is the best assurance for the preservation of its tradition.

—>> Visit photographer Tomoko Matsubayashi’s website to see more photos of Shigaraki.

Beyond the Object: Visiting Kawai Kanjiro’s House in Kyoto

December 30, 2014Ceramics Kyoto Mingei Travels

If you visit the ancient city of Kyoto, let your schedule include a stop at Kawai Kanjiro’s House, which is hidden away on a narrow backstreet in Gojo-zaka. You will be rewarded with a window into the life of an accomplished potter, who was also a poet, writer, architect, and sculptor.

Kawai Kanjiro’s House in the narrow backstreets of Gojyo-zaka in Kyoto. Apart from the wooden sign written by Munakata Shiko and carved by Kuroda Tatsuaki, it looks like an ordinary house from the outside.

Kawai Kanjiro is best known as one of the leading figures of the Mingei movement, but his impact reaches far beyond. A conversation about his life’s work can easily turn into a discussion about the spirit and soul of what it means to be a maker and artist. His house, which is now restored as a museum, is the ultimate expression of his perspective on a life that he loved and embraced to the full.

Photo of Kawai Kanjiro on the left and his handwritten verse “one buys things, one buys oneself”

Kawai (1890-1966) was born in Shimane prefecture to a family of carpenters. He aspired to be a potter and attended the Ceramic Industry Department at Tokyo Higher Technical School (today known as Tokyo Institute of Technology). Not long after his graduation, Kawai had a successful solo exhibition at a major department store in Tokyo in 1921 that cemented his success as a potter. He was especially famed for his mastery of various glazes and ancient Chinese and Korean techniques.

But as his popularity grew, Kawai became increasingly dissatisfied with his work. As a result, he joined the Mingei movement and after spending three years in seclusion, drastically changed his style and started to make functional pottery for everyday use. His style and creativity continued to develop in his later years when he produced many different forms of ceramics, woodcarvings, and literature.

One of the sitting rooms at Kawai Kanjiro’s house. Many items in his house were designed and created by Kawai.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

In recognition of the profound impact that Kawai had on Japanese cultural life, the Japanese government sought to bestow on him the highly prestigious distinction as an Intangible Cultural Property of Japan –more popularly known as a Living National Treasure- and the Order of Culture Medal. But Kawai was not interested with such awards and turned them down. He also declined to be nominated to join the Japan Art Academy, which is the country’s most prestigious artistic organization.

Multi-chambered climbing kiln behind Kawai Kanjiro’s house that he inherited from Kiyomizu Rokubei V
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

While Kawai does not appear to have given any public explanation as to why he politely but firmly refused these accolades, I wonder if this was because he wanted to remain as a maker empowered by his work, rather than as an artist qualified by his fame. We often lose our ability to see when fame gets in the way. For Kawai, who said that “to see my new self, so I work”, he found joy in continuing to self-explore through the things that he could bring to life. This is obvious from the sheer volume of output that he accomplished during his lifetime.

Kawai also paid particular attention to how he lived his daily life, because he believed that “lifestyle is work, work is lifestyle”. In 1937, he designed his own house that was modeled after classic Japanese rural cottages from the Hida-Takayama area, and he called upon his own family of carpenters from Shimane to build it.

The hearth at Kawai Kanjiro’s house that welcomes guests at the entrance.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

This house was Kawai’s residence, pottery studio and gallery with a climbing kiln in the back. But more importantly, it was a place that he filled with his favorite objects. Kawai said that, “one buys things, one buys oneself.” What we choose to acquire and surround ourselves with is a reflection of who we are. It is a simple but powerful observation that can be easily lost in today’s materialistic world. To this day, visitors are reminded of the pleasures of the humble and often forgotten everyday items that Kawai carefully selected for his home.

To me, the most moving aspect of visiting Kawai’s home was the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the space. Beyond the objects, the place was filled with friendliness that stemmed from his generosity of spirit and open mind.

A wood carving of a dog that functions as an armrest made by Kawai from recycled wood when the house was built in 1937. It is hollow on the inside and Kawai stored his favorite dried persimmons and candy inside and kept it at his side through his life.

Sagi Tamae, the granddaughter of Kawai, wrote about an episode in Kawai’s life in the commemorative issue of Honoho Geijutsu magazine in 2010 that offers an insight into who he was as a person. The story was about what happened when one of Kawai’s housekeepers broke his drying pots when she was trying to take in laundry that was on the pole in the garden of the house.

