In the mid-Edo period, the feudal lord wanted to help the domain's finances by having porcelain produced using local pottery stone, and so he brought potters from Hizen, which is now Nagasaki Prefecture, a region known for its porcelain production.
After the Meiji Restoration, the region expanded its production as a center for tableware destined for Southeast Asia. However, after the war, under the guidance of figures like Soetsu Yanagi, it transformed from a mass-production center into a center for traditional porcelain crafts that emphasized handmade and hand-painted items.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. The molding shall be done by wheel throwing, press molding, hand twisting, or hammering.

  2. When decorating the base material, the method shall be line engraving, stamping, pasting, relief carving, slip trailing, or flying plane.

  3. When applying underglaze decoration, it must be done by hand. In this case, the pigment used must be cobalt blue or "tea cobalt blue".

  4. Glazing shall be done by dipping or pouring. In this case, the glaze shall be "transparent glaze," "celadon glaze," or "Tenmoku glaze."

  5. When applying overglaze decoration, it must be done by hand.

   

  raw materials

  The pottery stone to be used must be either "Tobe pottery stone" or "Takanogawa pottery stone".

• Work scene

  Work scene

  Pottery making is mainly divided into the following processes: "clay preparation," "shaping," "glazing and decoration," and "firing." Here, we will mainly introduce the "clay preparation" and "wheel shaping" processes of TOBE Yaki (Porcelain).

  Process 1: Soil preparation – from quarrying to making pottery clay.

  Because Tobe is located on the Median Tectonic Line, it is geologically blessed with pottery stone, the raw material for porcelain. The excavated pottery stone is washed and sorted, and inferior parts are broken off with a hammer. During its heyday in the Meiji period, there were 50 waterwheels, and the pottery stone was crushed with pestles. Even today, one waterwheel remains in operation at a pottery kiln. It is said that crushing the pottery stone with a pestle creates particles of various sizes and shapes, which gives the clay a sticky texture. The crushed pottery stone is refined by gravity separation in a water tank. This is called elutriation. During this time, iron is removed using a magnet. After squeezing out the water, feldspar, clay, etc. are added to create the clay. Currently, crushing with a ball mill is common. French pebbles, which are harder than the raw pottery stone, are added to the crushed pottery stone and water, and the crushing process takes 25 to 45 hours. The granular ceramic stone is put through a filter press and compressed for about two hours to remove impurities such as water, sand, and iron oxide, creating the clay for pottery.

  

  Step 2: Soil preparation - mixing the soil -

  Newly made clay is uneven in consistency, has little viscosity, and is low in density, containing air bubbles. If fired as is, it will develop holes. Therefore, the clay is kneaded uniformly using a vacuum clay mixer before shaping. This kneading process was once done by hand. The wrinkles created during kneading resemble chrysanthemum flowers, hence the name "chrysanthemum kneading." It took three years to master chrysanthemum kneading, and it is said that one was not allowed to use a potter's wheel until they had mastered it.

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  Step 3: Wheel-throwing

  TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is handcrafted using a potter's wheel, which gives it a warm feel. In Tobe, electric potter's wheels were introduced in 1955. Tobe clay is hard, and it loses its elasticity if water is added too much, so shaping requires strength. First, the clay is placed on the potter's wheel and tapped with both hands to center it. While the wheel is rotating, the elbows of both hands are pressed down to press down on the clay, and the clay is kneaded well by raising and lowering it to make it conform to the wheel. This is called "killing the clay." Then, excess clay is removed, and the piece is shaped while creating a constriction. This is called "removing the clay." Tools used for shaping include trowels, spatulas (to smooth the curves of the vessel), measuring tools (to measure the width and depth of the vessel), leather scrapers (to finish the rim), slicers (to separate the shaped piece from the bottom), measuring tools (to measure the height of the vessel), and planes for the final trimming stage. It takes 10 years to train to use a potter's wheel, and the craftsman's fingertips are everything in this job.
  In addition, Tobe also employs other techniques such as hand-molding, slip casting (pouring clay into plaster molds), coil molding, and slab molding.
  Sometimes, carvings or other decorations are applied while the clay is still slightly damp after molding. Afterwards, if any moisture remains, cracks may form during firing, so the clay is thoroughly dried using sunlight or residual heat.

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  工程4： 素焼き

  Bisque firing is performed to make painting and glazing easier. In Tobe, electric kilns have been used since around 1965. After placing the pieces in the kiln, the temperature is slowly raised to 950 degrees Celsius over 18 hours, fired for 1-2 hours, and finally the temperature is gradually lowered to 900-850 degrees Celsius before stopping. Since bisque firing allows pieces to be stacked, more pieces can be fired than in the final firing.

  

  Step 5: Underpainting

  Most pieces are hand-painted using traditional methods, with each design individually applied. When painted with a pigment containing iron called Gosu, the piece takes on the characteristic indigo color of TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) after firing. Furthermore, to achieve subtle or diverse colors, the pieces are painted after the initial firing and then fired again at approximately 800 degrees Celsius.

  

  Process 6: Glazing

  A glaze is applied to the underglaze, with a thickness of 1 to 2 millimeters. The glaze is made from porcelain stone, lime, and wood ash. This process creates a glassy sheen on the surface after firing.

  

  Step 7: Final firing

  The pieces are fired at 1300 degrees Celsius for 15 to 24 hours. After cooling completely for a full day and night, they are removed from the kiln. In Tobe, gas kilns were introduced around 1968, but before that, they used climbing kilns fueled by pine wood, and the firing process took a week.

