Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/167

 with this achievement, he now conceived the idea of visiting the workshops of Hizen. For this purpose the indispensable permission and aid of the Prince of Satsuma were obtained. Hōkō, accompanied by Kawara Yagoro, the representative of the elder branch of his family, repaired to Arita and informed himself of the methods practised there. Finally, in 1793, he resolved to visit all the principal factories throughout Japan. Shimazu Tomonobu, then chief of the fief, an ardent lover and patron of the fine arts, not only approved Hōkō's design, but furnished him with money for his journey, and directed Hoshiyama Chiubei, a potter of Tadeno, to accompany him. The two experts, having spent some time at the principal keramic centres of Kiushu—namely, Hizen, Higo, Chikuzen, and Chikugo—passed over to the mainland, and proceeded to Kyōtō, viâ the celebrated workshops of Bizen. At Kyōtō they placed themselves in communication with Aoki Sobei, a potter of great repute. Sobei recommended them to go on to Owari, promising that on their return he would have something to teach them. They accordingly proceeded to Seto; learned there the method of manufacturing the faience called Mifukai-yaki (vide Seto), and then returned to Kyōtō by Ise. Sobei kept his word. He showed the travellers all the processes for producing the enamelled faience of Awata (vide Kyōtō), as well as the Raku ware, dear to the tea-clubs. Thus, by the time they reached home, they had acquired a knowledge of all the chief keramic productions of the Empire. From this epoch (1795) may be dated a large increase in the manufacture of enamelled Satsuma faience. The prince of the fief, Shimazu Tomonobu, afterwards called Eiō, gave