At Opposite Ends of the Ceramic World陶器的两端

Continuing from the previous chapterPray at the Shrine, Deliver in Industry 在神社许愿，在产业兑现

Pray at the Shrine, Deliver in Industry.

Make a wish at the shrine, fulfill it through industry.

The Kasama Inari Shrine　in Ibaraki and Yūtoku Inari Shrine　 in Saga—who previously made only brief cameo appearances—are finally being promoted from guest roles to supporting characters this time.

Congratulations.

Why place two regions so far apart geographically in the same story?

One lies north of Tokyo, the other in southern Japan.

Besides the connection mentioned earlier—both being counted among Japan’s Three Great Inari Shrines and often jokingly competing for the third position (a perspective from observers, not from the shrines themselves)—there are several other reasons. Geography and geology play a role as well.

But before that, one might ask:

How many people actually know the prefectures of Ibaraki and Saga?

Japan has a well-known annual ranking called the Prefectural Attractiveness Ranking, published by the Brand Research Institute.

Ibaraki Prefecture spent many years at the very bottom of this list, which turned it into a running joke on the Japanese internet.

Personally, I feel this is somewhat unfair. It works better as an internet meme than a serious evaluation. The main issue is simply that Ibaraki is surrounded by extremely strong neighbors, making it harder for its own qualities to stand out.

Ibaraki is often referred to as the vegetable garden of the Kantō region.

Kantō—which includes Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma—is one of the most densely populated regions in Japan.

Its largest consumption center is, of course, Tokyo.

Because Ibaraki lies close to Tokyo and has broad, flat land suitable for agriculture, it developed into a major supplier of vegetables for the metropolitan area.

So although Ibaraki often feels low-profile in terms of public visibility, its agricultural strength is undeniable.

Another well-known product is natto.

When Japanese people hear the word “natto,” many immediately think of Mito Natto—and Mito is in Ibaraki.

In reality, Ibaraki is quite powerful. It is simply understated.

For example:

Its agricultural output ranks among the top in Japan

Tsukuba Science City　is one of the largest research hubs in the country

Numerous national research institutes are located there

There is also an even more understated aspect of Ibaraki: ceramics.

The region is home to Kasama-yaki pottery.

Kasama-yaki originated in 1772, when the potter Chōemon established a kiln there.

Unlike many traditional Japanese ceramic traditions, Kasama-yaki has several distinctive characteristics:

A free artistic style, without overly rigid traditions

A strong focus on everyday wares such as bowls, plates, teapots, and flower vases

Rich glaze variations, including ash glazes and iron glazes

A large number of contemporary ceramic artists

Because of this, Kasama-yaki is quite active in Japan’s ceramics world, though it lacks the strong brand identity of some older kiln traditions.

In fact, Kasama is sometimes described as one of the cities with the highest concentration of ceramic artists in Japan.

Many contemporary potters have moved there and built their own kilns.

Occasionally, when we organize study tours or educational trips, we arrange for guests or students to stay with these ceramic artists—sharing meals together, making pottery together, and engaging in academic and cultural exchanges.

Interestingly, Saga Prefecture also has a very famous pottery town: Arita.

Arita is renowned not only in Japan but around the world. Many people regard it as the birthplace of Japanese porcelain.

In the early 17th century, Japan did not yet know how to produce true porcelain.

After the Imjin War, when Japan invaded Korea, some Korean potters were brought to Japan.

Soon afterward, porcelain production began in Arita, making it one of the earliest porcelain centers in Japan.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Japanese porcelain became extremely popular among European aristocrats.

Many people outside Japan have heard of Imari ware.

In fact, early Arita porcelain was exported through the port of Imari, which is why Europeans came to call it Imari.

Like Ibaraki, Saga is also low-profile but highly capable.

However, it sits next to powerful regional centers such as Fukuoka and Nagasaki.

Because of this, much of the population, media attention, and economic activity in northern Kyushu gravitates toward Fukuoka, leaving Saga somewhat overlooked.

Those familiar with Japanese historical dramas might recognize the name Saga Domain.

During the Edo period, Saga was actually quite strong.

It was technologically advanced, studied Western science, and played an important role in the Meiji Restoration. For a time, it could even be considered a leading power in Kyushu.

Beyond ceramics, Saga offers many other cultural experiences—such as hot springs, tea culture, and the famously high-quality Saga beef.

The more I travel, the more I feel that the meaning of travel is not simply visiting famous landmarks.

The most interesting places are often those that have not yet been over-commercialized, places where everyday life still retains its authenticity.

Ibaraki and Saga are exactly that kind of place.

