Nakai Kiln (Nakai Gama) is a mingei kiln in Nakai, Kawahara Town, Tottori City. In Tottori Prefecture's materials it is listed under the name 'Inshu Nakai Kiln (Inshu Nakai Gama)'. It began in 1945 (Showa 20), when the first generation, 坂本俊郎, built a climbing kiln. The second generation, Sakamoto Chikao, worked on Shinsaku Mingei under the guidance of Yoshida Shoya, a mingei activist from Tottori, and in 1952 received the name 'Ushinoto-yaki Waki-gama' (branch kiln of Ushinoto Ware) from Yoshida. Its signature works are 'somewake' dishes in which green, black and white glazes are divided on a single vessel. In 2000 the third generation, 坂本章, released vessels made under the direction of the industrial designer Yanagi Sori. Its modern dishes with divided glazes have become widely known. Using local mountain clay and straw-ash glazes it makes itself, the kiln continues to make vessels that are useful in daily life. It is designated a Tottori Prefecture Local Craft.
Origin
Nakai Kiln began in 1945, when the first generation, 坂本俊郎, built a climbing kiln in what is now Nakai, Kawahara Town. The second generation, Sakamoto Chikao, took up pottery in 1948 and worked on Shinsaku Mingei under the guidance of Yoshida Shoya. The kiln received the name 'Ushinoto-yaki Waki-gama' from Yoshida in 1952, and the name 'Ushinoto-yaki Nakai-gama' in 1962.
History
Chikao won a prize at the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition (日本民藝館展) for the first time in 1955, and in 1987 was certified as a Tottori Prefecture Certified Traditional Craftsperson. Chikao later also received guidance from 久野恵一 and had many works selected for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition. In 1996 the third generation, 坂本章, renamed the kiln 'Inshu Nakai Kiln'. In 2000 the kiln released 'Yanagi Direction' vessels supervised by Yanagi Sori through fennica, a label of BEAMS. The following year, in 2001, 坂本章 received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Prize (日本民藝館賞).
Features
The crisp color contrast of green, black and white glazes divided on a single vessel is Nakai Kiln's hallmark. The somewake design devised by Yoshida Shoya became the kiln's signature work through the ingenuity of the second and third generations. The kiln refines local mountain clay itself and makes its glazes from the ash of rice straw. It is a Shinsaku Mingei kiln of Tottori alongside Ushinoto Ware, but a prefectural survey has been revealing that Yoshida guided the two kilns in different ways.
Techniques
Somewake and kakewake (divided glazing)
A technique of applying several glazes, such as green, black and white, in separate sections on a single vessel. Nakai Kiln carries on the somewake design devised by Yoshida Shoya and also makes vessels that add white to green and black. The third generation, 坂本章, is said to have received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Prize for a large platter divided into three colors.
Clay preparation by suihi (elutriation)
Local mountain clay is dug up, and after small stones and grass roots are removed, it is stirred in a large tub to make muddy water. This is strained through a fine lattice and left to settle, and the water is drained off with a bamboo-frame tool called 'oro'. The clay is then heaped into unglazed bisque bowls, and the potters take their time waiting until the moisture drains away naturally.
Making straw-ash glaze
Rice straw is burned to make ash, which is stored in jars (kame), and the lye (aku) is removed by changing the water again and again. This is repeated until the sliminess is gone, and it takes two to three years before the ash can be used. Because it is a natural material, its properties are not stable, so the glaze is re-blended after checking the fired results.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
因州・中井窯（坂本章）
A kiln at 243-5 Nakai, Kawahara Town, Tottori City. The third generation, 坂本章, was born in 1965 in the former Kawahara Town and renamed the kiln Inshu Nakai Kiln in 1996. 坂本章 was certified as a Tottori Prefecture Certified Traditional Craftsperson in 2004 and has received honors including the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Prize (2001) and an Excellent Work Award at the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (日本陶芸展).
Official site →How to Buy
- 因州・中井窯
- The kiln at 243-5 Nakai, Kawahara Town, Tottori City, about 5 minutes by car from Kawahara IC on the Tottori Expressway. It closes on irregular days, so you need to contact it by phone (0858-85-0239) before visiting.Where to buy →PR
- 鳥取たくみ工芸店
- A mingei shop opened by Yoshida Shoya in 1932, located at 栄町651, Tottori City. It handles vessels from Tottori kilns such as Nakai Kiln, and its online shop also has a Nakai Kiln section (stock varies by season). Open from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Wednesdays.Where to buy →PR
FAQ
Q. Are Nakai Kiln and Inshu Nakai Kiln the same kiln?
A. Yes, they are the same kiln. It received the name 'Ushinoto-yaki Nakai-gama' from Yoshida Shoya in 1962, and in 1996 the third generation, 坂本章, renamed it 'Inshu Nakai Kiln'. Inshu is another name for Inaba, the old provincial name for eastern Tottori Prefecture.
Q. What is the Yanagi Direction?
A. It is a series of Nakai Kiln vessels supervised by the industrial designer Yanagi Sori. Made in 2000, it went on sale through fennica, a label of BEAMS. Its modern dishes with divided glazes spread the name of Nakai Kiln.