Okinawa’s pottery culture developed through centuries of maritime exchange with China and Southeast Asia. From around the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, imported ceramics and ceramic-making techniques contributed to the growth of local pottery production, which later incorporated further influences from the Korean Peninsula and other regions.

After the Satsuma domain invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1609, the Ryukyu royal government continued to promote pottery as an important local industry. During the seventeenth century, techniques introduced by potters with connections to the Korean Peninsula contributed to the further development of glazed pottery, particularly the tradition that became known as jo-yachi.

In 1682, the Ryukyu royal government consolidated three major pottery centers—the Chibana kiln in Misato, the Takaraguchi kiln in Shuri, and the Wakuta kiln in Naha—in the area now known as Tsuboya in Naha City. Potters were brought together there and production was concentrated in one district. This event is generally regarded as the beginning of present-day Tsuboya Ware.

Tsuboya subsequently developed into one of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s principal pottery centers, producing both jo-yachi and ara-yachi. Alongside everyday tableware, sake vessels, and storage jars, potters created distinctive Okinawan forms such as karakara, dachibin, zushigame funerary urns, and shisa guardian figures.

After the Meiji Restoration, pottery production lost the protection of the former Ryukyu government and faced increasing competition from ceramics brought in from other parts of Japan. In the early Showa period, however, figures associated with the Mingei folk-craft movement, including Yanagi Soetsu, Hamada Shoji, and Kawai Kanjiro, drew renewed attention to Okinawan pottery and introduced its strong, unpretentious aesthetic to a wider audience.

Pottery production continued in Tsuboya after World War II, but as Naha became increasingly urbanized, smoke from traditional climbing kilns became difficult to accommodate. From the 1960s onward, some potters relocated their kilns to areas including Yomitan, spreading techniques developed in Tsuboya to new production centers.

On June 2, 1976, Tsuboya Ware was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government. In 1985, Tsuboya potter Kinjo Jiro was recognized as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property, commonly known as a Living National Treasure, for his mastery of Ryukyu pottery. Today, both jo-yachi and ara-yachi traditions continue in Tsuboya, Yomitan, and other parts of Okinawa.

1. 1. Preparing the Clay
   Different types of clay and preparation methods are used depending on the intended product and whether it is jo-yachi or ara-yachi.
   
   For jo-yachi, the raw clay may be mixed with water and refined through a levigation process to remove impurities and coarse particles. Ara-yachi uses a different preparation method that preserves more of the natural character of the clay.
   
   The prepared clay is then thoroughly kneaded to make its consistency even, remove trapped air, and prepare it for forming.
2. 2. Forming
   The clay is shaped using a potter’s wheel, hand-building techniques, molds, or other methods depending on the size and form of the piece.
   
   A wide variety of objects are produced, including jars, large storage vessels, plates, bowls, sake vessels, dachibin portable bottles, and karakara sake vessels.
   
   When using a potter’s wheel, the artisan gradually shapes the clay while carefully controlling the thickness and overall balance. Large jars may be built up in several stages.
3. 3. Applying White Slip
   For some jo-yachi pieces, a white clay slip is applied over the formed body. This process is known as kesho-gake.
   
   Covering the reddish clay body with white slip provides a lighter surface that helps bring out the colors of subsequent decoration and glazing.
   
   The slip may be applied over the entire surface or only to selected areas. Ara-yachi is generally left without this treatment so that the natural color and texture of the clay remain visible.
4. 4. Decoration
   Various decorative techniques are applied to the formed or slip-coated surface.
   
   Tsuboya Ware uses a wide range of methods, including line carving, scraping away areas of slip, inlay, tobashi-kanna decoration, and applied relief.
   
   In line carving, patterns are incised into the surface. In scraping techniques, selected areas of white slip are removed to create a contrast with the color of the clay beneath. Motifs inspired by Okinawan nature and culture, including plants, fish, and birds, may also be incorporated.
5. 5. Glazing
   After decoration, glaze is applied to jo-yachi pieces. A variety of glazes may be used, including transparent, amber, green, and black glazes.
   
   The glaze may be applied by dipping the vessel or pouring glaze over its surface. The thickness and distribution of the glaze are carefully controlled because they influence the final color, texture, and appearance after firing.
6. 6. Painting
   Some jo-yachi pieces are further decorated with painted designs using mineral-based pigments.
   
   Artisans use brushes to depict plants, fish, birds, geometric patterns, and other motifs. The thickness of the lines, variations in tone, and movement of the brush are carefully controlled to create the bold and lively expressions associated with Tsuboya Ware.
7. 7. Firing
   After the pieces have dried thoroughly, they are loaded into the kiln and fired.
   
   Traditional jo-yachi generally follows a single-firing process in which the unfired body is decorated, glazed, and then fired without a separate bisque-firing stage.
   
   Jo-yachi is typically fired at around 1,200°C, while ara-yachi is generally fired at a somewhat lower temperature. Actual firing temperatures and durations vary depending on the kiln, clay, glaze, and type of work being produced.
   
   Traditional climbing kilns can create variations in color and surface caused by flames, ash, and the position of each piece within the kiln. Today, gas kilns and other kilns that allow more precise temperature control are also widely used.
8. 8. Overglaze Decoration and Finishing
   Some pieces receive additional overglaze decoration, such as red painting, after the main firing. These works are fired again at a lower temperature to permanently fix the decoration to the surface.
   
   Finally, each piece is inspected for the condition of the glaze, firing quality, cracks, chips, and other imperfections. The base may be adjusted or smoothed as necessary before the finished piece is completed.