Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/120

 days, this Nabeshima-hihi-yaki (Nabeshima craquelé) is not without merits.

Another renowned factory is that of Mikawachi-yama—written Mikawa-uchi-yama, or "the hill between the three rivers," and generally pronounced Mikochi-yam. Here was produced Hirado-yaki, perhaps the finest porcelain manufactured in Japan. The story of this beautiful ware is connected, indirectly, with the Korean immigrants who came to Japan in the train of Hideyoshi's generals (1579). Matsura Hōin, feudal chief of Hirado, a large island lying off the coast of Hizen, caused some of these Koreans to settle at a place called Nakano, in the district of Kita-Matsura. Among them the most skilled—in fact, the only one whose name has been transmitted—was Koseki Tonroku, sometimes called Kyōkan, who was subsequently placed on the roll of the Hirado vassals under the name of Imamura. This potter was afterwards transferred to the factory of Karatsu, but some twenty years later (1630) he moved again to a place called Yoshi-no-moto, and worked there with his sons.

Very little is known of the ware manufactured by these Koreans. Tradition says that it was a coarse faience, rudely decorated with designs in blue, but no specimens appear to have been thought worthy of preserving. Tonroku, or Imamura, died about 1640. He left two sons, Ton-ichi and Ton-ji. In 1650 these potters moved to Mikawachi. They are said to have taken this step at the instance of a brother artist called Nakazato Moemon, but it seems more probable that their purpose was to avail themselves of a superior variety of clay which had been discovered by Joen, son of Imamura Ton-ichi (or San-no-jo, as his name is written by some), at the hill of Mitsu-ga-take. The