The Clay Industry on the Shiota River
Shiotatsu first became a hub for clay and porcelain distribution in Kyushu in the early eighteenth century. The large tidal range of the Ariake Sea enabled boats to navigate the river passing through Shiotatsu, making it an ideal location for unloading raw pottery stone from nearby Amakusa, an area known for its high-quality ceramics. After unloading, the stone was crushed using a water-powered mortar in the river basin. Workers were then assigned to deliver the crushed stone to workshops in the area, which processed it into clay. As demand for local ceramics increased, so did the number of clay workshops.
Shiotatsu’s port soon became centered around the clay and porcelain industry, which was dependent on the transport link the river provided. Construction to modernize the port was completed in 1964 with the addition of large cranes to help unload the stone onto trucks for delivery to area workshops.