The Rocks and Pots of Ishikawa

Mining in the area started around two and a half thousand years ago with the mining of jasper stone, which was used to make accessories for the rich and wealthy across Japan. It is said that these items were revered across the country, and many ended up in the hands of some of Japan’s most influential people. This industry however only lasted a few decades.
Then in the early nineteenth century, what is now referred to as Takigahara Stone was discovered and subsequently mined for a variety of uses. Due to its robustness and incredible resistance to water, it was quickly recognized as an excellent material for construction, for which it is still considered a high-grade material.

The Honyama stone mining quarry is still active and in use today

Blocks of freshly cut stone sit at the entrance to the Honyama Quarry

The town of Takigahara, located in the west of Ishikawa Prefecture is where mining for these stones first began, and is still home to the Honyama mining quarry, an active quarry that continues to produce large amounts of stone. Visitors to the area are free to visit and enter the mining tunnel at Honyama, which stretches back some three hundred meters, and see the unique white stone being mined for themselves.
Exploring the surrounding area will also offer ample opportunity to see the stone being used for decoration and construction in the grounds of temples, shrines and other places of local interest.

The torii gate entrance to a local shrine in the town of Takigahara

A stone lantern sits in the grounds of a local shrine

Also located within fairly close proximity to the quarry are five well-preserved arch-shaped Takigahara-stone bridges, all of which were built in the early 1900s. This type of bridge is fairly uncommon in Japan these days, and offers an interesting insight into construction techniques of the Meiji and Tasiho periods of Japanese history.
Another excellent example of historic Takigahara stone usage is the remains of Takigahara Hachiman Shrine which has a five-level stone pagoda, thought to date back to the thirteenth or fourteenth century.

Higashiguchi Bashi bridge, built in the early 1900s

Marutake Bridge, which has a long history but has recently undergone essential repair work using Takigahara Stone

Around the same time mining for Takigahara Stone began, further east, in the Kaga region of Ishikawa, the production of porcelain pottery also started to gain traction, and was quickly recognised for its high quality.
In the mid 1600s, while searching for gold, miners discovered large deposits of fine stone in the Kaga region that was ideal for pottery. As a result of this discovery, a number of kilns were soon constructed, and the area quickly became known for its high quality “Kutaniyaki” pottery. This initial phase of production only lasted eighty years or so, before it suddenly ceased. Examples from this early stage are hard to come by now, but are considered valuable collector’s items among pottery enthusiasts around the world. These works are now referred to as Ko-Kutani (early Kutani) pieces. They are typically decorated in bright, colorful patterns and motifs, using five colors of paint (green, yellow, red, purple and dark blue) over a white base.

An example of a colorful Ko-Kutani piece

Roughly one hundred years after the production of Ko-Kutani vanished, a new generation of potters emerged in the area and kilns started to reopen in the Kaga area. This period is considered the revival of Kutaniyaki pottery, although the discovery of a different type of stone, known as Hanasaka Stone, gave it a slightly different feel and aesthetic. Kutaniyaki pottery made with Hanasaka stone continues in the area today.

Pieces of Kutaniyaki made from Hanasaka stone, which likely date back to the early 1800s

The newly opened (since May 2019) Cerabo Kutani is an excellent place to see and experience Kutaniyaki pottery as it is practiced and celebrated today. Situated in the heart of the Kaga region in the town of Komatsu, they offer a chance to see the works of local Kutaniyaki artists in their open gallery space, and a range of workshops that allow guests to try their hand at pottery using Hanasaka stone themselves. Details of which can be obtained from their homepage.

Cerabo Kutani was designed by the much-revered Japanese architect Kengo Kuma

The open gallery space at Cerabo Kutani

Pottery workshops open to visitors at Cerabo Kutani

Cerabo Kutani also offer the chance to buy a variety of pieces made by local artists in the Kutaniyaki style from one of their small pop-up stores. All pieces are produced in the local area using hanamasa ceramics that have been mined and prepared for production on-site at Cerabo Kutani.

An example of pieces made by local artists are for sale at Cerabo Kutani

The production of clay made from Hanamasa stone happens on-site at Cerabo Kutani, and is open for visitors to spectate through large glass walls. This procedure consists of various stages, all of which take time and a dedicated team of skilled individuals. The clay that is produced is then used by a number of local craftspeople in creating a range of goods that are sold around Japan, and even the world.

The different stages of clay production can be seen up close

The different stages of clay production can be seen up close

九谷セラミック・ラボラトリー

石川県小松市若杉町ア91

0761484235

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Henn na Hotel Komatsuekimae

1-180 Hinodecho, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture Kaga

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One such potter that takes good advantage of the facilities at Cerabo Kutani, and has exclusive usage of part if their facility is Koichi Taniguchi of Hanasaka Pottery. He comes from a family of potters who have been based in the area for decades, representing the third generation of the family business.

Koichi and his family have dedicated their lives to continuing the legacy of Kutaniyaki

Koichi at work in his workshop which is located close to Cerabo Kutani

Koichi at work in his workshop which is located close to Cerabo Kutani

Koichi produces clay from Hanasaka stone that is then distributed to a number of potters in the area. He also has his own line of pottery products, known simply at Hanasaka. His trademark style is a stark contrast to that of the Kutaniyaki of years past, as it doesn’t feature any extra paint or design work, it is left with pure white, which really highlights the beauty in the natural finish of pieces made with Hanasaka stone.
His pieces include a variety of pots, cups, bowls and plates. Koichi’s work is among the pieces for sale at the Cerabo Kutani mentioned above.

Some of Koichi’s pieces for his Hanasaka brand

Some of Koichi’s pieces for his Hanasaka brand

Some of Koichi’s pieces for his Hanasaka brand

For those who are interested in learning more about pottery in the Kaga region, would like to partake in a workshop themselves or are interested in perhaps buying some pieces more information can be obtained from the website links below.

Taniguchiseidosho

Ishikawa Pref. Komatsushi Wakasugimachi Wa 124

0761225977

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Henn na Hotel Komatsuekimae

1-180 Hinodecho, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture Kaga

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