Ontayaki no Sato

OITA CULTURE

Ten kilns have inherited and passed on the tradition of Ontayaki through the families, from parent to child, over 300 years. The kaolin, dug out by the artisans themselves, is crushed in wooden mortars using hydropower from the river, and made into clay, which is then transformed into plates, pots, and other pottery items. After that, unique patterns such as "tobikanna" and "hakeme" are carved onto the items to produce a finished "Ontayaki" ware. All the processes continue to be carried out by hand through traditional methods. The reverberations of the kaolin have been selected as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan" that the country wishes to preserve.