The round stone in Kawai’s garden was a collective gift from his friends in Shimane. They wanted to give him a stone lantern for his newly built house but Kawai asked for a round stone instead. Kawai loved to move the stone around the garden and enjoy it in different places.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

Tamae wrote that Kawai “ran out from his studio and quickly picked up the broken pieces in his apron and told the housekeeper, “don’t worry, don’t worry, just go inside. I can always make more.” Kanjiro was the type of person who worried more about the feelings of the housekeeper than the pots. He chose to become a potter and participate in the Mingei movement as he obviously loved ‘things’ but ultimately he was not fixated about any of them. To Kanjiro, what cannot be seen was far more important then what was visible.”

Two chairs and a table at Kawai Kanjiro’s House. The chairs were designed by Kawai and the table is a flipped mortar for pounding rice mochi that was a gift from Kawakatsu Kenichi, who was a lifelong close friend and fan of Kawai. Kawakatsu secretly entered Kawai’s ceramic pieces for the 1937 exposition in Paris and 1957 triennale in Milan and they won the grand prizes in both events. Over 400 pieces of Kawai’s work collected by Kawakatsu were donated to The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto.
(Photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi)

A visit to Kawai’s house is unlike a trip to a typical museum where ‘things’ are lined up to be admired. Kawai’s abode is a place to be inspired by the delightful life of an artist who never stopped exploring his inner self.

Through his home that he left behind, Kawai continues to share ideas that may enrich our own lives and help us to discover ourselves. All we need is a childlike curiosity and an open mind to be inspired. Kawai affectionately called this amazing human ability “to be surprised by the act of being surprised” and acknowledged its utmost importance throughout his long and productive life.

—>> Visit photographer Tomoko Matsubayashi’s website to see more photos of Kawai Kanjiro’s house in Kyoto.

Impeccable Workmanship: The Refined Nabeshima Pottery of Imaizumi Imaemon

June 27, 2014Ceramics Arita Travels

Ceramics offer a fascinating window into Japan’s turbulent past and Nabeshima pottery is a captivating example of how history and pottery comes together. The fortunes of this elegant and noble style of ceramics mirror the ups and downs of Japanese history over the past four centuries.

Nabeshima ceramics originated from Arita in Saga Prefecture on Kyushu around the time when porcelain ware was first produced in Japan by Korean potters. The potters were brought to the country after the invasion of Korea by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi around 400 years ago. It is also believed that Chinese ceramics traders from Imari, not too far from Arita, introduced the overglaze enamel technique to this region during this period.

Iro-Nabeshima plate from the 18th century. Its bold design possesses a unique sense of clarity and pride unlike any other Japanese ceramics. This one from the Tokyo National Museum depicts the “flower raft”, a Japanese term that describes the fallen petals of cherry blossoms floating on the river surface like rafts. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

The Nabeshima kiln was established in the middle of the 17^th Century as the feudal kiln of the local Nabeshima clan, who brought together the best craftsmen in the region to produce high quality porcelain tableware.

Decorated in blue-on-white underglaze, or multi-colored overglaze enamel (known as Iro-Nabeshima) or celadon, Nabeshima ceramics were only produced as gifts for the ruling shogun family and feudal lords during the Edo period (1603-1867). As a consequence of this tightly held circulation within the privileged elite, Nabeshima pottery was largely unknown to the general population until Shogunate rule ended with the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

The brilliance of the enamel colors can be seen in this close-up of Iro-Nabeshima from the 17th-18th centuries. This plate from the Tokyo National Museum depicts Chinese flowers. In traditional Iro-Nabeshima, only three enamel colors of red, green and yellow are used besides cobalt underglaze. (A few rare pieces used black and gold) In this bold design, the center part is left white in the shape of a cherry blossom. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

My preference for ceramics styles that possess the essence of uncalculated spontaneity rather than precision and perfection meant that I initially found the meticulous beauty of Nabeshima rigid and difficult to appreciate. But my perspective changed during a visit to the Tokyo National Museum when I saw an Iro-Nabeshima plate with Flower and Raft design.

Although the plate was made in the 18^th century, the enamel colors of red, green and yellow were so bright and vivid against the beautiful cobalt underglaze. It almost seemed like the air surrounding the plate was a little clearer than the rest of the museum –and I swear I was not inhaling any questionable substances at the time! The plate’s bold design possessed a unique sense of clarity and pride unlike any other ceramics work that I have seen.

So I was excited when the opportunity arose in the spring of 2013 to visit the Imaizumi Imaemon Kiln in Arita, which is carrying on the tradition of the making of Nabeshima ceramics.

