Traditional craft
Otani Yaki
大谷焼
Pottery from Naruto in Tokushima, famous for jars as tall as a person, thrown on a wheel turned by a second potter lying on the floor.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 10 September 2003
- Type
- Ceramics
- Region
- Shikoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 大谷焼
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 鳴門市
Two potters, one giant jar
Otani Yaki has been fired for about 200 years and is one of Shikoku's leading pottery wares. It is best known for jars and lotus bowls as tall as a person, made on the ne-rokuro, the lying-down wheel: one potter shapes the clay while a partner lies on the floor and kicks the wheel round. The climbing kiln for these giants is said to be the largest in Japan. Its sake ware, by contrast, is thin yet sturdy. It is made in Oasa, Naruto in Tokushima.
Iron-rich clay, hand work
Potters use iron-rich sedimentary clays called Hagiwara, Sanuki and Himeda, with glazes mixed from clay, lime, ash, feldspar, silica and iron, applied by dipping and pouring. Every step, from crushing and sieving the clay to firing, is done by hand with traditional tools.
Porcelain failed, pottery thrived
In 1780 the Tokushima lord ordered porcelain making and set up a domain kiln with craftsmen from Kyushu, but with no local materials it lost money and soon closed. In 1784, Noda Heijibei hired a potter from Shigaraki, learned the craft and built a climbing kiln in Otani village. In the Meiji period, Otani made vats for Tokushima's indigo dyeing.
Good to know
- Ask a kiln if you can see the ne-rokuro or the giant climbing kiln; they are what make Otani unique.
- Otani sake cups are thin yet sturdy, a light gift that still shows the potter's wheel skill.
Questions travellers ask
What is a ne-rokuro?
A potter's wheel turned by a second person lying on the floor and kicking it, used for giant jars.
Why did Otani make indigo vats?
Tokushima was a major indigo area, and in the Meiji period Otani made the vats for dyeing.
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.