In the mid-Edo period, local craftsmen learned pottery techniques from potters in what is now Yamaguchi Prefecture, and began producing small items such as IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) pitchers and sake bottles in the Iwami ware style.
It is said that about 20 years later, large ceramic products resembling water jars were introduced from Bizen in what is now Okayama Prefecture.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. Excavated soil is produced by elutriation.

  2. Forming shall be done by wheel throwing, mold pressing, or slab forming.

  3. When applying patterns to the base material, the following methods may be used: comb marks, spatula marks, brush marks, carving, decorative coating, pouring, or flying plane.

  4. When painting, the underglaze should be done by hand. In this case, the paints should be cobalt blue pigment or iron pigment.

  5. Glazing shall be done by dipping or ladle application. In this case, the glaze shall be transparent glaze, amber glaze, black glaze, Kimachi glaze, Iroho glaze, white glaze, or ash glaze.

   

  raw materials

  1. The clay used shall be Uno white clay, Uno red clay, or a material of equivalent quality.

  2. The slip used shall be Uno white clay or a material of equivalent quality.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  Step 1: Mixing

  The basic procedure involves drying the excavated raw soil in 30-40 cm clods under a roof for at least six months. This is because drying makes it easier for the clay to disperse in water during subsequent processes. At the same time, harmful components contained in the raw soil become more soluble in water, and certain harmful components solidify, making them easier to remove.

  

  Step 2: Elutratory dehydration

  The raw soil is dispersed in water to create a muddy mixture. Then, coarse particles such as sand and gravel are removed from the dispersed muddy mixture. After the muddy mixture has been dewatered using a strainer, it is transferred to a mortar and dried naturally until the moisture content reaches approximately 25%.

  

  Step 3: Kikuneri (chrysanthemum kneading)

  After thoroughly kneading the dehydrated clay, it is kneaded again to the size used on the potter's wheel to completely remove any air bubbles.

  

  Step 4: Wheel-thrown

  The clay, kneaded to the required consistency for one product, is placed on a potter's wheel, and shaped using a ladle (inside) and the palm of the hand (outside). One product is made from one lump of clay.
  Furthermore, when creating extra-large pieces (such as large jars of around 72 liters), there is a technique where one or two other people pull the rope to rotate the potter's wheel, matching the pace of the person leading the work. In particular, with IWAMI Yaki (Pottery), a distinctive feature is that the rope is wrapped once around the base of the potter's wheel, and a stake is placed in the ground to prevent slipping when pulling with force.

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  工程5： 乾燥

  The molded parts are then dried.

  

  Step 6: Firing

  Bisque firing involves firing the product at 800°C to ensure better adhesion of the glaze. In the past, skilled craftsmen relied solely on their intuition to determine when 800°C was reached and when the fire was stopped, based on the condition of the climbing kiln.

  

  Step 7: Glazing

  A. Ladle Glazing (Large Products) – After sprinkling water on the bottom of the product, apply "internal glazing" (glazing the inside) with a ladle. Then, return any excess glaze from the inside to a halgiri (a container-like thing for glaze) and place the product upside down on a "watashi". Apply glaze to the outside of the product with a ladle. Quickly remove any glaze that has accumulated around the rim with your fingers. Once the glazing is complete, place a base plate under the product and have two people stand it upright, clean the edges with a brush, and let it dry.

  

  Step 8: Dipping (for small products)

  Immerse the product, holding its base, into a bucket or similar container filled with glaze.

  Step 9: Kiln stacking

  They are carefully stacked one by one into the kiln.

  Step 10: Firing

  It is baked in a kiln.

   

• Close-up

  Close-up

  We continue to fire IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) the spirit nurtured in everyday life.

  The Iwami region has a long history of producing climbing kilns and was known as a production center for "large earthenware jars" during the Edo period. While continuing to make large earthenware jars called "daihando" and smaller water jars, the region has adapted to the changing times and the evolving lifestyles of its people, producing a wide variety of everyday pottery.
  Even though the demand for large earthenware jars has decreased, they continue to produce large earthenware jars regularly using the traditional "shinozukuri" technique to preserve the art of making them, thus continuing to burn the spirit of IWAMI Yaki (Pottery).

   

  The "Daihando" is an extra-large vat mainly used for indigo dyeing.

  Using 200 kg of clay, it takes three people about a month to shape it. The technique is called "shinozukuri." Clay is rolled into ropes thicker than an arm and carried on the shoulders, then piled up on the potter's wheel. Two people pull the rope on the wheel in a tug-of-war-like fashion, working in unison to turn it slowly, repeating the process 7 to 8 times, working on the bottom, waist, and shoulders, until it is complete.
  We spoke with Haruo Shimada, one of the few traditional craftspeople who still carries on this unique manufacturing technique.

