Arita (Saga)

Arita (Japanese有 田 町, -chō ) is a town in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan and belongs to the district Nishimatsuura. Arita is known for the products manufactured there Arita porcelain and Origin of porcelain production in Japan since 1616.

  • 5.1 Museums
  • 5.2 Attractions
  • 5.3 Festivals and events
  • 5.4 Specialty

Geography

Arita located in the western part of Saga Prefecture on the border of Nagasaki Prefecture. By the Arita Arita- kawa flows from south to north, where it flows into the sea at Imari. The highest elevations are the Kunimi mountain massif whose 777 m on the side of Nagasaki Prefecture ( Sasebo ), and the Mount Kurokami 518 m.

Climate

Arita located in the warm temperate climate zone. The average annual temperature is 14.1 ° C and the mean annual rainfall 2765 mm.

Adjacent Cities and Towns

  • Saga Prefecture: Imari in the North
  • Takeo in the East
  • Sasebo in the West
  • Hasami in the south

History

Arita was born on 1 March 2006 by merging with the neighboring town of Nishi- Arita (西 有 田 町, -chō ).

Economy

Economically significant is especially the ceramic or porcelain industry and agriculture.

Science and Education

  • Schools: 4 primary schools
  • 2 middle schools
  • Technical High School Arita
  • Arita College of Ceramics ( Saga Kenritsu Arita Yogyo Daigakkō )
  • Research institution: Saga Ceramics Research Laboratory ( Saga -ken Gijutsu Senta Yogyo )

Culture and sights

Museums

In Arita there are a variety of museums, which deal mainly with porcelain as well as the history of the ceramic industry.

  • Saga Kenritsu Kyushu Toji Bunka -kan (佐贺 県 立 九州 陶磁 文化馆): The Museum of ceramic culture Kyushu Saga prefecture is in its kind, the largest in southern Japan, is the collection, preservation and exhibition of important historical, artistic and industrial ceramic products and materials. In addition, the museum is also used as a research and teaching institution.
  • Historical and Folklore Museum Arita: Issued include historical documents, old tools that were used to produce porcelain, fragments of old kilns from the 400 -year history of porcelain manufacture in Arita.
  • Museum of Ceramics Arita: The museum, which is housed in an old warehouse for Arita porcelain, an exhibition next to documents on the history of porcelain Hersel Lung in Arita shows old porcelain from the province of Hizen in Ko - Imari, Kakiemon - and Nabeshima style. The main attraction is a plate of 60 cm diameter in blue and white from the end of the Edo period (1603-1868 ), showing the workers of Sarayama district in the manufacture of porcelain. 1982, the plate was determined to important heritage of Saga Prefecture.
  • In Arita was still built in GDR times, a reduced copy of a part of the Dresden Zwinger. The building is used as a museum of porcelain of the Bakumatsu and Meiji period. Among other things there is to see, which was shown at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873, the 1.82 m tall vase.
  • Arita -kan: In the Arita -kan an old legend from the area around Arita in the style of Kabuki theater is shown in a puppet theater. The dolls ( Karakuri Ningyo ) are all made of porcelain and are moved by built-in electronics. In addition, thematic exhibitions are shown on various occasions.
  • In addition, almost every major manufacturer has an exhibition hall or gallery.

Attractions

  • Quarry Izumiyama: The quarry is considered the birthplace of porcelain manufacture in Japan and was declared a National Historical Monument. At the beginning of the 17th century Korean potters Ri San Pei found there kaolin and presented for the first time in Japan porcelain ago. Today, the mining is no longer profitable; retarded is an impressive landscape. A testimony of the 400 -year history of porcelain manufacture in Arita, in which almost the whole mountain was demolished.
  • Tozan -jinja (陶 山 神社): The shrine was built around 1658 in honor of Tennō ojin and Ri San Peis, first under the name Sueyama -jinja, the Kun - reading of the characters. Soon, however, sat in the vernacular, the On- reading of the by, under which the shrine is known today. A special and unique in Japan is the fact that both the Torii, as well as the lion dog ( guardian figures ), and large water jugs at the entrance of porcelain. On the grounds of the shrine is a stone monument is in honor of San Ri Peis, which was erected in 1917 to mark the 300th anniversary of porcelain production. Every year on the 4th May there to commemorate the Ri San Pei Tōsosai (陶 祖 祭), a festival commemorating the founder of porcelain production.
  • Rice terrace at Take: The rice terrace fields at Take among the 100 most beautiful rice terraces in Japan.

Festivals and Events

  • Arita porcelain Hina Matsuri (4 February to mid-March ): Various manufactories, galleries and shops exhibit made ​​of porcelain Hina dolls. One attraction is dabeidas 2.70 m high, 7 -stage doll kit from china.
  • Tōkiichi Arita (有 田 陶器 市) ( April 29-May 5 ): The China market is held every year during the Golden Week and is an average of around one million visitors, the largest event of its kind in Japan. Over a distance of less than 4 km around 700 stalls offer ceramic goods. 1896 the first porcelain market was held. Due to some interruptions (including during the Second World War ), the 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2003.
  • Arita Sarayama Matsuri (有田 皿山 まつり) ( 16 and 17 October ): The Arita Sarayama Matsuri is the autumn festival Aritas. ( In Nordkyūshū these festivals are also called Kunchi or Höflichkeitspräfix O Kunchi. Famous Kunchi include the Nagasaki Kunchi and the Karatsu - Kunchi. ) Dances are On October 16 morning listed on Tozan -jinja and then a portable shrine ( mikoshi ) from there through the city. On October 17, a parade along the main street will be held in which, among other things, the plate - dance is danced. Two small porcelain plates are beaten in each hand sung to one of the well-known throughout Japan enka singer Hibari Misora ​​(美空 ひばり) song against each other similar to castanets. Evening will be the presented at the fairground dance competitions.

Specialty

Godōfu (ごどうふ), Kanji (呉 豆腐) is a Tofuart is used in its preparation Kuzu as a curdling agent (instead of the conventionally used nigari ). It is often eaten with a sesame dressing.

Arita porcelain

Arita porcelain is not a registered trademark, such as Meissen porcelain, therefore, an exact delimitation of the term is difficult. Mainly it refers to produced in Arita porcelain. Historically, however, it also includes the porcelain goods produced in the area of Arita with.

The term Imari porcelain

Primarily in Arita and surroundings - - produced porcelains from port Imaris within all of Japan shipped Hizen porcelain under the name During the Edo period, in the province of Hizen were. Beginning of the first half of the 17th century continued in the former centers of Japan Kyoto, Osaka and Edo, the name of the exporting port Imaris by, under which it is best known abroad.

Current Situation

Currently, there are about 150 factories in Arita. Due to the poor situation on the market and the competition from overseas whose number has been declining in recent years.

Famous Factories

  • Kakiemon (柿 右卫门 窑)
  • Imaemon (今 右卫门 窑)
  • Gen'emon (源 右卫门 窑)
  • Fukagawa Seiji (深 川 制 磁)
  • Kōransha (香兰 社)
  • Inoue Manji (井上 万 二 窑)
  • Aoki Ryuuzan (青木 龙山 窑)
  • Tsuji Seijisha (辻 精 磁 社)

Traffic

  • Road Highway: Nishi- Kyushu Expressway
  • National roads: 35, 202, 498
  • JR Sasebo Line ( Fukuoka - Sasebo )
  • Matsuura tetsudō Nishi- Kyūshū Line ( Arita - Imari - Sasebo )

Twinning

  • Germany city of Meissen ( since 9 February 1979)
  • People's Republic of China Jingdezhen City ( since 28 August 1996)
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