Japanese porcelain at Okawachiyama

Porcelain ware manufactured at Okawachiyama. These plates and small bowls feature the blue glaze that is popular in this village.

The area around Arita and Imari, in Saga, are historically very famous for ceramics, and porcelain in particular. The first porcelain clay (kaolin) deposits in Japan were found here. A Korean potter by the name of Risampei was bought to Arita by the feudal lord of Saga, Lord Nabeshima, and he discovered kaolin clay in 1616 at Izumiyama (Izumi mountain). The porcelain ware made in Arita was transported by boat from Imari, the local port near Arita, to Nagasaki, were it was shipped all over the world. Called Imari ware after the port, it was sought after all across Europe. Within 60 years over two million pieces of porcelain from Arita had been exported. It was forbidden by the Shogun, Tokugawa, to sell porcelain ware to Japanese commoners, saving it for the nobility, and for export.

View up the main street of Okawachiyama, Water operated clay crushing mill, one of the many shop-galleries-cafes in the town, and a close-up of the business end of the water driven clay mill.

In order to protect his business, Nabeshima moved his Korean and Japanese potters to a small mountain village above Imari, called Okawachiyama, where they were kept in guarded isolation. The village was enclosed, and the guards keep the secrets in and the spies out. Villagers leaving Okawachi were searched, and forbidden to take any porcelain objects, clay, patterns or moulds, or any information relating to the production of ceramics with them. It was called 'the village of the secret kilns'.

The village is still in existence today, still thriving as a porcelain pottery town. It is an incredibly pretty little village, a little over an hours drive from Saga city. It is a little difficult to get to though, as it is only accessible by road, so tourists have to drive, or go by bus. There is a bus from Imari station, which takes about 15 minutes.

Bridge faced with ceramic tiles, and a wall constructed from the old blocks that have been used to support porcelain in the kilns. These walls are evident right through the village.

Surrounded on three sides by steep, jagged mountains, and with a river running through the middle of the town, Okawachiyama is a must see for anybody visiting Japan, who is interested in the ceramic arts. You can see artisans practicing their craft, there are shops and galleries selling extremely high quality porcelain, both art pieces and tableware, dotted throughout the village. There are many working kilns still operating here.  It is possible to purchase useful souvenirs from remainder tables for a few hundred yen, or pay many, many thousands of yen for original, special pieces. Many shops and galleries of these double as cafes, where a small lunch, or very pleasant afternoon tea can be purchased. There are some restaurants in the village for a more substantial meal.

 

Afternoon tea, always served on porcelain from the pottery, a display of wares in the shop, a typical window display, and a bargain table of practical pieces that make excellent, cheap souvenirs.

There is a small museum outlining the history of the area, a series of clay crushing mills along the river, a wonderful bridge faced with locally made ceramic tiles in a dragon pattern, and some beautiful little walks through the village, which is only about a mile long.

Discarded bowl moulds on a rack outside a pottery.  You will find many interesting photo opportunities when wandering through the village. A display of porcelain homewares in a shop in the main street.

Okawachiyama is only a short distance from Imari, and also close to Arita, so if you are interested in ceramics, you could do worse than organize a visit here. It is one of the prettiest places I have visited in the whole of Japan. You can find a lot of information on the whole area on the internet. There are good tourist associations, and lots of maps, and 'how to get there' pieces. Just search the main names - Arita, Imari, Okawachiyama, Nabeshima, Saga, porcelain.

RK

Comments

[Greg Ludwig]

I purchased some china at Okawachiyama and need to replace one of the items that I broke. If I recall the shop / kiln name sounded like TOBAKO or TOBACO (I can't recall the exact name & spelling).

Does this shop / kiln sound familiar - if so, can you provide me their web site?

Thanks
Greg

[Ray Kinnane]

Hi Greg. I feel certain that I have seen the shop. The name rings a bell. But I don't know their website, or even if they have one, offhand. What I will do is find it next time I go there, and email it to you, or post it here. But it might be a month or two before that happens.

