300 Year Legacy,From Father to Son

Deep in the mountains of Oita Prefecture lies a small valley called Sarayama, home to Onta Yaki, a pottery tradition dating back to 1705.

It began as everyday tableware and flourished under the Tokugawa era. A potter from Koishiwara (小石原) was invited to build a climbing kiln, and three founding families began a legacy that still avoids gas and electricity from start to finish.

Clay is dug from the surrounding mountains and divided equally among the kilns. From this, river-powered wooden stamp mills called kara-usu (唐臼) crush it into fine powder.

After being refined by hand, the clay is shaped on a foot-powered kick wheel that demands full-body coordination and rhythm.

The most iconic pattern is tobikanna (飛び鉋), created by bouncing a flexible blade against the spinning surface to produce rhythmic chiseled marks.

Finally, the pieces are fired in wood-fueled climbing kilns. Once lit, the kiln is watched continuously for three days, with wood added every ten minutes. There are no digital controls, only experience and flame.

The craft remains protected through succession: only the first-born son inherits the kiln, with no outside apprentices allowed.