On the last day, we went to Hasami, a town of pottery. We rented bicycles and found our favorite things and ways to spend our time, including small kilns, select shops, and beautiful rice field scenery. We also rode up the mountain and suddenly came across Nakaoyama, a pottery village. At the top of the mountain, there is the Nakaoyama Community Center, from which you can see the remains of the world's largest climbing kiln and a landscape with many chimneys.
Start your Hasami trip by finding your favorite pottery studio at Kurawankan (Pottery Museum)!
Take a bus bound for Ureshino from Sasebo Station to Hasami-cho, a town of pottery. Buses leaving Sasebo Station may not arrive on time due to congestion in the city, so it's a good idea to allow yourself plenty of time to get there.
The first place you should visit in Hasami is Kurawankan and the Pottery Park next to it.
The secret to an efficient Hasami tour is to first find your favorite kiln among the many works by potters at Kurawankan, and then visit the actual pottery studio. At the pottery studio, you can carefully choose your favorite pottery while listening to the potter's owner's story. You may also be able to purchase your favorite pottery at a lower price than at the market!
At the Ceramics Park, you can see kilns from around the world. The open-bottle kilns and the walls covered in tiles are great photo spots, so don't miss them.
From Saga Prefecture to Nagasaki Prefecture, ceramic production areas are scattered throughout the "Hizen Pottery Region."
Hasami has a 400-year history of pottery, centered around Nakaoyama, but it wasn't until around 2000 that it "stood on its own" as "Hasami ware." Until then, all products made in Hasami were sold to the public as "Arita ware" from Saga Prefecture. However, Hasami ware has now become popular as durable, easy-to-use tableware that is colorful, stylish, and fits into any lifestyle, and the "Hasami ware" brand has become firmly established.
We depart from Sasebo Station on this day. We head to Hasami Town by bus. Although we will pass through it this time, this bus bound for Ureshino also passes through an area famous for "Mikawachi ware" on the way from Sasebo to Ureshino via Hasami.
When touring the town of Hasami ware, the first place you should stop by is the "Kurawankan (Pottery Museum)." You can get information at the tourist association and rent bicycles there.
There is a wide selection of items that will answer your question, "What is Hasami ware?" You can also find a pottery manufacturer that suits your taste. You can also see works from surrounding areas such as Arita ware.
Hasami ware has many modern and practical designs.
If you shop here, you can leave your items there and pick them up on your way home.
Right in front of the building is "Yakimono Park." The toilets are tiled and cute!
"World Kiln Square." Here, kilns from all over the world are exhibited outdoors. There are many different shapes of kilns.
Kilns are designed to circulate the fire efficiently inside and maintain a high temperature. It is interesting to see how there are so many variations depending on the era and region, even though the purpose is the same.
It is an open-bottle kiln. There is another room inside where pottery is lined up and fired, with smoke coming out from the top.
Hasami ware is said to be a ware that can be made with anything. It is also adept at drawing pictures and maps with tiles.
This wall art, also used in the top image of this article, features shards lined up all over the wall. From a distance it looks like a painting, but up close you can see the intricacy of each color.
Coconut milk curry from Nishikai Pottery's "OYANE" and Nishinohara Cafe "Monne Rugi Mukku".
I went to "OYANE" to see modern tableware. The large roof that gives it its name is symbolic and represents the roof of the workshop. The entire building has a story, and I was immediately drawn into the world of Hasami. Beautiful hand-drawn designs, blue and white porcelain, and tableware that fits comfortably in the hand are tastefully displayed. I was able to see tableware that exuded the delicacy and refinement that can only be expressed through hand-made work, as well as sharp silhouettes.
Nishinohara is located in the center of Hasami town and is so popular that all tourists who come to Hasami always stop by. It is a complex space that was originally the office and wheel workshop of a pottery company, but has now been renovated into a cafe and general goods store.
Cafe Monne Legi Muc is full to capacity as soon as it opens for lunch. The interior is made of old, well-worn wood and has rows of sofas, creating a relaxing space. The dishes on which the popular curry and quiche are served are also Hasami ware, fired in a nearby pottery. Using the dishes will only pique your interest in Hasami ware, and it is only when you actually try them that you can truly appreciate their quality.
We immediately rented bicycles and headed to a wonderful shop in the center of Hasami Town called "OYANE."
The store's construction is also packed with Hasami's story. The fence at the entrance is made of Hasami porcelain stone.
The large roof that you can crawl through is based on the motif of a factory or workshop.
If you look up at the roof and then look down, you will see many Hasami ware fragments scattered all over the place.
Then we step into the modern interior of the store.
Inside the store. The cylindrical object at the back and the stacked block-like objects are called "boshi" in this region.
A "sakabachi" is also called a "saya," and is a container in which vessels can be placed and stacked efficiently when firing.
The store is packed with many other ideas and passion for pottery. It's also nice that the items are displayed in an easy-to-see manner, like in a museum.
This shop sells carefully selected products from skilled potters, from classic patterns to modern designs. I ended up spending a lot of time shopping for myself...!
Next, we plan to ride a rental bicycle up the hill. The rental bicycle is electrically assisted. Before that, we stop at a cafe to have lunch.
We went to "Monne Legui Mook" in Nishinohara. This warm wooden shop was once the office of a pottery manufacturer.
Natural light pours in through the wooden-framed windows with Showa-era style glass, creating a very cozy space.
I wanted to spend a relaxing and calm time here, but as soon as the restaurant opened, it was packed with customers. For lunch, we had the popular coconut milk curry.
