History and Folklore Museum of Arita
The History and Folklore Museum of Arita was established in 1978 near the Izumiyama quarry. The pottery stone deposits discovered there in the early 1600s were essential to the development of Arita’s porcelain industry. The museum explores the history of the town’s porcelain production by showcasing tools, items from daily life, and other artifacts. Most of the tools on display were used during the Edo period (1603－1867), but similar tools are still used today at contemporary kilns.
The first exhibit provides an overview of how Arita ware was historically made, based on the pictures on a plate owned by the Arita Ceramic Museum. Craftsmen could only specialize in one part of production under the bungyōsei system, a strict set of licensing rules. Government licenses were used to regulate various ceramic production tasks, from forming clay to firing, and even collecting ash. Wooden licenses from the Edo period are on display. After the feudal system was dissolved in the 1870s, the licenses became unnecessary. Most kilns expanded their production process to take place entirely in-house, including ones like Imaemon Kiln, which had exclusively painted colorful overglaze enamels.
During World War II, metal shortages in Japan resulted in a strong domestic market for ceramic items. Kilns in Arita created post boxes, bottles, cans, coins, and even grenades from porcelain. Additional daily-use items on display reveal the marked contrast in quality of life between laborers and the wealthy merchants and kiln owners.
The adjoining Arita Excavated Ceramic Museum was added in 1983. Over one thousand pottery sherds are on display.