In Ibaraki, you can see the roots of Japan’s everyday food culture.

In Saga, you can touch the historical depth of Japanese craftsmanship.

On a more personal note, I often see news reports about large shopping centers in Mito closing one after another, while more and more people move toward the big cities. Local economies in smaller regions are slowly declining.

If more travelers could begin to notice these quiet, underrated regions, Japan’s travel map would become far richer.

And perhaps, in a small way, it could also contribute to the vitality of local communities.

书接上回，Pray at the Shrine, Deliver in Industry 在神社许愿，在产业兑现

客串出场的茨城的笠间稻荷神社以及佐贺的祐德稻荷神社，这次终于由客串升级成配角了。

恭喜。

为什么要把地理位置相隔这么远的两个地方（茨城在东京以北，佐贺在日本之南）放在一起写？ 除了前篇出现的渊源，如都是日本三大神社之一，而且一直在争第三名的番位（看客角度，不代表神社），还有另外几个原因。地缘环境和地质环境。

有多少人知道茨城和佐贺这两县？

日本有一个很有名的“都道府县魅力度排名”，由 品牌综合研究所 每年发布。

茨城县曾经连续很多年倒数第一，因此在日本互联网文化里常被调侃。我个人觉得有失公允，只能作为网络段子，只是因为它周边强手太多，凸显不出来而已。

茨城，很多时候被称为关东的菜园。关东地区（包含东京、神奈川、千叶、埼玉、茨城、栃木、群马）人口密集，其中最大的消费中心是 东京。茨城县距离东京近、土地平坦，非常适合农业，所以形成了大量蔬菜供应基地。虽然茨城在日本存在感很低却农业很强。

还有一个大家耳熟能详的纳豆，日本人一提到纳豆，很多人第一反应就是“水户纳豆”。水户就在茨城。

茨城其实很强，只是低调，比如：

• 农业产值全国前列

• 筑波研究学园都市 是日本最大的科研城市之一

• 有很多国家级研究机构

另外，茨城还有一个更加低调的地方，就是陶瓷：笠间烧（KASAMAYAKI）

笠间烧起源于 1772年，由陶工 长右卫门 开窑，和日本很多传统陶瓷不同，笠间烧有几个比较特别的地方：

• 风格自由：不像很多传统窑口那么严格

• 生活器皿多：碗、盘、茶具、花器等

• 釉色变化丰富：灰釉、铁釉、自然质感多

• 现代陶艺家很多

因此它在日本陶艺界其实很活跃，但不像一些名窑那样有强烈品牌感。

笠间其实是“日本陶艺家最多的城市之一”。很多现代陶艺家都在 笠间市 建窑创作。他们从各个地方移居到此，我们偶尔会安排旅游的客人或者学生住到陶瓷家家里，一起吃饭，一起制陶，进行学术交流。

同样，佐贺，也有一个非常有名的陶器镇——有田町。

这个在日本乃至世界都非常有名的陶瓷小镇，很多人把有田称为 “日本瓷器的起点”。

17世纪初，日本还不会真正烧制瓷器。在 文禄·庆长之役（日本侵略朝鲜的战争）之后，一些朝鲜陶工被带到日本。作为日本最早的瓷器产地之一，历史地位很高。17世纪到18世纪，日本瓷器在欧洲贵族圈非常流行。其实很多外国人会听到 伊万里烧。早期有田烧是从 伊万里市 港口出口，所以欧洲人把它叫 “Imari”。

佐贺和茨城一样，也是低调却有实力，周边因为有福冈，长崎这样的强市，很多资源、人口、媒体关注都集中到了福冈，对佐贺的关注度就非常低了。

熟悉日本大河连续剧的人，可能对 佐贺藩 这个名字比较熟。江户时代的佐贺其实很强，技术先进，研究西洋科学，参与 明治维新，一度称为了九州地区的头号种子。

除了陶瓷，佐贺还有许多值得体验的文化，比如温泉、茶文化，以及以品质著称的佐贺牛。

我越来越觉得，旅行的意义并不仅仅是打卡著名景点。

真正有趣的地方，往往是那些没有被过度商业化、仍然保持真实生活气息的地区。

茨城和佐贺正是这样的地方。

在茨城，你可以看到日本日常饮食文化的根源。在佐贺，你可以触摸到日本传统工艺的历史。

从我的私心来讲，看到新闻里，水户的大型购物中心一个接一个关闭，越来越多的人集中到大城市，地方上的经济越来越萧条。如果能让更多的游客开始关注这些低调的地区，日本的旅行地图也会变得更加丰富。能为地方经济尽一点绵薄之力。