Our first stop today was at the “Worlds Largest” kiln fired pot. The pot is HUGE. They made the pot on the site, then built the kiln around it. When it was finished, they tore down the kiln and hoped the tourists would follow. I don’t think they really have… Especially since it doesn’t face the road and no one bothers to advertise it.
A little bit up the road, we found the “Worlds Largest” shi-shi dogs. Again, they were built on-site with their kilns built up around them. These dogs DO get some attention since they are facing a well trafficked intersection.
After the giant pot and shi-shi dogs, Hirofumi took us to his favorite pottery place. It’s a small family business that still makes everything by hand. The nice people let us explore and take a ton of pictures. I especially liked watching one old man who was cutting little groves into the sides of some cups. I had previously thought that the groves were made by potters fingers, but I guess I was wrong. The cups are made in a mould and come out totally smooth. Then this guy cuts the groves to make them look more interesting.
The cups the guy was working on were hand-made tea cups for use while eating sushi. These particular cups have a slightly different shape than a normal tea cup, and they are a little thicker. Hiro told us that this factory is one of only 5 remaining in Japan that still makes hand-made sushi tea cups.
At another station, a man was painting plates and cups with ink. The style of glaze they are using comes out looking cracked. The ink then seeps into the cracks making them easier to see. The effect is like a spiderweb of dark lines all over the cup. It looks like its old, but that’s actually how they are intended, and the cracks are just an aesthetic, its not actually cracked or damaged.
In the back of the building, a fresh batch of cups was just being pulled out of the oven. As we got closer, we started hearing *ting-ting-ting*, like tiny little chimes. The guy showing us around said that the sound comes from the cups as the glaze cracks. It’s really neat sounding.
While looking at the cups, I noticed that some of the glaze had dripped down the side. The guy shook his head and said, “Ya, this batch is mostly garbage now. They cooked for too long and the glaze ran, so they are worthless.”
Risa and I couldn’t believe it. These cups are perfectly fine, just a minor blemish! No big deal! He liked that we seemed to care, so he let us take three of the “garbage” cups home! Woohoo! We were really excited, and the cups continued to make their ting-ting-ting noises for the next hour or so. Risa especially enjoyed putting one cup on each ear and listening to the music.
The day at the factory wasn’t without a little drama. During our visit, it started to rain. As soon as the drops started falling, everyone ran outside and starting bringing in the drying dishes. It was amazing to see them work so fast. Even the old lady grabbed a huge plank of cups! We wanted to help, but we didn’t have their uber skills.
One of the coolest things that this business makes is a custom tea cup. Hiro has worked with them and gotten them to produce custom cups with your name written on the side. Hiro was here to pick up some cups for his friends, and also put in a new order for us! Risa and I will be getting a couple of tea cups with our names written on the side. Mine will say “Su-Ko-To” in hiragana, and Risa will get her kanji written on the side. Pretty cool! We’re getting so much free stuff here, it’s amazing. We will probably have to ship it all back to Tokyo.
For dinner tonight, all the girls made gyoza. I think that they made about 150 of the little pot stickers. It was really good!
At the onsen, I lasted 9min in the Sauna. I’m almost over 10minutes!
