Tsuboya-yaki (壺屋焼) is a ceramics tradition produced in the Tsuboya district of Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, and in Yomitan Village and other areas, with roots dating to the consolidation of Ryukyuan kilns in 1682. It is designated as a Traditional Craft Product by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and holds a regional collective trademark designation.
History
The origins of Ryukyuan pottery extend to at least the 12th–13th century, when Koryeo roof tiles bearing the inscription "Kiyuu-nen Korai Kawara Sho Zo" were produced. Tiles with this inscription have been unearthed from Urasoe Castle, with the "Kiyuu" year referring to either 1153 or 1273. Excavations at Urasoe Youdore (the royal mausoleum) reportedly uncovered kiln remains associated with Koryeo-style tiles dating to the late 14th to early 15th century.
During the 16th century, Tokashiki Saburo (?–1604), a Chinese naturalized citizen regarded as the first tile craftsman of Ryukyu, was active in the region. During the reign of King Sho-ei (1573–1589), Oji Kogawa (Wan Yongze) was appointed the first tile magistrate, overseeing the management of ceramic tiles and Arayaki pottery. In 1609, the Kingdom of Ryukyu came under the control of the Satsuma Shimazu domain. In 1616, King Sho-nei invited three Korean potters—Ichiroku (?–1638), Ikkan, and Sankan—from Satsuma to produce ceramics at Wakuta (present-day Izumizaki, Naha), marking the beginning of Wakuta ware.
Around 1670, the ancient kiln known as Kina-yaki in Kina, Yomitan Village, was actively producing ceramics primarily in the Arayaki style; a Kina-yaki cinerary urn bearing an inscription of Kangxi year 9 (1670) has been excavated. Also in 1670, Hirata Norimichi was dispatched to Qing China to learn the technique of red painting (akae). In 1682, during the reign of King Sho-tei, the three kilns of Wakuta, Chibana, and Takaguchi were consolidated at a site south of Makishi village, the area now known as Tsuboya, establishing the origin of Tsuboya ware.
By the late Edo period, the book Morisada Manko recorded awamori being sold in Arayaki bottles in the streets of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. A Tsuboya ware tokkuri (sake bottle) was also excavated from the site presumed to be the residence of the Date clan at the Shiodome ruins. Kobashigawa Nio (1877–1954) and Kobashigawa Eisho (1909–1978) were representative figures of the Nio kiln, one of the leading kilns of Tsuboya.
Yanagi Muneyoshi first visited Okinawa in 1938 together with Hamada Shoji and others, visiting the island four times by 1940. Yanagi directly instructed and advised potters such as Kinjo Jiro and Shinkaki Eizaburo, and widely introduced Tsuboya ware in Tokyo and the Keihanshin area. On November 14, 1945, an advance party of 140 people including potters and construction workers from various internment camps entered the Tsuboya area, and the first pottery was fired there in December 1945. Within one month of that advance party's entry, Tsuboya's population had grown to 8,000 people. On January 3, 1946, the Tsuboya Ward Office under the Itoman District was established. Kinjo Jiro, who was among the potters in the 1945 advance party, later became a Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuho).
In the 1970s, use of wood-fired kilns was regulated in Naha, making it difficult to operate climbing kilns. This contributed to the expansion of production to Yomitan Village. Kuniyoshi Kiyonao, who had returned from the Mashiko Prefectural Ceramic Guidance Center in Tochigi Prefecture in 1968, opened a kiln in Yomitan. In 1974, Kinjo Jiro also moved his kiln to Yomitan. The land in Yomitan's hilly area that became the new site for climbing kilns had previously served as an unexploded ordnance disposal site within the Kadena Ammunition Storage Area, and at the time of the potters' move, 95% of Yomitan Village's area had been seized by the U.S. military.
