A Brief Guide to Arita

 

If you have any interest in Japanese ceramics then Arita in Saga would be great to visit. If your interest is in Japanese porcelain then Arita is a must-visit.

In the area around Arita are numerous kilns, some still operating and some closed down.

Just outside town is the Arita porcelain park, a theme park with a German theme and an amazing replica of a Baroque German palace. It used to have exhibitions of historical ceramics but those have closed.

In the southern part of the town, near Arita station, is the large Kyushu Ceramics Museum which covers a lot of topics but is heavy on local porcelain. In the middle of town the Arita Ceramics Museum is much smaller but well worth a visit. To the north of the town next to the historic quarry where Japanese porcelain originated is yet another museum.

The main street of the town is lined with shops selling local porcelain, some more gallery-like and pricey, but many featuring "bargain bin" warehouses.

The whole, long street is a preservation district of traditional architecture, though as it almost all dates from the late 19th century following a major fire, there is a lot of western influence in the architecture.

As usual for me, I try to visit as many of the local shrines as I can, and in Arita the most popular is the Tozan Shrine featuring porcelain komainu and torii. You will also see Ebisu statues along the local roads as Hizen, the former name for Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, the Ebisu cult was very popular.

There are no particularly interesting temples in the town, though one does have some nice nio.

In the upper part of the town there are lots of working kilns and the  back streets have walls made out of recycled kiln bricks.

Kami Arita Station is at this end of town. The previous post on day 70 of my walk around Kyushu was on .a couple of local shrines.

Kyushu Ceramic Museum

 

The Kyushu Ceramic Museum is a large, modern museum devoted to ceramics produced in Kyushu but predominantly locally produced Arita ware. For anyone with an interest in ceramics it is a must visit site.

It is located on a hill not far from Arita JR railway station.

The museum has a collection of more than 30,000 pieces, about 1,500 of which are on display at any one time, so if you have been before, a later visit will have different works on display.

There are also temporary themed exhibitions as well as the changing exhibits from the permanent collection.

The museum has two big collections donated by private collectors, one focussing on Arita ware made for the domestic market and one exclusively on works exported.

There is also a gallery devoted to contemporary ceramics of Kyushu.

There are a couple of other, smaller museums in Arita specializing in ceramics, but this is the biggest.

The museum is one from 9 to 5 except Mondays. Entry is free.

The previous post in this series exploring Arita was on the famous porcelain shrine.

Satsuma Denshokan Museum

Satsuma Denshokan Museum

Ther Satsuma Denshokan is a private art museum located on the outskirts of Ibusuki in southern Kagoshima. The museum's primary focus is on ceramics produced in Satsuma, the former name of Kagoshima.

The architecture is based on Buddhist temples from the Heian Period, and with the large pool of water makes for some dramatic photography at the right time and under the right conditions.

The museum is a little pricey, but is well laid out, spacious, and with good displays with a fair amount of English.

Satsuma-ware was mostly made for export to the West and like the pottery traditions of many areas in West japan was based on Korean potters "brought" from Korea after Hideyoshi's failed war there.

The museum does have othere examples of arts from historic Satsuma too.....

Kujira Studios Exhibition

Went upriver yesterday to visit a friends ceramic exhibition. Operating under the name of Kujira Studios he opens his house and studio once a year for an exhibition of his latest work.

While the emphasis this year was on less expensive, more utilitarian works, there was still plenty of more arty pieces.

Photos from a previous exhibition can be found here

The exhibition runs until May 8th. and the studio is in Kamino village, Misato Town, about 40k from Miyoshi and Oda City.

A whole range of pieces were done in a new "Misato Blue" glaze.

Hakudo Hashimoto can be reached on 090 8361-8065, or rikihas7@ezweb.ne.jp

Kujira Ceramic Studio

Went upriver about an hour yesterday to visit the village of Iwami Tsuga in Misato Town to see the opening exhibition of Kujira Ceramics Studio.

Hakudo Hashimoto, a Kyushu native, moved to the area last year after spending a couple of years in the Dominican republic setting up ceramic workshops there. He built a huge kiln and the current show is the first work that came out of it.

The exhibition is in his house and studio and runs until the 20th May. It is located just off Route 375 running along the Gonokawa River about 30 minutes downstream from Miyoshi, Hiroshima.

Kujira Ceramic Studio
696--0702
143 Ueno, Misato-cho
Ochi-gun, Shimane

Tel: 090 8361 8065
email rikihas7@ezweb.ne.jp