Imaizumi Imaemon kiln in Arita is the oldest building in the area dating back to 1830. The roof tiles along the second floor are stained red from the enamel used by artisans that worked on the second floor. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

The Imaizumi Imaemon family has a long and illustrious history that dates back to the Edo period when it was first commissioned as the Nabeshima’s official overglaze enamel artisan (or Akae-shi). For over 200 years, the family enjoyed the financial support of successive feudal lords. However, when the feudal fief system was replaced with the prefectural administrative system in the Meiji era, the Nabeshima kiln collapsed with the ending of shogunate largesse.

Slump molds used by the Imaizumi Imaemon Kiln. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

The 10^th generation master painter Imaemon, who was the family patriarch during this crisis, decided to do whatever was necessary to preserve the technique for the production of Iro-Nabeshima. From scratch, the family had to painstakingly learn forming and firing techniques, which took many years and only began to bear fruit in the early 20^th Century under the 12^th generation Imaemon. For this enormous accomplishment, the Imaemon kiln was recognized as an important intangible cultural asset by the Japanese government in 1971.

A craftsman forming a porcelain bowl by trimming it into shape. Each piece is weighed to an exacting thickness. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

During my visit to the kiln, which is located in the Akae-machi (overglaze town) district of Arita, I saw a craftsman trimming a porcelain bowl and carefully measuring it to its required exact weight on a scale. The kiln was loaded with numerous saggars that encased the pieces to protect them from ashes of pine wood used for firing.

Each piece is fired inside a saggar in a traditional kiln fired using pine wood. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

One noticeable sight was the piles of rejected bisque wares, many of which were discarded for the slightest hints of flaws. It was clear that precision and design perfection is of utmost importance, which is a rare quality in Japanese pottery kilns that tend to focus on extemporaneity and simplicity.

Imaemon’s formulas for glazes and their application techniques are still closely-held secrets that are handed down to only a single son of each generation who takes over the name of “Imaizumi Imaemon”.

Large piles of rejected porcelain plates with minor imperfections. (Photo by Studio Kotokoto)

The kiln today produces two distinct lines of Iro-Nabeshima, the first of which are created in line with the traditional style of Iro-Nabeshima by over 30 craftsmen. The second line is of a modern Iro-Nabeshima created by the current 14^th generation Imaizumi Imaemon.

If the opportunity arises, I would highly recommend a visit to the Imaemon museum or shop in Arita. They also have a satellite shop in Tokyo. Imaemon’s work is unequivocally stunning, with striking designs, pristine lines, and clever use of the white spaces of natural porcelain. Even if the pricing may seem out of reach for many, including myself, it is still a sheer delight to be able to see this fine work and to pick out a favorite piece you would have liked to take home.

* “Nabeshima” by Motosuke Imaizumi (Tokyo; Kodansha International, 1981) was used as a reference for this blog post.

The Ancient Pottery Town of Tajimi Comes Alive with its Annual Spring Ceramics Festival

May 27, 2014Ceramics Tajimi Travels

Japan has a historically rich and vibrant ceramics scene, but much of it is local and barely known beyond its shores. Stepping foot into this other world requires going to the pottery towns and other out-of-the-way places deep in Japan’s interior, which is what we at Studio Kotokoto find especially intriguing and rewarding.

This past spring, I visited the annual ceramics festival in Tajimi in Gifu Prefecture. It was my first visit to a ceramics festival being held in the hometown of Mino pottery, which is renowned for the green copper glazed Oribe and soft white glazed Shino style wares.

Narumi Oribe plate by a student from Tajimi Technical High School. It tastefully represents the traditional Narumi style, which is made using two clay bodies: white clay with green glaze, and red clay with white slip and vivid geometric designs.

Mino pottery dates back to the 7^th and 8^th centuries with the production of Sue ware (or Sueki). The remains of ancient kilns that produced these ceramics can still be found in the neighboring town of Kakamigahara. This region became well known in the 16^th century for its Oribe ware, named after tea master and warrior Furuta Oribe who was a Mino native.

Capitalizing on its fame as a center of aesthetic pottery, Tajimi and the surrounding area of Touno have risen to become the largest ceramics-producing region in the country. Around half of Japan’s ceramics and tiles currently come from this area.

The banks of Toki river that runs through the town of Tajimi are adorned with tile mosaics.
Tajimi is the biggest producer of ceramic tiles in Japan.

As Tajimi is only a short 30-minute ride by fast train to the north of Nagoya, the largest city in Chubu region, it has also become a sprawling commuter town. Overseas, Tajimi is perhaps best known for its International Ceramics Festival, which is a triennial event that features a world-class ceramics competition funded by numerous local government organizations and ceramics associations.

