A (Very) Rustic Ceramics Factory

Another unexpected countryside delight

Tristan Scholze Mar 24, 2013 - 1 min read

A chimney of creativity in the neighborhood

Crates full of ceramics lie on the roadside in the pottery town of Arita

On the right bank of the stream, the small studio shows its age with crumbling brick structures

A few items for sale lined the courtyard outside

Ubiquitous azaleas are in full bloom in April and May here during the ceramics festival

"Free" (in red) is a good Japanese word to learn

Some call it "junk," but it was an ancient castle to me

This drying shed may still lie across the street; the attached bowls are characteristic in this region

I found the window of the main building striking

Storage crates in the showroom with some of the maker's last products

The in-shop shop had a few items left for sale

Unadorned plates await their fate in the adjacent workshop space

Hisamitsu--the maker's name; this factory has gone, but many small ceramics makers live on in Arita

Free treasures taken home; a virtual high-five to whoever guesses the one purchased item in the comments!

Small dishes like these combine artistic design and function; they're also good for homemade kokedama, or moss balls

The town of Arita is synonymous with pottery. My first visit was during the annual Golden Week ceramics festival, but I couldn’t find it and drove around the town feeling a bit disappointed. On one narrow lane, however, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a few crates on the roadside with the magic word, “Free!”

Behind this offer of myriad-shaped teacups and dishes appeared a nearly abandoned ceramics factory, soon to close, but open for exploration. Spanning a small river, the left bank housed the shop, showroom, workshop, kiln, one welcoming old man, and one friendly old hound. On the right bank, a smaller studio was already being reclaimed by time and nature. Walking the grounds and workshop my mind blended the scene from my eyes and my imaginative vision of years past when energy from living artists thrived here.

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Tristan Scholze @tristan.scholze

I'm also known as Faer Out. I love learning about people and nature. I've traveled around the world and throughout Japan, and I hope to continue seeing and experiencing the wonder of this planet as long as I live.Based in Japan for nearly two decades, I'm a Japan Travel expert for Fukuoka and Sag...