[Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture] Experience pottery at "Nanaemon Kiln"! Let's make Hirashimizu ware with 200 years of history

Hirashimizu is known as a pottery village in Yamagata. In this area, there are spots where you can experience Hirashimizu ware pottery, which has a history of 200 years.

Hirashimizu ware originated in the Edo period. The technique of Soma ware was introduced to Hirashimizu, and the area flourished as a pottery village. Its heyday was in the middle of the Meiji period. At this time, there were as many as 30 potteries. After that, the number gradually decreased, and now only three kilns remain.

You can easily experience pottery at Shichiemon kiln

Open all year round, no reservations required

Three potteries of Hirashimizu ware that still exist today. Among them, the Shichiemon kiln is the easiest to go to for a hands-on experience. We are open every day of the year, and no reservations are required. It's rare to be able to just jump in for a pottery experience like this. You can enjoy it whenever you want while sightseeing.

easy to access

If you go east from National Route 13, you will arrive at the Hirashimizu area. This area is at the foot of Mt. Chitose and gives you a feel of the good old days. You can access Nanaemon Kiln in about 10 minutes from the center of Yamagata City. This high level of convenience is also one of the reasons why Shichiemon Kiln is so easy to use.

Pottery experience where you can feel the nature of Mt. Chitose

At Shichiemon Kiln, we create pottery using soil at the foot of Mt. Chitose, which is adjacent to our daily life. This is a pottery experience where you can feel nature.

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When you enter, you will see many hand-cranked potter's wheels lined up in the hall. You can borrow an apron, so you don't have to bring anything. When you sit in front of your own potter's wheel, the teacher's explanation begins.

Affordable and easy to make

You will receive soil that has been kneaded and air removed. It's easy because you don't have to do it yourself. This soil contains pottery stone containing iron sulfide, which is also produced from Mt. Chitose.

You can choose between 500g and 1kg of soil. If you want to make cups, bowls, etc., 500g is enough. If you want to make a set of larger plates and cups, choose 1 kg.

The instruction fee, rental fee for tools such as a hand-cranked potter's wheel, and firing fee are 2,160 yen. You can experience pottery at a very reasonable price.

Beginner-friendly manual potter's wheel

If the potter's wheel turns automatically, it will lose its shape with just a little force. Many people have probably seen such scenes. However, for the experience at Shichiemon Kiln, we use a manual potter's wheel. You can create the shape by turning it at your own pace, so you don't have to worry about it suddenly losing its shape. It can be said that the design is friendly for first-time users.

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Once the soil is stretched, it becomes difficult to return it to its original round state. Therefore, the trick is to be careful and take your time without rushing. When baked, they will shrink and become a little smaller, so we recommend making them a little larger than the finished shape.

Summary of the pottery experience at “Shichiemon Kiln”

The pottery at Shichiemon Kiln can be accessed in about 10 minutes from the center of Yamagata City, and there is no need to make a reservation, so you can experience it empty-handed. What's most appealing about it is that you can do it with the feeling of trying your hand at making pottery.

If made by an amateur, the shape will inevitably be distorted or uneven. However, it tastes even better and I'm attached to it. You will receive the completed fired pottery approximately one month after the experience. You can either pick it up or have it mailed to you.

When sightseeing in Yamagata, be sure to try a pottery experience where you can experience the culture of Hirashimizu and the soil of Mt. Chitose.

INFORMATION