Techniques & Production Process
Tsuboya ware is broadly divided into two types: Arayaki (rough ware) and Joyachi (upper ware). Arayaki follows the tradition of Nanban-yaki, also called "Ryukyu Nanban-yaki," and is thought to have been transmitted from the direction of Vietnam between the 14th and 16th centuries. Joyachi is a painted ceramic ware started by Korean potters from the 17th century onward and features decoration of continental origin.
Arayaki is fired at 1,000 degrees Celsius without glaze, exploiting the natural texture of iron-containing clay, which gives the ware its characteristic rough appearance. For daily-use Arayaki tableware, a manganese glaze of similar brown color is sometimes applied to fill the rough surface. Joyachi involves covering the clay with white slip, applying color, then applying glaze and firing. Decorative techniques for Joyachi include carved patterns (nail carving or line carving), Itchin (drawing by dripping glaze), facet carving (mengori), and inlay (zogan).
Tsuboya ware is produced using climbing kilns (noborigama) as the main kiln type, along with kerosene kilns and gas kilns. Among the wider tradition of Japanese ceramics, Tsuboya-yaki is distinctive for its dual heritage of unglazed folk pottery and richly decorated glazed ware within a single regional tradition.
How to Identify Tsuboya-yaki
Tsuboya ware can be identified by its two distinct typological categories. Arayaki pieces are recognized by their unglazed, rough surface produced from iron-containing clay, occasionally finished with a manganese glaze of similar brown tone. Joyachi pieces are identifiable by their white slip ground, painted decoration, and glazed surface. Fish patterns (gyomon) are especially numerous among Joyachi designs and have become a symbol of Tsuboya ware. Some Joyachi pieces also depict exotic foreign ships and foreigners; those depicting foreigners are specifically referred to as "Egypt patterns" (Ejiputo-mon).
The Craft Today
Tsuboya ware continues to be produced in the Tsuboya district of Naha City and in Yomitan Village, Okinawa Prefecture. The tradition holds a designation as a Traditional Craft Product by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and a regional collective trademark. The Shinkaki family residence, built during the Ryukyu Kingdom era and used until 1974, is designated as an Important Cultural Property (Juyo Bunkazai), reflecting the historical depth of the craft's production heritage. Tsuboya-yaki is referenced and promoted through Aoyama Square (伝統工芸 青山スクエア), the Tokyo showroom operated by the General Incorporated Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries, located at 8-1-22 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Visitors to Okinawa interested in related regional folk traditions may also find context in neighboring ceramic lineages such as Ryumonji-yaki from Kagoshima and Naeshirogawa-yaki, another Korean-influenced pottery tradition from Kagoshima.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two main types of Tsuboya ware?
Tsuboya ware is divided into Arayaki (rough ware) and Joyachi (upper ware). Arayaki is an unglazed pottery fired at 1,000 degrees Celsius using iron-containing clay, following the Nanban-yaki tradition. Joyachi is a glazed, painted ware with continental decorative origins, begun by Korean potters in the 17th century.
When was Tsuboya ware established?
Tsuboya ware was established in 1682, during the reign of King Sho-tei, when the three kilns of Wakuta, Chibana, and Takaguchi were consolidated at a site south of Makishi village in what is now the Tsuboya district of Naha City.
What is the significance of fish patterns on Tsuboya ware?
Fish patterns, known as gyomon, are especially numerous among Joyachi designs and have become a recognized symbol of Tsuboya ware. Some pieces also feature depictions of exotic foreign ships and foreigners, with those showing foreigners referred to as "Egypt patterns" (Ejiputo-mon).
What kilns are used in making Tsuboya ware?
Tsuboya ware is produced primarily using climbing kilns (noborigama), along with kerosene kilns and gas kilns. The use of wood-fired climbing kilns in Naha was regulated in the 1970s, which contributed to some production shifting to Yomitan Village.
Is Tsuboya ware designated as a Traditional Craft?
Yes. Tsuboya ware is designated as a Traditional Craft Product by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and also holds a regional collective trademark designation.
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