  

   

• Close-up

  Close-up

  TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) born from the recycling of local whetstones.

  Tobe Town, located on the outskirts of Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture, is the leading pottery town in Shikoku. Tobe ware originated during the An'ei era of the Edo period, over 220 years ago, when the Ozu Domain began developing porcelain using scraps of Iyo TOBE Yaki (Porcelain), a local specialty, in order to rebuild its finances.

   

  The history of TOBE Yaki (Porcelain)

  Tobe has a long history of pottery. During the Kofun period in the 6th and 7th centuries, earthenware such as Sue ware was produced, and pottery was made until porcelain production began in the Edo period. The Tobe area, like Arita and Amakusa, is located on the Median Tectonic Line, so it is blessed with pottery stone, the raw material for porcelain. Using locally produced pottery stone, climbing kilns that utilize the slopes of the mountains, and abundant pine as fuel, porcelain production flourished, and even today, there are about 90 kilns lined up along the coast.

  

  Mr. Sakai is making a potter's wheel.

  The appeal of TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) lies in its handmade, hand-painted, and practical qualities.

  TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is characterized by its simple designs, such as patterns drawn in the indigo blue of gosu (cobalt blue) on a slightly grayish white background. Its handmade and hand-painted charm, along with its slightly thick, practical folk-art style, has made it widely accepted and cherished as an integral part of daily life. In the past, TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) production was a collaborative effort involving many people, but now, with the introduction of mechanization and electric and gas kilns, family-run production is possible, and various everyday items such as vases and tableware are made by hand by skilled artisans.

  

  Carving a camellia into the still-soft surface.

  The ingenuity and resourcefulness of craftsmen who turn weaknesses into strengths.

  "TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is said to be thick, but there are many thin pieces as well," says Yoshito Sakai, a ceramic artist from Tobe. The impression that TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is thick is because, unlike Arita ware, which has a white surface and transmits light well, TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) 's raw material, pottery stone, contains a lot of iron, so it is not pure white and does not transmit light well. "Although we cannot compete with others in terms of whiteness, I wanted to make the most of this weakness," says Sakai, who has been researching his own glazes and creating fresh, pale bluish-white porcelain for 30 years. Sakai showed us how to make a pot. Sakai's potter's wheel is a unique one-handed technique that requires great skill. In just about 10 minutes, he made a pot from a lump of clay, and on the still soft surface, he used his grandfather's boxwood spatula, who was a ceramic painter, like a paintbrush to carve a camellia. When he expanded the indented camellia, a single camellia flower bloomed on the porcelain surface. The three-dimensional, textured decorations are also something that Mr. Sakai has been thinking about and devising for many years, wanting to make the most of the handcrafted nature of his work using a potter's wheel.

  

  Works by Yoshito Sakai

  The open and open nature of Tobe

  Mr. Sakai began using the potter's wheel in his 30s, forming a study group called "Towa-kai" with other young artisans to learn the technique. He found it incredibly rewarding to be able to create shapes from intangible clay as he wished. Although Mr. Sakai possessed sufficient skills to make a living, in his 20s he experimented with sculpting on pottery stone and creating avant-garde ceramic designs. In 1975, Mr. Sakai won an award at the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition, making TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) widely known, but his words at the time were, "I would regret it if I only sold it." Mr. Sakai says, "TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is indigenous, but the culture of Tobe is one of openness, mutual teaching, and welcoming to outsiders." In Tobe, there is an atmosphere where anyone can drop by a pottery studio and take a look around without hesitation.

  TOBE Yaki (Porcelain)

  "I want people to use my pottery and enjoy it," says Sakai, "and I want to create TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) that blends naturally into everyday life." His dream is to create TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) that is timeless, endearing, and warm. When asked about his future dreams, he said, "I want it to be promoted even more as a local industry. And I want young people to further develop TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) based on the efforts of their predecessors." There are many young successors in Tobe, and the activities of the Towa-kai, which Sakai and others started, continue to this day. Although Sakai says he has high hopes for the younger generation, one can still sense the youthful passion he has for his creations.

  

  The pale blue shading of the carved camellia is beautiful.

  Craftsman Profile

  Yoshito Sakai

  Born in Tobe in 1931 (Showa 6).
  Having studied under his grandfather, Joun Sakai, a ceramic painter, he entered the world of pottery 50 years ago. He is a certified traditional craftsman specializing in pottery wheel techniques.

  

  Anecdotes

  In Tobe, you can enjoy the history of pottery amidst nature.

  Nestled between Mt. Shoji and the Tobe River, Tobe offers a chance to enjoy both nature and the history of pottery. Like Kyoto and Arita, Tobe lies on Japan's Median Tectonic Line, making it rich in pottery stone, the raw material for porcelain. This Median Tectonic Line can be seen on both banks of the Tobe River at the Tobe Thrust Fault Park, a natural monument. Now a park, it is a place of tranquility for people. At the Mizumata Kofun Park on the nature-rich Konpira Mountain, numerous 7th-century burial mounds and earthenware such as Sue ware have been discovered, and visitors can see reconstructed burial mounds, haniwa kilns, and pit dwellings. Furthermore, the Toishiyama Park is the site of a quarry for Iyo whetstone, which was famous throughout Japan since ancient times. The development of TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) began with the reuse of the whetstone waste. TOBE Yaki (Porcelain) is a gift to us, created by the people and nature of Tobe.

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    Mizumata Kofun Park

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    Tobe Thrust Fault Park (Natural Monument)