This time, we visited one of Satsuma-three big kilns “Ryumonji-yaki Jirotagama” located at Koyamada, Kajiki chou.

The 12th generation potter, Mr. Teruo Kawahara is second son of Mr. Gunji Kawahara, 11th generation of prefectural intangible cultural heritage Ryumonjiyaki three color scheme technological holder.  He circumstantially explained about technological succession of Ryumonjiyaki from the historical background to the present.

Ryumonjiyaki has started about 400 years ago when Yoshihiro Shimazu was dispatched troops to Korea by Hideyoshi’s order.  Yoshihiro summoned Korean potters to Satsuma and those potters immigrated to Yoshihiro’s hometown Kajiki in 1607.  Because Kajiki has good quality of agil, they decided to have kilns at this area.

It was said that they have being succeeded using told argil and secret glaze from ancestor generation after generation.

This time, we were able to observe very rare and valuable technique of “Ryumonjiyaki old kilns” called “Noborigama”

“Noborigama” is surrounded by quite peaceful atmosphere and various measures are seemed to make it so.  Although it is not presently used, we can imagine that very pleasant and unique “Ryumonjiyaki” used to be originally made in here.  Vert heartwarming !!