Walking in Tajimi pottery land
part one - onada/takata
If you spend some time in Tajimi - perhaps taking part in a pottery course - there are many places to go and explore. Some are easy to find, others are not. Here we will show some in the latter category.
Tajimi is situated in what was once called Mino Province, and it was here that some of the most important pottery in Japan saw daylight. In this walk you will encounter remains of both the ancient tradition and of the later era, when mass production had taken over. Bring your camera if you are into photography; you will have the chance to capture some interesting views.
Go by bus:
You can go to the starting point by catching a bus from Tajimi Station. Here is a bus map. You get the orange line (Onada line 小名田線) (starting from the North Exit side of Tajimi Station) and get off at Onada-cho 1 (小名田町1). Walk back to the bakery on your right. From there, use the map below to navigate to the starting point the gate to Hakusan Shrine [(1) here below] (if you want to start where we did). The bus time table may change, but here is a link where you can check. At the time of this writing there is one departure every hour, the ride is about 10 min. If you follow our route, you go back from th Takataguchi (高田口) bus stop on the table at the bottom.
How to use the map below:
We have marked sixteen points of interest in the order we saw them on our walk. You can click each number to bring up a picture. If you click the icon in the top left, you can bring out a dashboard showing all points in order. You can also display a line showing directions from Tajimi station to the starting point. Use your mouse wheel or fingers to enlarge the scale.
Tajimi is situated in what was once called Mino Province, and it was here that some of the most important pottery in Japan saw daylight. In this walk you will encounter remains of both the ancient tradition and of the later era, when mass production had taken over. Bring your camera if you are into photography; you will have the chance to capture some interesting views.
Go by bus:
You can go to the starting point by catching a bus from Tajimi Station. Here is a bus map. You get the orange line (Onada line 小名田線) (starting from the North Exit side of Tajimi Station) and get off at Onada-cho 1 (小名田町1). Walk back to the bakery on your right. From there, use the map below to navigate to the starting point the gate to Hakusan Shrine [(1) here below] (if you want to start where we did). The bus time table may change, but here is a link where you can check. At the time of this writing there is one departure every hour, the ride is about 10 min. If you follow our route, you go back from th Takataguchi (高田口) bus stop on the table at the bottom.
How to use the map below:
We have marked sixteen points of interest in the order we saw them on our walk. You can click each number to bring up a picture. If you click the icon in the top left, you can bring out a dashboard showing all points in order. You can also display a line showing directions from Tajimi station to the starting point. Use your mouse wheel or fingers to enlarge the scale.
If you go here by bus from Tajimi there is a bus stop on the main road close to the starting point.
(1) We start at the bottom of the stairs to the Hakusan Shrine. This was the site of several ancient kilns, and it is believed that some of the finds here prove that the unique shiro tenmoku white tea bowls originated here.
(2) The shrine is very active and the Onada villagers hold several ceremonies a year when a Shinto priest will come and hold a prayer. The grounds are covered by shards of ancient, discarded pottery from the kilns that were once active here back in medieval times.
(2) The shrine is very active and the Onada villagers hold several ceremonies a year when a Shinto priest will come and hold a prayer. The grounds are covered by shards of ancient, discarded pottery from the kilns that were once active here back in medieval times.
(3) After the visit to the shrine we crossed the bridge back to the main street. To the left of the bridge about 70 meters from the road is the very nice cafe Gershwine.
(4) You will also find a bakery on the left side of the road.
(4) You will also find a bakery on the left side of the road.
(5) When you cross the street and walk a couple hundred meters you will find this praying altar from the Edo era. People prayed here to be saved from an epidemic during those times.
(6) Continuing on the same street you will pass the Takata Pottery Association building. Takata is particularly famous for the tokkuri sake and shochu flask production.
(7) We turn to the left and climb the steep hill up to the Takata Shrine.
(6) Continuing on the same street you will pass the Takata Pottery Association building. Takata is particularly famous for the tokkuri sake and shochu flask production.
(7) We turn to the left and climb the steep hill up to the Takata Shrine.
(8) The grounds at Takata shrine are covered by old ceramic shards, just like at Hakusan Shrine. The day we visited a young woman arrived to pray. She bowed at the gate half-way up before she disappeared from our view. We only heard when she shook the rope in front of the shrine to wake up the gods before praying.
(9) We walk down the stairs from the shrine and continue climbing up the road again.
(9) We walk down the stairs from the shrine and continue climbing up the road again.
(10) Here we encounter a more modern relic from the golden era of the ceramics industry in Tajimi. It’s an old factory with a high chimney. Chimneys like these dominated the whole area at one time. Now only a few remain. Inside the factory, trees are growing. The Mino region had turned to mass production, and new tools were invented to make it possible for unskilled workers to output large volumes of product that were sold across the country and even abroad.
(11) When we pass the old coal fired factory we return to an older era. Here is a climbing kiln, a descendant from pre-edo era days. These kilns were wood fired and built on slopes so that heat would travel from each chamber upwards to save firewood. This kiln was active for a short time in the Taisho era.
(11) When we pass the old coal fired factory we return to an older era. Here is a climbing kiln, a descendant from pre-edo era days. These kilns were wood fired and built on slopes so that heat would travel from each chamber upwards to save firewood. This kiln was active for a short time in the Taisho era.
(12) Now we walk in the wrong direction for a while and get lost.
(13) It may be a good idea to get lost actually, try it! We found some interesting streets offering good motifs for photographs. This is a ceramics industry area.
(14) We turn back and find this small road that leads up to the Kyouei park on top of the mountain.
(15) To go to the park you turn to the right near this overpass ahead of us. Here you will find several large ceramic works donated by local potters. A nice area to sit down and take a break. There is also a reconstructed ancient kofun grave near the school nearby. By this time our legs were pretty sore!
(13) It may be a good idea to get lost actually, try it! We found some interesting streets offering good motifs for photographs. This is a ceramics industry area.
(14) We turn back and find this small road that leads up to the Kyouei park on top of the mountain.
(15) To go to the park you turn to the right near this overpass ahead of us. Here you will find several large ceramic works donated by local potters. A nice area to sit down and take a break. There is also a reconstructed ancient kofun grave near the school nearby. By this time our legs were pretty sore!
(16) Walking down the hill again and across the Takata creek we arrive at this monument displaying typical Takata sake and shochu flasks. From here you can catch a bus back, but there is a nice udon restaurant just around the curve back towards Tajimi, a very nice cafe, and a kiln founded by one of the most famous men in Japanese pottery history. More on that in the next article!