The colorful vegetables give me energy and make me feel like I can do my best in the afternoon.
The side dishes in the set include carrot rapée and salmon quiche.
The dishes are Hasami ware. These are from "WAZAN", which is close to the cafe. I bought some to take home too!
The chicken-based coconut milk curry is creamy and mild. I added some fish sauce and jalapenos to change the flavor and finished it all.
Nishinohara is a must-visit spot when you come to Hasami. There are also general goods stores and tableware shops.
From here on, it's all about stamina! We cycle all the way up to Mt. Nakao.
There are many signs and the directions are easy to follow. However, the weather is so nice that I can't stop sweating... (laughs) Finally, we've reached Nakaoyama!
Winding roads and kilns lined with chimneys. Nakaoyama is a pottery town with a beautiful old townscape.
We climbed the road lined with rice terraces to Nakaoyama. From the narrow roads along the river to the back alleys further back, you can enjoy a leisurely tour of the pottery studios in the midst of nature. Nakaoyama was a major producer of "Kurawanka bowls," which were everyday tableware for the common people in the Edo period, and "Complaint bottles," which were bottles shaped like sake bottles for export and soy sauce. There was a time when almost 100% of the people living here were involved in some kind of work related to tableware.
First, we stopped off at "Akaikura." Akaikura was originally a pottery factory. The former house, built in 1890, is a registered tangible cultural property and is a must-see. The shop sells a variety of carefully selected tableware, including Hasami ware.
The Nakaoyama Community Center is located at the top of a hill, where you can see not only the pottery of many kilns, but also the remains of the climbing kilns. With a great view of the chimneys of many kilns, we were able to hear a lot about the history of Nakaoyama.
We were shown the actual production site at the pottery studio, so we hope you will enjoy reading the photos and explanations.
This time, I traveled mainly in the northern part of the prefecture. There are many towns with different characteristics, such as Nagasaki City, Isahaya, Amakusa, and the airport area where the Omura Domain was located, and Nagasaki felt very large. Furthermore, Nagasaki Prefecture has the most islands, so it may be the most difficult prefecture in Japan to travel throughout the entire prefecture.
If I have the opportunity to come back, I would like to take my time and explore each town at my own pace.
We have arrived at "Mt. Nakao". The climbing kiln, which is also the logo, is located on Mt. Nakao. The first and second largest climbing kilns in the world are both located on Mt. Nakao.
A landscape of many chimneys lined up. A town where pottery has been made along with the lives of ordinary people since the Edo period. This is truly a pottery village.
Even the handrails on the bridge are made of pottery. The whole town is filled with pottery, and you are drawn into the world of pottery. There was a time when almost 100% of the people in this area were employed in some kind of pottery-related job. It was so busy that even women worked there, and the whole town made its living from pottery.
"Utsuwadokoro Akaikura." The shop is housed in the old house that was built when Kaju, the founder of Ogawa Pottery, started his wholesale business. It is a nationally designated registered tangible cultural property. It is in such good condition that it is hard to believe it is a historical building from the Meiji period. They also sell antiques and other items that you won't find in other stores, so it's a shop you'll want to take your time to explore.
The chopstick rests for mayonnaise, ketchup, tartar sauce, and sauce are adorable.
The marimo pattern is an original design by Akaikura.
The hill continues with gentle curves. When you reach Nakaoyama Community Center, you can see the whole town. We finally made it this far! It was hot, so we took a short break.
"Compliance bottles" were made in large quantities in Nakaoyama. They were baked and hardened so they did not leak, and were used to fill with soy sauce and sake for export.
From the balcony with a great view, we could see the remains of a huge climbing kiln. Nakaoyama is also home to the remains of the world's largest climbing kiln, which made mass production possible even during the Edo period.
There are many pieces of pottery from Nakaoyama potteries on display here. We were also shown newspaper articles and stories about Nakaoyama's past.
We also went to Kanaya Shrine, where there is a talisman with a compliance bottle motif. The talisman was invented to promote the town. The talisman is rare and has a delicate design that is attractive.
This is the oldest and most prestigious shrine in Hasami. It is an ancient shrine located deep in the mountains, at the end of a very steep slope. I heard that at one time there was a constant line of people waiting to buy amulets. It has also been featured in the media a lot as a shrine with cute amulets associated with the city of porcelain.
We headed to the pottery studio that was introduced to us at Akaikura. The studio is called "Ichimashigama".
The sharp patterns drawn with a plane, which we also saw at OYANE, highlight the sharp edges of the smooth surface.
Afterwards, I stopped by the select shop "One Clay" where I was able to see the Kazuma Kiln pottery. It was pure white and looked easy to use. I was excited to see that it was the same one I had seen before it was fired.
When you hold it up to the light it becomes transparent. Kazuma Kiln is amazing!!
The last place we visited was the pottery studio "Shohogama," known for its eye-catching indigo blue pottery.
We visited the workshop and were shown how the painting is done. The craftsman painted these tasteful pictures with ease.
The potters of Hasami have been sharing various techniques with each other. Perhaps it is because they have been able to improve each other in this way that they have been able to create the "Hasami" brand together and make it grow to what it is today.
We enjoyed our last day in Hasami Town and then headed to the airport. This time in Nagasaki, we used buses and rental bicycles, and it was a relaxed trip, adding and removing destinations while receiving advice along the way. It was my first time in Sasebo and Hirado, and my second time in Hasami. Personally, it was a very satisfying trip.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