The show that I went to see, though, was a local event that Tajimi hosts annually. When I got off the train at JR Tajimi station on a bright spring morning, there were people handing out detailed maps and information about the ceramics festival and local attractions. The atmosphere was festive with all sorts of events taking place. There were wheel-throwing pottery demonstrations, performances by local school orchestras, and plenty of entertainment for families with small children.

The entrance to the arcade hosting Tajimi Creator’s Market.

My main purpose for visiting Tajimi was to see the Tajimi Creator’s Market, a small arcade of stalls organized by graduates of two local pottery schools in Tajimi called Ishoken and Tajimi Technical High School. This market was started 5 years ago as a venue to connect fledging potters working in the Touno area with end users.

I arrived in the early morning hoping to beat the crowd in order to see the best selection of work on offer and to meet many of the talented young potters on display. There were around 50 potters showing their work in the Tajimi Creator’s Market, but even though I got there early, the arcade was already quickly filling up with people. According to one potter, the number of visitors that their event attracts has been growing every year. Nonetheless, I had a very rewarding time in finding an exciting young potter that we look forward to introducing on Studio Kotokoto in the near future.

A stall selling Oribe style pottery on Oribe street, the main thoroughfare of the festival.

After visiting the Creator’s Market, I made my way to Oribe Street, which is the main artery for the ceramics festival. The most significant difference between the Tajimi ceramics festival and the various craft fairs that I have visited elsewhere in Japan is that this festival hosts stalls operated by local stores selling Minoyaki at discounted prices. So if you know what you are looking for, this is a great opportunity to acquire beautiful Mino pottery at affordable prices.

Tajimi Oribe street lined with vendors selling pottery.

On my way back to the train station, I came across a pottery stall run by several current students of Tajimi Technical High School who were helping to raise funds for their school. The pieces were so well made and beautiful that I picked up a piece of Oribe ware to take home.

Even the manhole covers of Tajimi feature ceramics. It is clear that Tajimi considers its ceramics heritage as an important part of its identity.

As I continued my walk back to the station, I thought about how difficult it must be for the budding potters that I came across at the beginning of their careers to be able to make a living in our fast-paced world. But these young artists residing in and around Tajimi have an important advantage. The Tajimi show was put together by the local community –from the local government to schools and businesses- to promote and support the local craft industry. There are few other places that I know of that goes to such great lengths to aid its ceramic artists.

After 13 centuries, the old pottery town of Tajimi continues to be a nurturing and inspirational starting place for future aspiring potters.

Visiting Hanako Nakazato in Karatsu

August 28, 2013Hanako Nakazato Ceramics Karatsu Travels

Ceramics by Hanako Nakazato in our shop ->

Japanese potter Hanako Nakazato is a tour de force of creativity and productivity. I had the privilege of glimpsing this at first hand when I visited her Japanese studio far away in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture in Kyushu this past spring. It took a long train ride to get there, but was a journey to savor and understand how a potter’s life requires not only talent but discipline, hard work, and –in Hanako’s case- a love of food and cooking.

Japanese potter Hanako Nakazato at her studio in Karatsu, Spring 2013

Following an early morning start in Kyoto and several changes on the way, the train finally pulled into JR Karatsu station shortly after lunch. After the long ride, I was delighted to be met by the familiar face of photographer-cum-writer Prairie Stuart-Wolff, Hanako’s partner and business manager for monohanako. The two travel between Maine and Kyushu every year.

Overlooking Hanako Nakazato’s studio in Karatsu

Hanako’s studio in Karatsu stands on a lush green hillside in Mirukashi, about two miles from the train station. When I arrived at the studio, Hanako was working at her wheel making bowls. She got up to greet me, beaming with a friendly smile and gestured a “hug” from a few feet away saying “I have clay all over me”. I did not want to interrupt her work and at my request she went back on the wheel. I watched for a while as she whipped out bowl after bowl, amazed at how similar they are in shape and size, even though she never measured them.

Work by Hanako Nakazato displayed in her showroom in Karatsu.

As Hanako worked, I looked around the clean and spacious studio that was divided into three sections. There was a showroom for guests to view and purchase her work. A second section was the kiln and glazing room where bisque and glazed pieces are stored next to the gas kiln. The last section was the wheel room where she was busy throwing her pottery.

Hanako’s gas kiln filled to the brim with bisque fired pots

The sliding door to the wheel room had a large blackboard that was covered with diagrams, numbers, and glaze types. Hanako carefully keeps track of the progress in the production of her wares by charting them on this board. Its an ingenious way of visually managing the production schedule that enables this prolific potter to put together a solo show almost every month during her stay in Japan. I even managed to visit her annual solo show at Manyodo in Ginza, Tokyo in May.

