Izushi-yaki is porcelain made in Izushi-cho, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Its greatest feature is a translucent whiteness described as 'whiter than snow', and it is known as a production area centered on white porcelain (hakuji), which is rare in Japan. Its raw material is 'Kakitani porcelain stone', a stone of pure, clear whiteness found at Kakitani in Izushi-cho. It began in 1784 (Tenmei 4), in the late Edo period, when 伊豆屋弥左衛門, a wealthy Izushi merchant, opened a kiln for earthenware. In 1793 (Kansei 5), a potter from Hizen succeeded in firing porcelain, and the kiln later developed as a kiln of the Izushi domain. In the Meiji period, elaborate works with relief carving and openwork on white porcelain were made, and they won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Today, kilns in the castle town still make everything from everyday tableware to vases and ornaments. Izushi sara soba, a specialty of the castle town, is also served on small plates of Izushi-yaki. In 1980 (Showa 55) it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Origin
Izushi-yaki began in 1784 (Tenmei 4), when 伊豆屋弥左衛門, a wealthy Izushi merchant, opened a kiln for earthenware in 細見村, Izushi District (present-day Toyooka City). In 1793 (Kansei 5), a potter from Hizen succeeded in firing porcelain (some sources give the potter's origin as Hirado in Hizen). During the same Kansei era, a white porcelain stone that serves as the raw material for white porcelain was found at Kakitani in Izushi-cho, laying the foundation for today's Izushi-yaki. Note that some sources date the discovery of the porcelain stone to 1789 and others to 1799.
History
From 1799, or from around 1801, the Izushi domain ran the kilns, and in the Tenpo era (1830–1844), with the domain's encouragement, merchants in the castle town opened one kiln after another and production reached its peak. Many kilns closed amid the turmoil from the end of the Edo period into the Meiji era, but in 1876 '盈進社' was established with the aim of providing work for former samurai (shizoku) and improving Izushi-yaki, and in 1899 the Izushi Ceramics Testing Laboratory (出石陶磁器試験所) was also opened. Its elaborate white porcelain was highly regarded and won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. In 1980 it was designated a national Traditional Craft.
Features
The whiteness of Izushi-yaki comes from the local Kakitani porcelain stone. This stone, with its pure, natural whiteness, gives rise to a translucent, pure-white porcelain surface. Its fine texture and smooth feel are also characteristic. In decoration, 'white porcelain carving' (hakuji chokoku), relief carving and openwork that make the most of the white body, is well known, and its shading changes with the viewing angle. At the same time, sometsuke (underglaze blue) pieces painted in indigo and pieces with overglaze enamels (iroe) have also been made.
Techniques
White porcelain carving (hakuji chokoku)
A technique of applying relief carving, which makes patterns stand out, or openwork, which cuts through the body, to a shaped white porcelain body. In the Meiji period, such elaborate art pieces were made at 盈進社 and elsewhere, raising the reputation of white porcelain Izushi-yaki. Even when glazed, the whiteness does not become cloudy, and the shading of the carving stands out.
Sometsuke and iroe
In the Edo period, porcelain with sometsuke (a technique of painting with indigo pigment, applying a clear glaze and firing) modeled on Imari ware, as well as porcelain with overglaze enamels (iroe), was also made. According to Hyogo Prefecture, the sometsuke painter 鹿児島屋粛平 is said to have left outstanding works in the Ansei era.
Slip casting
A method of forming pieces by pouring liquid clay into plaster molds, used for ornaments such as animal figures. At 永澤兄弟製陶所, the pieces are dried, bisque-fired at about 800°C, glazed, and then given the main firing at 1,270°C to finish them as white porcelain ornaments.
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Artisans & Workshops
永澤兄弟製陶所
A pottery at 内町92-1, Izushi-cho, Toyooka City, in business since the Meiji period. While preserving tradition, it also proposes new designs. The fifth generation, 永澤仁, and others make white porcelain zodiac ornaments, and about 1,000 tiger ornaments were made for 2022. The workshop also offers painting experiences.
Official site →堀川陶房
A kiln at 東條1-4, Izushi-cho, Toyooka City. It makes many practical vessels for everyday life and offers reasonable prices through direct sales from the kiln. Open from 9:00 to 17:00; closed on the third Monday of each month. Visitors are welcome to drop in and look around.
Official site →How to Buy
- 上田陶磁器店 (ceramics shop)
- An Izushi-yaki shop in 八木, Izushi-cho, Toyooka City. Its spacious interior sells vessels and accessories, and also displays Edo-period Izushi-yaki known as 'Ko-Izushi' (old Izushi) and a collection of elaborate Meiji-period works. Open from 9:00 to 18:30; closed only on New Year's Day.
- Kilns in the Izushi castle town (kiln guide by the tourism association)
- Kilns are dotted around the Izushi castle town, such as 虹洋陶苑 (八木57, Izushi-cho), which makes molded pieces with a focus on white, and 山本製陶所 (本町106, Izushi-cho), which also makes distinctive objets. You can check each kiln's business hours on the website of the 但馬國出石観光協会 (Izushi tourism association).Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
永澤兄弟製陶所 絵付け体験
兵庫県豊岡市出石町内町92-1
You can paint designs on white porcelain vessels. The tourism association's kiln guide lists fees from about 1,260 yen for a teacup, but fees may change. Open from 10:00 to 16:00; closed during Obon and the New Year holidays.
View details →虹洋陶苑 絵付け体験
兵庫県豊岡市出石町八木57
A painting experience at a kiln that makes works with a focus on white. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes and can accommodate up to about 6 people. Fired pieces are shipped at a later date (shipping extra). Open from about 10:00 to 17:00; closed irregularly.
FAQ
Q. Is Izushi-yaki pottery or porcelain?
A. It is porcelain. It centers on white porcelain made from porcelain stone, and shifted from the earthenware (pottery) of the kiln's early days to porcelain in the Kansei era. It is a production area mainly of pure-white porcelain, which is rare in Japan.
Q. What is the connection between Izushi sara soba and Izushi-yaki?
A. Izushi sara soba is an Izushi specialty in which soba is served in small portions on several small Izushi-yaki plates and eaten with dipping broth from a tokkuri (a small flask-shaped pitcher) and condiments. The sight of the white plates stacked up is a familiar feature of the castle town.