Kurume Tochiku Pottery — Living Wood-Fired Tradition

Kurume is the centre of Tochiku pottery — a glazing tradition dating to the Edo period, characterized by a rustic iron-rich glaze that fires to deep tenmoku brown with amber and mahogany overtones, applied asymmetrically to preserve the hand-touch of the maker. A handful of small wood-firing kilns east of Kurume Station continue the tradition, typically run by multi-generation potter families who fire only a few times a year.