Production schedule charted on the blackboard

Watching Hanako work on the wheel was meditative. When I commented that it must be enjoyable to be able to throw with such rhythmic flow, Hanako laughed and replied that, “People might think that it must be fun to become a potter and throw pots on the wheel, but this is not the whole story”.

She explained that less than 20 percent of her day is spent on the wheel and that the rest of her workday is spent cleaning the studio and work equipment, loading and unloading the kiln, mixing and testing glazes, and preparing the clay. Hanako said that a three-year apprenticeship under her father and internationally famous potter, Nakazato Takashi of Ryutagama Kiln, had instilled into her the important habit of waking up early everyday to work, clean, and carry out other chores. Maintaining this discipline was indispensable to the running of a successful pottery studio.

Hanako wedging clay. Much of a potter’s day is spent doing chores like cleaning the studio and preparing clay

Long and narrow boards on the racks in the studio were loaded with pots that were drying. These boards are easily over 5 feet long and they appear almost impossible to carry without dropping the pieces on top. Hanako said that it was just like the balancing pole that tightrope performers use to help them balance. She noted that, “the longer the board, the easier it is to balance on the shoulder with one hand”.

Bowls on a long drying board are placed into a pottery closet or muro. Freshly thrown pots are dried slowly in here to prevent them from warping and cracking.

On days when Hanako can work uninterrupted on her wheel, she can throw over a hundred pots in a day. On my visit, Hanako had to answer many phone calls, tend to visitors such as myself, and send a pugmill to repair. She finally wrapped up her work at 5 p.m. after throwing numerous bowls.

Hanako cooking dinner at her home above her studio in Karatsu

In the evening, Hanako and Prairie cooked a delicious 7-course meal using Karatsu’s seasonal ingredients, each served on monohanako tableware. They put great care into preparing each dish and it was clear that they enjoyed cooking. As the famous Japanese ceramist and gourmet Rosanjin once said, “tableware for cooking is the equivalent of clothing for people.” He meant that the vessels that the food is served on is as important as the clothes that people wear and that people that are interested in food are inevitably interested in the wares they are served on. Consequently, many potters –of which Hanako is definitely a prime example- are excellent cooks and it was a real treat to be a guest at their dinner table.

Salted sea urchin served on monohanako ware

Early next morning, Hanako was back in her studio finishing up the plates that she had thrown in the past few days on the wheel. She said she was in full work mode, firing work for shows that will be taking place after she was to depart for Maine in a few weeks time. I told her that her many fans in the U.S. were eagerly waiting her return. As we spoke, I realized that I was associating Hanako’s return with the changing of the seasons, just like a birder in anticipation of the annual migration.

Hanako finishing the edges of cut petal plates

Hanako worked until the late morning, and then we all left for a quick tour of Karatsu and lunch before I caught the bus to Hakata in the afternoon to start my long trek back to Tokyo. I was very pleased that I got to see a day in the life of this hard working potter, who is a rising star of the pottery scene in Japan and the U.S. While I discovered that being a potter might not be as idyllic and glamorous as it might appear, I am grateful that Hanako chose it as her profession. Her creativity has certainly brought style and beauty into our daily lives through the wares that we use to nourish our body and soul.

Celebration of Handmade: Visiting the 2013 Matsumoto Craft Fair

August 6, 2013Matsumoto Travels

Every year as spring turns to summer, the quiet castle town of Matsumoto in mountainous Nagano prefecture is transformed into the craft capital of Japan. Crowds of people come from afar to celebrate the work of several hundred of the country’s leading craftspeople at the two-day Matsumoto Craft Fair.

Since its humble beginnings in 1984, the fair has become the biggest and most prestigious of a growing number of open-air craft fairs that take place across Japan annually. Although the Matsumoto event showcases the work of approximately 260 craftsmen, the competition for places is fierce, which means that entry standards are very high. Only 1 in 5 of applicants reportedly are accepted to participate.

This brightly colored manhole covers in Matsumoto depicts the town’s famous craft, temari. embroidered balls for traditional ball games. Such attention to detail seemed quite appropriate for the town that hosts the largest craft fair in Japan.

I experienced the excitement of the most recent craft fair in Matsumoto on the final weekend of May 2013 when I, along with 250,000 other craft enthusiasts, made the two and a half hour pilgrimage by train from Tokyo.

