Mashiko, Tochigi

Mashiko 益子町
—  Town  —
Location of Mashiko in Tochigi
Mashiko
Coordinates: 36°28′N 140°06′E / 36.467°N 140.1°E / 36.467; 140.1Coordinates: 36°28′N 140°06′E / 36.467°N 140.1°E / 36.467; 140.1
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi
District	Haga
Government
- Mayor	Tomoyuki Ōtsuka
Area
- Total	89.54 km2 (34.6 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2009)
- Total	24,760
- Density	277/km2 (717.4/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Japanese Red Pine
- Flower	Yamayuri (Lilium auratum)
- Bird	Japanese Bush Warbler
Phone number	0285-72-2111
Address	2030 Mashiko, Mashiko-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi 321-4293
Website	Mashiko Town

Mashiko (益子町, Mashiko-machi^?) is a town located in Haga District, Tochigi, Japan. As of October 1, 2009, the town has an estimated population of 24,760 and a density of 277 persons per km². The total area is 89.54 km².

Culture

Mashiko is known for its pottery, called mashikoyaki (益子焼^?). Early pottery in Mashiko dates back to the Jōmon and Yayoi periods. Mashikoyaki is often thought of as a simple and rustic in style, brown with maybe a little red glaze,but modern pottery made in Mashiko today is found in many styles, because of the creative freedom brought to Mashiko by Shoji Hamada. Modern Mashikoyaki dates only to 1853, when a potter discovered that local clay here was ideal for ceramics. The style was popularized in 1930 when Hamada, later designated as a Living National Treasure, set up a kiln in Mashiko. Hamada′s student, Tatsuzō Shimaoka, was also designated as a Living National Treasure and worked in Mashiko from 1953 until his death in 2007.

Mashiko is a folkware kiln site that is unlike some of the other older kiln sites around Japan. The town is open to newcomers whether they be potters or others with professional backgrounds in arts, science and education. In Japan craftsmen were usually born into their profession but in Mashiko, anyone could be a potter.

There are two different types of pottery available for purchase in Mashiko. All around the center of town you will find shops selling tableware like plates, bowls and cups. There are also more specialized stores that offer artistic pieces, often, one of a kind.

Recent trends

In general, the countryside in Japan has suffered major population loss since World War Two but this is not the case in Mashiko. Following Shoji Hamada, people looking to return to a more traditional Japanese lifestyle settled in the area.^[1]

Places of worship

Saimyō-ji, a Buddhist temple with several important cultural relics (as designated by the national and prefectural governments), is located in Mashiko.

References

1. ^ Holmes, Ann Sommer. The Transition of the Artisan-Potter to the Artist Potter in Mashiko, a folkware kiln site in Japan. New York University Press, 1982. p. 12.

• Baekeland, Frederick. “Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections”. New York: Japan Society, 1993. (ISBN 0-913304-38-7)

External links

• Mashiko official website (Japanese)
• Wikitravel: Mashiko (English)