Traditional craft
Obori Soma Yaki
大堀相馬焼
Fukushima pottery known for its crackled blue-green glaze, a painted galloping horse, and double-walled cups that keep tea hot.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 6 February 1978
- Type
- Ceramics
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 大堀相馬焼
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 双葉郡浪江町
Cracks, a horse and a double wall
Obori Soma Yaki has three trademarks. Its celadon glaze is covered in a web of fine cracks called ao-hibi, which makes each piece feel friendly and warm. Most pieces are painted with the hashiri-goma, a running horse found only in this area. And its futae cups have a double wall, so tea stays hot and the cup is comfortable to hold. It comes from Namie in Fukushima.
Local clay, local stone
Potters refine local clay in water, then throw the shapes on the wheel by hand. After drying in the shade, pieces are bisque-fired at about 950°C. The horse and other pictures are painted in gosu, an iron-bearing pigment. The celadon glaze uses toyama stone, which is found only in this area. Ash, amber and white-flow glazes are used too.
Tohoku's biggest pottery town
Obori Soma Yaki began in 1690. The Soma domain protected and promoted it, and by the late Edo period more than 100 kilns stood here, making it the largest pottery area in Tohoku.
Good to know
- A double-walled futae cup is the classic Obori Soma Yaki souvenir: practical, light and very local.
- Look for the hashiri-goma running horse; it is painted on almost every piece.
Questions travellers ask
What is ao-hibi?
The fine crackle pattern that covers the blue-green celadon glaze.
Why are the cups double-walled?
Two cups are fired together, so tea stays hot and the outside stays cool enough to hold.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.