At the train station, I was welcomed by an advertising banner announcing “Matsumoto Craft Month” (kougei-no-gogatsu). The success of the craft fair has contributed to the growth of the city’s tourism and it now organizes numerous craft related events and workshops throughout May that builds up to the climax of the main craft fair at the end of the month.

A banner advertising Matsumoto Crafts Month welcomes guests at JR Matsumoto station.

It takes around 20 minutes to walk from the train station to Agata-no-Mori Park where the show is held. This 15-acre sprawling park is lined with tall Himalayan cedars and houses a beautiful historic school building. By the time I arrived in the late morning though, the park’s promenade was tightly packed with the biggest crowd that I have ever seen at a Japanese craft fair. The atmosphere was festive and everyone seemed excited to be there.

A large crowd packs the Agata-no-mori Park promenade at the Matsumoto Craft Fair.

Each of the stalls that I visited displayed beautiful and truly unique work. Besides the exceptional quality on show, another characteristic that differentiates this fair from others that I have visited was the sheer diversity of crafts on display. Of the 260 stalls, approximately 80 were ceramics, 50 wood, 25 glass, 25 textiles, 20 metal, 10 leather, 4 apparel, and 40 other miscellaneous outlets. This “others” group included stalls selling raw materials, tools and even books related to crafts that I have not seen elsewhere. Additionally, there were 40 stalls brimming with food and drinks that made the fair an event that one can enjoy for a whole day.

A crafts maker demonstrates cotton spinning on a wheel at the Matsumoto Craft Fair

Another unique feature of the show was its serendipitous design. The participants choose where to locate their stalls on a first-come first-serve basis. There was no map to locate where a favored craftsman might be found, so there was plenty of incentive to go around as much of the show as possible to see what was on display. I really enjoyed this element of surprise, which allowed me to wander through all the stalls without the distraction of intent. After a while, I noticed that the end of the park was far less crowded than the entrance, so the next time I come here I will start at the end and work my way back to the front of the park.

The makers Kobayashi Katsuhisa, Ito Akinobu, and Sakai Mika, whom Studio KotoKoto has introduced to the U.S. were also participating in the show, and it was very exciting for me to see them again at such a prestigious setting.

Woodworker Kobayashi Katsuhisa’s stall on the promenade of Agata-no-mori Park. His shaker-style cherry tea boxes were sold out in just 30 minutes.

Potter Ito Akinobu and his young family at the Matsumoto Craft Fair. This is a fun weekend event for participants and their families.

Nerikomi potter Sakai Mika at the craft fair with her husband. Her stall was located towards the end of the park.

With its sterling reputation and huge popular appeal, it is hard to imagine that the Matsumoto craft fair has only been running for 29 years. It normally takes many more decades to become so renowned. The fair was founded by a small group of dedicated craft artists after one of its members was inspired by craft shows that he had witnessed in the U.S. and the U.K. He proposed starting a similar outdoor event in Matsumoto where the fans of handmade crafts could meet their makers in a fun environment.

The Matsumoto fair will celebrate its 30^th anniversary in 2014. If you happen to be in Japan during the last weekend of May and want to see what the very best of the country’s young and talented crafts makers have to offer, this is the place for you. Just bring your enthusiasm, a hat, and a comfortable pair of shoes.

A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part III: Hagi

June 4, 2013Ceramics Hagi Travels

The small tranquil town of Hagi is situated at the western end of Honshu Island far from the bright lights and maddening crowds of Japan’s big cities. I was excited to set foot here in the company of the pottery group tour organized by Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi because I had recently been drawn to the quiet beauty of Hagi-ware and was eager to find out more about the origins and nature of this celebrated tea ware.

Old samurai residence in Hagi castle town in Yamaguchi prefecture. Hagi is home to revolutionaries like Takasugi Shinsaku, who contributed to overthrowing the shogunate and launching the Meiji Restoration.

Even though Hagi is off the beaten track and appears to be a sleepy backwater, do not be misled by outward appearances. This isolated town has had an outsized influence on the cultural, industrial, and political history of Japan through its famed Hagiyaki pottery and as the home of some of the leading revolutionaries and industrialists responsible for the Meiji Restoration from the second half of the 19^th Century.

Hagi owes its colorful history to the confluence of historical circumstances and geography. When local lord Mori Terumoto found himself on the losing side in the famous battle of Sekigahara in 1600, he decided to channel some of his focus and wealth to the pursuit of perfecting the making of Korean style tea bowls that were all the rage among feudal lords during this period in between their political intrigues and internal wars for domination.

Terumoto brought two Korean potters to Hagi, which is less than 150 miles from the Korean Peninsula across the Sea of Japan. The two potters, brothers Lee Jak-Gwang (李勺光 이작광) and Lee Gyeong (李敬 이경), were the creative masters behind the genesis of Hagiyaki.

