Did you know that Tottori is home to Japan's first folk art store? It's the Tottori Takumi Craft Shop, which also has a branch in Ginza.
The store's founder, Tottori native Shoya Yoshida, studied directly under Yanagi Muneyoshi, a leader of Japan's folk art movement. He practiced medicine in Tottori until his later years, while also advising local craftspeople as a producer of the folk art movement. Yoshida's teachings still live on in Tottori today.
In addition to Yoshida's enthusiastic activities, Tottori, once a region with poor transportation access, has a deeply rooted approach to making what is needed with what is available locally, making it a region where crafts still thrives.
This time, we visited the Inshu Nakai Kiln, which opened in 1945. We were given a tour of the kiln by third-generation owner Akira Sakamoto.



At Nakai Kiln, modern pottery is produced with a striking use of green, white, and black. Local natural materials are used whenever possible for the glazes that create deep, yet clear hues. For example, taking advantage of the region's high agricultural population, a white glaze is made using ash from rice straw and ash from broad-leaved trees grown in the forest.



"All of the pottery here is made using natural materials," he says. Glazes made from natural materials are sensitive to environmental changes such as temperature and humidity. These subtle changes are reflected in the pottery, and no two pieces are alike. It may be this sensation that captures the hearts of those who pick up Nakai Kiln pottery.



Furthermore, the gallery shop that opened on the kiln site in 2012 stocks affordable tableware loved by people of all ages, such as plates, teacups, sake bottles, and coffee cups that will add color to your daily dinner table. Among them are tableware that meets the needs of modern life, such as milk pitchers. When I asked Sakamoto which items are new in style, he replied, "It's hard to draw the line between what is new and what is classic. However, I always have a creative channel in my head, and at unexpected times, it feels like that switch is flipped on and new tableware is born."

He continues, "In any era, traditions cannot survive unless new elements are added through trial and error. Never give up, keep going, and make the next move. Mingei will not develop if we just wait." It is this belief that led him to combine folk art and design, creating pottery that is suited to modern life.



When asked what inspired him to start making pottery, Sakamoto said, "The pottery from this place has been a part of my daily life since I was born. There is no such thing as good or bad." Using the pottery and touching the soil of this land in my daily life. It is precisely because he has come into contact with Nakai Kiln pottery through his hands and eyes that he has discovered this state of mind.

A round plate decorated with the three colors of green, white, and black is essential to any discussion of Nakai Kiln. Holding the plate, Sakamoto says, "I won't add anything more to this. Everything is here, pulled and pulled." If you visit Tottori, this is one place you should definitely stop by.

【Kiln Information】
Address: 243-5 Nakai, Kawaramachi, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture
OPEN: 9:00-17:00 (irregular holidays/please contact us if you wish to visit)
URL: http://nakaigama.jp/