The origins of Otani Ware are traced to 1780, during the late Edo period. According to local tradition, a potter named Bunemon from Bungo Province, present-day Oita Prefecture, visited Otani Village while traveling on the Shikoku pilgrimage. Using local reddish clay from the Kanigatani area, he produced simple household pottery on a wheel.

Soon afterward, the Tokushima domain established a kiln in the area and invited potters from Kyushu in an attempt to produce porcelain. However, because suitable raw materials had to be brought in from outside the region, production proved costly and the domain kiln was closed after only a short period.

In 1784, with support from local indigo merchants including Kaya Bungoro, Noda Heijibei brought in craftspeople familiar with Shigaraki pottery techniques and established a multi-chamber climbing kiln in Otani. This development is regarded as the beginning of the pottery tradition that continues today as Otani Ware.

From the Edo into the Meiji period, Tokushima flourished as a major center of indigo production. Large ceramic vats were needed to store the indigo dye liquor, and Otani Ware became particularly known for producing these oversized vessels. To form such large jars, craftspeople developed the distinctive nero-kuro technique, in which one person shapes the vessel while another lies beneath the platform and turns the wheel with their feet.

As demand for traditional indigo vats declined with changes in industry and everyday life, local kilns expanded their production to include cups, bowls, plates, sake vessels, flower vases, and other forms suited to contemporary use.

On September 10, 2003, Otani Ware was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government. Today, pottery continues to be produced in the Otani area of Naruto City, preserving its large-scale ceramic traditions and distinctive forming techniques.

1. 1. Grinding The raw material of clay is collected and ground into fine pieces after drying.
2. 2. Sieving The ground clay is sieved and refined by removing impurities.
3. 3. Elutriation After purification, the clay is placed inside a water tank and the stirring process begins. While stirring, the clay is gradually transferred by pouring the soil into another water tank
   Once the transfer has been completed, all of the foreign matter is caught in a sieve, and then left for a while until the potter's clay that forms the raw material for porcelain settles. The settled potter's clay is moved to a pot and left until it becomes moderately hard.
4. 4. Clay kneading The artisan steps barefooted on top of round shaped potter's clay, using both feet to tread so as to push out the clay. This process, called araneri kneading, is carried out to make the whole piece of clay evenly soft.
   Next kikuneri kneading is done with the hands in order to extract air bubbles from inside the clay while rotating clay that has already been kneaded by foot.
5. 5. Casting The clay is moved onto a lathe, where it is shaped by hand.
   When producing large ceramics, artisans work in pair to use Otani Ware's traditional nerokuro casting technique to produce casts. One artisan lays down with their feet against the cast while the other one stands next to the piece.
6. 6. Drying Pieces that have been cast are then dried indoors in the shade. When producing large ceramics such as jugs and pots, the drying process will take about twenty days. For small pieces of pottery, drying typically requires between two and seven days.
   Next, the pieces are moved outdoors to be dried under sunlight. Here, large pieces are dried for around two or three days, and small pieces are typically dried in about one day.
7. 7. Glazing Once the pieces have been dried under sunlight, the next step is to glaze with enamel.
   There are three main methods of glazing: namagake, in which enamel is applied without bisque firing*; hitashigake, where articles are soaked in enamel after bisque firing; and nagashigake, where enamel is poured over the pieces using a ladle.
   In addition, the bisque process takes between eight and sixteen hours in a kiln at a temperature of around 800℃ (about 1472℉).
   
   *Bisque firing is an initial firing done at a low temperature before any glaze is applied.
8. 8. Loading pots into the kiln The pots are neatly placed in the kiln for baking.
9. 9. Firing The kiln temperature is set to around 1230℃ (about 2246℉) before moving on to the firing process in which the pieces are baked.
   There are three types of kiln: climbing kilns, electric kilns, and gas kilns. The period of time required for firing is different in each type of kiln.
   For climbing kilns, five to six days and nights are required, while electric kilns and gas kilns require one to two days.
10. 10. Inspection The items are removed from the kiln and checked for chips and cracks.