De geschiedenis van keramiek in Okawachiyama begon 350 jaar geleden toen de shoguns er ovens bouwden om aardewerk te laten produceren, uitsluitend voor eigen gebruik. De site werd gekozen omdat het aan drie kanten omgeven wordt door bergen, waardoor het gemakkelijker was voor de shoguns om de technologie te beheersen, m.a.w. de pottenbakkers, die goed werden betaald, te verbieden om de vallei te verlaten. Hoewel de tradities vele eeuwen teruggaan heeft ieder van de 30 ovens zijn eigen kenmerkende stijl: sommigen produceren klassieke ontwerpen, andere ovens hebben hun technieken aangepast om moderne ontwerpen te produceren.
The history of ceramics in Okawachiyama began three and a half centuries ago, when the shoguns established kilns there to manufacture pottery exclusively for their own use. The site was chosen because it is surrounded on three sides by mountains, making it easy for the shoguns to control the technology – that is to say, the potters, who were well-paid but were forbidden from leaving the valley. Although they share traditions going back many centuries, each kiln has its own distinctive style. Some produce classical designs – besides Iro-Nabeshima, there is the blue and white Nabeshima-Sometsuke, and the celadon Nabeshima-Seiji, the glaze for which is made from local stone. Other kilns have adapted these techniques to produce dishes suited to modern interiors.
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