Showing posts with label Hasami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hasami. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Kyushu Ceramic Museum: Arita, Saga Prefecture

The Kyushu Ceramic Museum although technically not in Nagasaki, shows various styles of Pottery not just from Nagasaki but also from all the regions around Kyushu including the big 4 of Arita, Hasami, Mikawachi and Imari.

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:


If you want to experience and understand the history of pottery from the area, there is definitely enough English provided to give you plenty of background information and to allow you to delve into the finer details of all this regarding Kyushu Ceramics.
Lots of exhibits



Without a doubt any pottery enthusiast would need at least 2 hours here at the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in order to fully check out all the attractions and information provided within the showcases.  I really had to check my time in order to stay within my scheduled time, which was 1 hour.  I will probably have to return again someday to really get the most out of my visit as it felt like i left too many things on the table

Information about ceramics

Huge selection

The range of products and displays at the Kyushu Ceramic Museum are as diverse and wide ranging as you would expect from a highly rated institution.  They get visitors from all over Japan and many more from abroad and this reflects in their efforts to provide as much English signposting and subtitling.


Once you have finished inside there is a lovely garden outside that deserves a stroll and a wander around.  Very peaceful and with many cherry trees, so if your visit coincides with Spring then you will be able to see the cherry blossoms as well.





Well worth a visit!


Please click here to see Kyushu Ceramic Museum below on a map:

 



Check out these 2 videos to see more about the Kyushu Ceramic Museum:






Saturday, November 10, 2018

Hasami Ceramics Park: Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture

Hasami Ceramics Park Nagasaki is a great location to start your day and pursue all things ceramic and porcelain.  Hasami is a town with a population of 15 000 citizens and is surrounded by mountains and rolling hills of greenery.  Although it is very popular with the tourists it has still been able to maintain its rich history and strike a balance between traditional life and achieving a certain amount of modernism.

Hasami town has kept its tradition of producing daily-use ceramics for over four hundred years.  To date, Hasami ceramics have 13% of the domestic market share in ceramics for everyday use in Japan. The Ceramics Park, which was coordinated by the legendary ceramic designer Masahiro Mori is definitely one of the highlights of the entire region.  The park is extremely well laid out, has an easy walking course and allows for many amazing photos.

I was able to gain a lot of knowledge during my visit to the Hasami Ceramics Park not because of any signs posted in English but because everything is well organized and simple to process the information.  I never knew that there so many types of kilns that existed and for one it was a great lesson in the history of pottery making in Japan and all over the world.

Anyone interested in pottery will absolutely enjoy the Hasami Ceramics Park, lots of history and information to be obtained.  Along with all the cafes and small ceramic shops located within the Hasami District the Hasami Ceramic Park is included in all Private Day Tours of the region.

Please check out Hasami Ceramics Park in Nagasaki on a map:

 



Click on the photos below to enlarge:



Lots to see and do

The bottle kilns are impressive



A cut away version of the kilns

Lots of kilns to see and touch

Lots of color

The name says it all!


If you are not a big fan of the outdoor facilities and or the weather is not kind to us on the day, then we can just concentrate on the ceramics themselves. There is a beautifully arranged display area inside that offers a variety of many different pottery styles.

There are basic everyday items as well as higher end keepsakes that I am sure will impress you.
I have had hundreds of clients pass thru this region of Nagasaki and say tyhat they are only looking and don't intend to buy anything but in the end a few magnificent pieces were taken back with them. 

I dare you to say the same.
Please click on these photos below to enlarge:

Fabulous products 



Lots to choose from


Amazing designs


Ceramic lover


Great souvenir choices

Hasami Pottery is extremely famous


Seasonal displays

A nice shopping experience





Check out the videos below of Hasami Ceramic Park Nagasaki:



Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Hasami Ceramics Museum: Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture

Hasami Ceramics Museum is a place that all Ceramic and Porcelain enthusiasts should visit whilst traveling in and around Nagasaki Prefecture.  Not only does it display Japanese and specifically Hasami Porcelain but it takes you on a historical tour of ceramics from around the globe and how these influences and techniques from abroad have made it all the way to Japan and into the Hasami Ceramic Community!

The Museum has been accumulating ceramics and porcelain from every corner of Kyushu with a focus on Hizen Porcelain. On display in the museum are the period features and the history of Kyushu porcelain. The museum also showcases the art work of modern day artisans. The exhibition rooms are separated into five where visitors can acquire a deeper understanding of the character, art work and history of the ceramics of Kyushu

Hasami Porcelain is characterized by its beauty of pure white colors and the delicately painted decoration glazed with a blue pigment. The grace of openwork in a wickerwork design and mesh design is unique to Hasami porcelain. Originally it was produced for common people, and has cultivated a long tradition of beauty.  Both the traditional skills to produce the porcelain and the craftworker’s motivation to hand down the tradition are surely found today. The manufacturers have improved and changed the shapes of the products so that they are catered more to people’s needs at that time. It has been a very adaptable product. Hasami porcelain has a history of 400 years, which also tells us a history of food culture in Japan.

I really enjoyed my self guided tour through the Hasami Ceramic Museum and wish to come back again, I am sure you will feel the same.  It has to be noted that because of Hasami`s rural location, public transport will not be suffice, a private tour will have to be organised to get to this very remote location.

Click on the link to see Hasami Ceramics Museum on this map:

 



Please click on the pictures below to enlarge:

Ceramics from all over the world

Beautifully presented!

All different sizes and shapes


Great presentation techniques

This is the place to come




Please check out this video of the Hasami Ceramics Park Nagasaki Museum below: