Our seasonal book display at the Travel Information Area now focuses on the Six Ancient Kilns.
The Six Ancient Kilns in the six pottery-producing regions are Echizen (in present-day Fukui Prefecture), Seto and Tokoname (Aichi Prefecture), Shigaraki (Shiga Prefecture), Tamba (Hyōgo Prefecture) and Bizen (Okayama Prefecture). Established between the 12th and 16th centuries, they continue to produce ceramics to the present day.
Koyama Fujio (1900-1975), an eminent researcher of ceramics, identified these ceramic production sites as having developed in Japan, separately from the ceramics technology introduced from the Korean Peninsula and China. The Six Ancient Kilns were designated Japan Heritage sites in 2017.
Inheriting Japan’s ancient ceramic techniques dating back to the stone age, works from the Six Ancient Kilns are often imposing in form, characterized by practicality, simplicity, and rustic charm. Except for ceramics from Seto, glaze is not applied; instead, high-temperature firing brings out the natural texture of local clays and unique patterns created by changes in the kiln during firing. Originally made for everyday use by ordinary people, its natural, imperfect beauty also resonates with the wabi-sabi aesthetic of Japanese practice of tea.
The display introduces each region, with a focus on books that explore the scope and beauty of each ceramic production site.