Kami-no-Kuchiya Guardhouse
The Kami-no-Kuchiya Guardhouse was built next to the Ōicho, a large ginkgo tree believed to be about 1,000 years old. The guardhouse was one of five built during the Edo period (1603–1867) to control the road that runs through the Sarayama river valley near the Izumiyama quarry. The building originally straddled the road, blocking the only way in and out of the valley. The rulers of Saga domain, the Nabeshima family, wanted to protect their position as the main producers of porcelain in the country. A domain official was stationed here to control the flow of goods and people on the road.
Pottery stone from Izumiyama quarry was the key ingredient for porcelain made in Arita during this period. The Nabeshima were wary of spies from other domains attempting to steal the secrets of making porcelain. To ensure that no other domain could steal the technology, each step of the Arita ware production process was restricted to particular craftsmen. No one person was allowed to know the whole process from start to finish.
In 1993 a rest area was built on the site of the Kami-no-Kuchiya Guardhouse. The rest area’s design was inspired by the look of the original structure during the Edo period. The rest area is still referred to locally as the “Upper Guardhouse” (Kami no Bansho); a guardhouse located near the river to the southwest was called the “Lower Guardhouse” (Shimo no Bansho).