A typical Hagi-ware is either white or a warm loquat or ‘Biwa’ orange in color with no decoration. Its austere form might “seem bland and unfinished at first sight”, says Hatano Hideo, a Hagi potter from the Hatano Shigetsu-gama Kiln. But he further explains “this is because Hagi-ware is not complete until it is used”. What Hatano is pointing out is that not only is Hagi-ware created for the explicit purpose of being used, but that it also dramatically changes color through use.

Loquat or “biwa” teabowls at Hatano Shigetsu-gama kiln in Hagi.

Many Hagiyaki are still made by traditional wood firing in a Korean style multi-chambered climbing kiln. The local clay is rough, sandy, and resistant to heat, and does not harden unless fired to an extremely high temperature. The ingenious Hagi potters turned this serious disadvantage into a major advantage and distinctive characteristic of Hagiyaki.

Multi-chambered climbing kiln at Seiunzan Okada-gama in Hagi.

In their experimentation many centuries ago, the pioneering Hagi potters found that when the pots were fired just enough to melt the glaze but not harden the clay completely, the expansion difference with the clay and glaze caused minute cracks or crackles on the glaze. As a result, when a Hagi tea bowl is used, the tea is absorbed through these cracks into the soft clay and slowly stains the pot. This gradual and exquisite change in color is commonly referred to as “the seven transformations of Hagi” or “Hagi no nanabake”.

On the left is a brand new Hagiyaki tea cup from Hadano Shigetsu-gama kiln. To the right is the same cup after several weeks of use. The staining through the cracks is already visible.

The war making but tea loving feudal lords were enamored with this rustic, aged look that these pots developed because they symbolized the beauty of degradation and passage of time cherished in wabi tea. So the powerful and mighty competed to get their hands on Hagiyaki.

The Hagi potters make their own clay by combining three local clays called Daido, Mitake and Mishima. The color transformation through staining is calculated by adding or removing just the right amount of sand, which requires an acute sense of judgment and a wealth of experience. “The clay means everything to our pottery”, said Okada Yu, an eighth generation potter of the Seiunzan Okada Kiln. Okada-san is one of Japan’s most sought after Hagi tea-ware makers.

Hagi-ware is mostly plain in appearance, but many potters show their originality in the foot of their tea bowls by boldly making cuts into them or leaving finger marks. While there are several theories as to the origins of the notched foot, tea aficionados pay considerable attention and relish this feature of Hagiyaki. The potters show much restraint in the shape and glazed surface of the bowl but the foot is where they can show their originality. It is fascinating that a seemingly marring act of cutting the foot is employed by the potter to show their creativity and is in turn appreciated by their fans.

Notched foot of a tea bowl by Okada Yu. The foot reveals the originality and the spirit of the maker.

Contemporary Hagi-ware is not limited to the enjoyment of tea drinkers. The work of Kaneta Masanao of Tenchozan-gama, for example, is very sculptural and brings out the Hagi clay’s chunky and warm texture. Instead of traditional wheel throwing, Kaneta-san shapes his work by slapping the clay with a paddle or a stick and scooping out the inside. The depth of clay is intensified through this unique process and his work is extremely popular internationally.

Water Jar by Kaneta Masanao of Tenchozan-gama in Hagi.

Large sculptural vase by Kaneta Masanao waiting to be glazed and fired. The chunky texture and depth of hagi clay is visible.

How Hagiyaki came about and evolved shows the developmental arc in the history of Japanese tea ceremony and its fascination to the waring feudal lords. It began as a cosmopolitan art form enjoyed by the ruling elites and has today become a much-loved icon of a unique wabi aesthetic, namely simplicity, rustic elegance, and witnessing beauty in the gentle deterioration and passage of time through use.

A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part II: Onta

May 7, 2013Onta Ceramics Mingei Travels Ontayaki

Tucked deep in the densely wooded mountains of Kyushu and 300 years away from the hectic pace of the modern world is the rustic village of Onta. Life here has changed little since Yanase San’emon arrived from Koishiwara, another renowned pottery center 16 miles west of Onta, at the beginning of the 18^th Century, to establish a distinctive way of making pottery known as Ontayaki that continues to be practiced by his descendants.

An Onta vase displaying brush patted slip marking or uchi-hakeme, and holding a cherry blossom.

The ten families that live today in Onta can trace their lineage to the three original founders of the Onta kiln in 1705. Besides Yanase, the other two clans are the Sakamoto and Kuroki. Each family passed their pottery knowledge and skills from fathers to sons while the mothers and daughters performed no less important supporting roles. This patrilineal practice has helped to preserve Onta’s original pottery-making techniques in its purest form despite three centuries of generational succession.