Ray Kinnane

[Margreet Kloosterman]

From 5 till 8 october 2006 I intend to visit Imari.I would like to visit a pottery at work. Is that possible?
Margreet Kloosterman
The Netherlands

[Ray Kinnane]

Hi Margreet. That is very possible. If it is a weekday, then potteries will be operating. There are also several places that will also let you decorated your own cup, and they will fire it for you. Do a Google search, and see if you can find an information centre for Imari in English. I will look later today and see what I can find.

You should definitely visit Okawachiyama if possible. It is a very quaint village, in a very beautiful mountain setting.

Ray Kinnane

[Marya Ireland]

Hi I am bringing a group of 16 from a museum organization. I am looking for nice galleries, studios, shops and a place to have lunch in Okawachiyama. Any suggestions?
Also, how long should I allow for a leisurely visit here?

Hi Marya. I don't know the names of the galleries that have restaurants in Okawachiyama, but you will have no problem finding what you are looking for. The village is quite small, only about 1 kilometer long, and is self contained. And it really consaists of only a couple of streets, all having galleries, some with cafes attached. There is nothing else here but ceramics workshops and galleries, with a couple of eating places that are just restaurants. Nothing is hard to find, or access.

A leisurely visit, including lunch, and if you want to see everything, then four hours would be enough. You need to walk along the river, see the clay crushers, go up the hill and see the korean monument in the graveyard, and of course see the museum, and the galleries. If you can speak Japanese (I can't) then it will help, as you can ask shopkeepers for guidance. There are a lot of galleries, so you can spend all day here, if you want. It is a very, very pretty place, too.

Ray.

[Janice Mooneyham]

I am trying to locate replacement pieces of china by Fukagawa-Arita. No one seems to have the pattern I need. Any suggestions will be most welcome.Thank you!

[Ken Ando]

Hi,

Is there anyone out there that has been to Okawachiyama recently? My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan in October and we would like to look around in the Imari/Arita area. She is very much into Imari-ware. Any recent information about this area and how best to see the ceramics would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken

[John Wocher]

There is, apparently, one shop producing Nabeshima that marks the back distinctively, allegedly permitted to do so long ago by the Showa Emperor. My understanding that to have a piece made for you takes many months of waiting, and the products are of the very highest quality. Does this ring a bell with you. I can provide a copy of the mark.
Thanks if you can tell me the shop or know of it.
John

[Margaret Tessier]

Hello,
I collect china. In particular, those pieces made in Japan. Recently I purchased a delicate cream & sugar set with the maker's mark that read SHELTON over what looks like a plumme of 7 round feathers under which is written JAPAN. I have spent hours on the internet searching without results. Can you tell me what porcelain manufacturer in Japan goes under SHELTON or perhaps makes the SHELTON product?
Any help is much appreciate.

[Ann Devereaux]

Referring to Margaret Tessier's comment of 22 January 2008, I've recently been given a lovely teaset which belonged to my great grandmother. It, too, has Shelton, Japan, on the reverse with the same 7 feathers logo that Margaret mentions. Does anyone know anything about a Shelton factory in Japan?

[CW Hor]

I am a kind of a fan for Japanese pottery or Japanese tea cup to be exact. Planning to visit Japan again next year, anyone knows if there are like a 2 or 3 days Japanese pottery short course or workshop available for foreigners? I am really not sure if such thing is available.
Any help is very much appreciated.

[Robert Mangello]

Hello, where can i find someone to read some cups i have that are in Japanese? I believe they are from the edo period...Thanks, Robert

[Ray Kinnane]

I don't know where you live, but many Japanese consulates have an information service attached, and the folks who work in them, in my Australian experience, are usually very happy to oblige with such requests. Just drop in to one in a major city near you, take your cups along, and they will help you, I'm sure.