Tamba-yaki is one of the Six Old Kilns of Japan, along with Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Bizen, and Echizen. The origin of Tamba-yaki goes back to the Heian or Kamakura Period. Here in Tamba, they have produced ceramics for at least 800 years.
The clay manufacturing factory prepares pottery clay to support the production of Tamba-yaki. Clay is the essence of pottery. The factory is basically the only manufacturer of pottery clay for Tamba-yaki.
The artisans of Tamba-yaki used to dig out raw soil by strip mining, sift and filter the soil to make pottery clay at each pottery. The pottery clay preparation was time and labor consuming, and the process accounted for nearly 50% of the labor for pottery production.
In 1963, the pottery clay manufacturing factory managed by the Tamba-yaki union began to operate. The factory reduced labor significantly and the factory currently prepares most of the pottery clay used for Tamba-yaki production.
You may picture an artist working on a potter’s wheel or kiln when you think of pottery. However, in fact, clay preparation is as important.
The factory is an important base that supports artisans.