  

  A view of Mr. Shimada's workshop.

  "Well, there were tough times, but I've forgotten about them now."

  In the vicinity of Gotsu City, where pottery has been produced for centuries, "Oohando" (large hand-woven pottery) was mass-produced during the Meiji era, and at its peak, there were over 100 kilns. However, in the 1950s, with the spread of plastic containers and tap water, demand plummeted. "Oohando" has become a rare sight in everyday life.
  Looking back on that time, Shimada told us this:
  "When you talk about IWAMI Yaki (Pottery), the large hand-shaped pottery is synonymous with it. It sold really well from the Meiji era until the end of World War II. After all, it was a necessity of life back then. My father opened his kiln in 1935, so including my apprenticeship, I've been involved with IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) for over 60 years. Back then, it was incredibly busy, with sales just piling up."
  "But in the 1950s, with Japan's rapid economic growth and the widespread availability of water supply systems, and with the influx of lightweight and easy-to-handle plastic products, production came to a sudden halt. I was still young then, so I went to various pottery-producing regions throughout the country to study. It was there that I began proposing new products such as umbrella stands and pickle jars, while making use of traditional techniques."

  

  IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) mug drying

  "The hands that make rice cookers and the hands that make dishes are different."

  "Back then, we had almost no information from wholesalers, and of course, no advice. So, we had absolutely no idea what was happening in the market. But then the folk craft boom hit in the 1960s, and IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) started to get the spotlight." "But then someone told me, 'The hands that make utensils and the hands that make tableware are different (the techniques for making large pieces are different from the techniques for making tableware that people put in their mouths. Don't take it lightly.)'" Those words ignited Shimada's innate competitive spirit, and he worked tirelessly, developing and manufacturing pottery with the unique rustic texture and warmth of IWAMI Yaki (Pottery). While being influenced by the changing times, Shimada has steadfastly preserved the mainstream traditions and techniques of IWAMI Yaki (Pottery), and continues to work actively to this day. He truly embodies the spirit of a Japanese craftsman.

  Tradition and techniques continue to be passed down along with the spirit.

  "When you talk about tradition, if you're just clinging to the old ways, it's long gone. I'm the second generation, having taken over from my father, but I often tell my son, the third generation (Takayuki Shimada), and my grandson, the fourth generation (Kentaro Shimada), 'Don't rest on your laurels with tradition. It's important to be supported by the market. You have to keep learning until you die. If you forget how to challenge yourself, quit your job.'"
  Without a doubt, Haruo Shimada is a top-notch person, both as a craftsman and as a human being.

  

  Haruo Shimada, who has been making IWAMI Yaki (Pottery) pottery for 64 years.

  Anecdotes

  The oldest existing document on "IWAMI Yaki (Pottery)"

  In the Iwami region, there is a record that Saito Ichirozaemon, who served in the Bunroku-Keicho War (1592-1610) led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, brought back Lee Rang-ja, a Korean potter, and opened a Chinese kiln. Plates and mortars excavated at Takatori-yaki and HAGI Yaki (Pottery) have been confirmed to be similar to those unearthed in this region. Kilns that were established after the Bunroku-Keicho War, such as KARATSU Yaki (Pottery)-yaki, Takatori-yaki, and Hagi-HAGI Yaki (Pottery) are considered to be the origin of Japanese pottery and are valued as some of the most important kilns in the history of ceramics. This also applies to the "Chinese kiln," as it is known that artifacts fired at that kiln were coated with ash glaze.

  It is believed that the production of authentic pottery in the Iwami region began when a certain Morita from Gozu Village (present-day Gozu City) learned the Karatsu ware technique, which was either Korean or of a similar origin, from Irie Rokuro of the Suo Iwakuni Domain in April of Kanryaku 13 (1765), and that the technique for making small items was born and produced in Iwami.
  Meanwhile, historical records indicate that around 1781, a craftsman came to Gozu Village from Bizen Province and taught the techniques of making rough pottery and large pieces. With these two streams of large and small pieces entering the region, and influenced by the demands of the times, the Iwami region, which had an abundance of high-quality clay, established the foundation of "IWAMI Yaki (Pottery)" towards the end of the Edo period.
  During the Bunka-Bunsei era (1804-1829), the number of kilns increased rapidly throughout Japan. In the Iwami region, there are surviving documents and descriptions related to requests for permission to produce round pottery.

  The "Yato Sutra Mound" was constructed in May of Bunsei 2 (1819). The jars containing the "One Stone, One Sutra" excavated from this mound are believed to predate this construction, but they are important as the oldest existing examples of "IWAMI Yaki (Pottery)."