Journeys in Japan

Japan's Porcelain Legacy - Arita & Imari (4x31)

Air date: Sep 24, 2013

In the 17th century, porcelain known as Imari ware was exported from Japan to Europe despite the country's isolation policy. An elegant style called Kakiemon especially astonished people around the world for its vivid colors on a lustrous white body. Our traveler, Kristina Mar, visits Arita and Imari, where these porcelain pieces originated, and meets Hiroshi Sakaida, the head of the Kakiemon family. He will succeed his father, the 14th Kakiemon Sakaida, who passed away this year. Hiroshi shows Kristina the quarry at Izumiyama and the spectacular scenery there, which holds the secret of the gorgeous Kakiemon white. In Arita, she learns about a new project underway to share ceramic production methods with artists from other countries. She also visits a kiln run by a family who has passed down their techniques for more than 300 years in a mountainous village in Imari. There she explores the essence of their craftsmanship and traditions. Kristina is a ceramic artist from Portugal who has been living in Japan for 20 years. During her journey, she comes in contact with the special sensibility of the Japanese