Fujina-yaki (布志名焼) is a type of pottery (陶器) produced in Tamayu-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. The kiln tradition was established in the mid-Edo period and has since encompassed both official domain-sponsored production and everyday folk wares, evolving through successive periods of external influence to become one of Shimane Prefecture's recognized ceramic traditions.
History
Fujina-yaki was founded when Funaki Yojibei Muramasa opened a kiln in the mid-Edo period in the area now known as Tamayu-cho, Matsue City. The tradition developed further when Tsuchiya Zenshiro, who relocated from Rakuzan-gama by order of the Matsue Domain, applied his expertise to improving the quality of the ware. Potters working under this tradition also received guidance from Matsudaira Fumai, a daimyo widely recognized for his influence on tea culture.
Under the protection of the Matsue Domain, the kilns were divided into two categories: official kilns (御用窯) producing tea utensils for domain use, and private kilns producing everyday wares that were exported via the Kitamaebune coastal trade route. The tradition reached its peak in activity and market reach around the Meiji era, when its distinctive yellow-glazed polychrome ware gained both domestic and overseas recognition.
In the Showa era, Fujina-yaki came under the influence of the Mingei (folk craft) movement, guided by prominent figures including Yanagi Soetsu, Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji, and Bernard Leach. This engagement with the Mingei philosophy introduced new aesthetic and technical directions to the tradition. Among the wider context of Japanese Ceramics, Fujina-yaki represents a regional folk pottery lineage shaped by both domain patronage and later folk craft philosophy.
Techniques & Production Process
One of the notable techniques associated with Fujina-yaki is slipware (スリップウェア), in which decorative patterns are applied using slip clay (化粧泥). This technique was adopted as a direct result of the Mingei movement's influence on the tradition during the Showa era. Prior to this period, the kilns were recognized for yellow-glazed polychrome ware (黄釉色絵物), a style that distinguished Fujina-yaki products in both domestic and international markets. The pottery also encompasses a range of everyday functional wares alongside pieces intended for tea ceremony use, reflecting the historical division between official and private kilns.
How to Identify Fujina-yaki
Fujina-yaki can be identified by two principal stylistic traditions present within the ware. The older polychrome style is characterized by a distinctive yellow glaze (黄釉) combined with overglaze decoration, a feature that contributed to the ware's commercial success during the Meiji era. Pieces produced under the influence of the Mingei movement are characterized by slipware decoration, in which patterned slip clay is applied to the surface, reflecting the aesthetic values of functional folk craft. Similar Mingei-influenced folk pottery traditions can be found in Mashiko-yaki from Tochigi and Koishiwara-yaki from Fukuoka.
The Craft Today
Fujina-yaki continues to be produced in Tamayu-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. The tradition is represented within Japan's broader network of traditional craft promotion, with information available through institutions such as Dentoukougei Aoyama Square, operated by the General Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries (一般財団法人 伝統的工芸品産業振興協会), located at 8-1-22 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. The square, which is open from 11:00 to 19:00 year-round except during the New Year holiday period, serves as a venue for traditional craft exhibitions and promotion across Japan. Other regional folk pottery traditions operating within a comparable craft promotion framework include Tamba-tachikui-yaki from Hyogo and Kasama-yaki from Ibaraki.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fujina-yaki produced?
Fujina-yaki is produced in Tamayu-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture.
Who founded the Fujina-yaki kiln tradition?
The kiln was founded by Funaki Yojibei Muramasa in the mid-Edo period.
What is the significance of the Mingei movement to Fujina-yaki?
In the Showa era, Fujina-yaki was influenced by the Mingei (folk craft) movement under the guidance of Yanagi Soetsu, Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji, and Bernard Leach. This led to the adoption of slipware techniques, in which patterns are applied using slip clay (化粧泥).
What are the two main styles associated with Fujina-yaki?
Fujina-yaki is associated with yellow-glazed polychrome ware (黄釉色絵物), which expanded its market domestically and overseas particularly around the Meiji era, and with slipware decoration adopted under the influence of the Mingei movement during the Showa era.
What was the role of the Matsue Domain in Fujina-yaki's development?
Under the protection of the Matsue Domain, Fujina-yaki kilns were divided between official kilns (御用窯) producing tea utensils for domain use and private kilns producing everyday wares that were exported via the Kitamaebune coastal trade route. Potters also received guidance from domain-associated figure Matsudaira Fumai.
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