Ontayaki was unknown to the rest of Japan until Studio KotoKoto’s philosopher hero and father of the Mingei movement Yanagi Muneyoshi (Soetsu) visited Onta in 1931. He had to walk to the village on foot, as there were no proper roads connecting it with the outside world in his days. Yanagi was keen to go to Onta after first falling in love with the warm simple beauty of Ontayaki at a pottery shop in Fukuoka.

Toothpick holders with chatter marks or tobi-kanna sold at a shop in Onta.

Onta’s traditional way of life and simple approach to making pottery perfectly fitted Yanagi’s vision of Mingei. This was detailed in his book Hita no Sarayama about Onta that put the village on the map in Japan. The famous British potter Bernard Leach also resided in Onta during the 1950s and 1960s, and this broadened the village’s profile onto the global stage.

The people of Onta have taken this fame in their gentle stride. When I arrived in the village on a cold spring morning, I was welcomed by the noise of creaking wood that was followed by a heavy thud. This is the sound of kara-usu, the wooden clay-crushing device that operates like a seesaw and is powered by water from the Hanatsuki River that runs through the middle of the village.

These Kara-usu machines have regulated the pace of clay production in Onta for the last three centuries.

The rhythmic beat of the kara-usu is the reason why Onta has kept to its simple ways and avoided being swept up in the mass consumerism of the modern world. Each family in the village is only allowed two wheels in their workshops because of the slow and limited production of local clay from the kara-usu machines. This means that if a grandson is ready to take over a wheel, his grandfather has to retire to make way. This careful approach by the villagers to managing their land and strictly limiting the scale of output means that there will be plenty of clay left for future generations.

The Hanatsuki River powers the numerous kara-usu in Onta.

At one house, I witnessed a woman busy transferring wet elutriated clay from a trough to a clay-drying kiln. This confirmed what I had read elsewhere that the backbreaking daily work of clay preparation is the responsibility of the Onta women. So to the female readers of this blog, think twice about marrying that handsome potter from Onta because you will find yourself with a very physically demanding job for the rest of your lives. It is truly a revelation to see how much time, work, and space is needed to prepare the clay after seeing the kara-usu, the water pools that dissolve the clay, the clay troughs, and the clay drying kilns.

A woman loads the clay onto a wheel barrel.

Clay is transferred to the top of the clay drying kiln.

The wheel throwing method used in Onta and Koishiwara is strikingly different from the approach that I and many other potters are most familiar with. Instead of starting by centering enough clay to form the entire form, a ball of clay is patted and centered to build the bottom. Coiled clay is subsequently added on top to build the rest of the pot.

This method is called neritsuke and is a hybrid form of wheel throwing and coil building. This technique is said to be only possible because of the mastery of the potter to control the speed of the kick wheel. To watch how this is done, here is a link to a YouTube video of a young Onta potter, Sakamoto So, who is throwing plates and applying uchi-hakeme, which is a brush patted slip marking.

Ontayaki mortar from the father and son kiln of Sakamoto Takumi and So with an example of finger marking or yubikaki.

Onta clay is very smooth with a beautiful brownish yellow color that fires to dark brown because of a high iron content. Together with the slip that fires to light cream white, Ontayaki is ideal tableware as it brings out the color of food on the table.

Onta-ware has several distinct decorative styles that includes the chatter marking or tobi-kanna, uchi-hakeme, and the dynamic finger marking or yubi-kaki. These styles can also be found in the sister kiln of Koishiwara.

Ontayaki on the left and Koishiwarayaki on the right. The two villages share many decorative styles.

My visit to Onta was a deeply profound and eye-opening experience. More than 80 years have passed since Yanagi first went to Onta and far fewer people in today’s mass consumer society are using handmade products than when Yanagi made his pilgrimage to the village. Despite the enormous social, cultural, and economic changes that have occurred during these intervening years, Onta has never succumbed to the enticements of mass consumerism. And because the village’s residents have stood so fervently behind their age-old principles of sustainability and balanced moderation, Onta has thrived.

Ai spies some early works by the next generation of Onta potters.

A key lesson that I take away from Onta is that as long as there is a community of people who understand and cherish the importance of handmade in their everyday life, this tradition will survive and live on in future generations. This is also the essence of what we at Studio Kotokoto are seeking to build, although through the application of modern day tools including the Internet rather than from a remote corner of Japan.

My pottery tour will continue in my future blog.