Nippon Scape

Kagoshima is famous for its shochu liquor. Kurojoka are teapot-like vessels used for holding and pouring shochu. I was already in Kagoshima, so I decided to pay a visit to the Chotaro-yaki Kiln, home of this iconic symbol of Kagoshima’s shochu culture. But what’s this? It seems there are several places all named Chotaro-yaki Kiln…I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I picked one and knocked on the door.

Hello. There are a few places around here called Chotaro-yaki Kiln, aren’t there? Even with my car’s navigation system, I still got lost.

Akihiro: Oh yes, there are three kilns all together. They’re run by my brothers. My elder brother is fourth in the line, I’m the fifth, and my younger brother is the sixth. We’re all going about it in our own way, but the basics are the same.

What are the basics of Chotaro-yaki?

Akihiro: The most distinctive feature of Chotaro-yaki is the glaze. We use natural glaze, which results in a pottery with depth and charm. The founder’s name was Chotaro Ariyama. When he was walking in the mountains, he found some good clay and natural glaze. The pottery he made with it was discovered by a famous artist named Kiyoshi Kuroda, and that was who decided he should call his work Chotaro-yaki.

The works made of natural glaze and clay are called Chotaro-yaki, then.

Akihiro: Yes. Even now, I walk in the woods looking for glaze and clay. But, sometimes I find it on other people’s land. (laughs) Of course, I get permission afterwards, but I borrow a little there on the spot for a test firing. (laughs)

I see. By the way, the vessel used for pouring shochu called a kurojoka is quite famous, isn’t it?

Akihiro: The first generation at our kiln was inspired by the sight of Sakurajima reflected in the water of Kinko Bay and based his design on what he saw. It’s a little known fact, but the kurojoka originated at the Chotaro-yaki Kiln.

Now, this is another topic, but Akihiro, you’re the fifth in the family to take on a kiln. Was it your father who taught you the trade?

Akihiro: It’s actually rather complicated. I was adopted by my father’s older brother. So to be precise, my uncle, the second in the line, was the one who taught me.

When were you adopted?

Akihiro: I have no idea. I’ve been living with my uncle for as long as I can remember. Well, I have heard the details from someone so I do know, but I never heard it from my uncle. I don’t know exactly when I was adopted, but in my eyes, my uncle is my father.

Wow, is that right? So that’s how you wound up at this kiln.

Akihiro: Yes. He was a very strict man, but he was also a very witty, funny man. Actually, I went to him for advice when I decided to marry my wife here.

Akihiro’s Wife: That’s right. I was working at the Nissan Prince, and he came in to buy a Skyline GTR, and I was part of the deal. (laughs) But, all joking aside, his father did come to check me out at the showroom.

That’s quite a unique start to a romance.

Akihiro: Ours wasn’t an arranged marriage or a romantic love marriage. It was more of a negotiated marriage. (laughs) I asked my father for advice. I said, “I’m thinking of marrying the girl at the showroom.”

Akihiro’s Wife: That’s right. His father had a sort of aura, a look about him. He was a wonderful man. But when I first saw him in the showroom, he had a walking stick, his beard was grown out, he was wearing a Ho Chi Minh hat, and he was smoking a rare brand of cigarette called “Ikoi.” I just thought, “Who is this guy?” And then it turned out he’d come to scout out whether I’d make a good wife or not. (laughs)

I see. He was a very unique man.

Akihiro: But with me he was very strict.

Akihiro’s Wife: He had both a strict side and a mischevious side, and that was what made him such an interesting man. He loved inviting people over and entertaining, but he never drank a drop of alcohol himself.

Akihiro: Yes. And then, when we had a guest scheduled to come, he’d start tidying up three or four days in advance. We’d thoroughly clean the place. And then, the other craftsmen and I would start to get really nervous. Then, once the visitor left, he’d say, “Well, you all must be tired. Let’s have some tea.” So everyone would relax and feel calm again. He had a silly side to him. He wasn’t strict all the time, and I think that’s why he was such a charmer.

You must have learned a lot with a teacher like that.

Yes, I did. He taught me a lot, but most of all, he taught me, “Make good use of your head and your arms!” I think one’s head and arms are the basis for any kind of work. It’s the same for pottery.

Akihiro’s Wife: And he also was a big believer in “beauty and function.” He couldn’t accept objects which had no function.

He sounds like a classic gentleman from a bygone era.

Akihiro’s Wife: You could be right. He hated how I wore men’s hand-me-down clothes. The next day, he bought me a red blouse and said, “Women should wear this kind of thing.” (laughs) He was such a delightful man, really.

Akihiro: I think the reason why I’m still making everything by hand, without a mould, is because that’s how the founder, and my father the second owner both did it. I’d like to preserve their style of doing things. That’s why I stick to handmade. I hope I can pass it all on to my son. Now, my son prefers spinning records over spinning the potters wheel though. (laughs)

Thank you very much. I feel like I got a very good picture of how you’re carrying on the wishes of your forefathers.

Akihiro’s Wife: I’m grateful to have met this guy, but I’m also very grateful to have been able to meet and live together with my mother and father in law.

Akihiro: (smile)