Imari and Arita Pottery Traditional Industry Hall Renewal

The Okawachiyama region of Imari City, Saga Prefecture, is the production area of Nabeshima ware, said to be the pinnacle of Japanese porcelain, which was produced by the Saga Nabeshima clan as gifts to the shogunate and other clans. The Imari-Arita Ware Traditional Industry Hall, located at the entrance to the area, is a facility that serves as both a training center for ceramics workers and an educational displays for Nabeshima ware.
This time, as part of a renewal project to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the opening of the Nabeshima Domain kiln, Okawachiyama, on November 1, 2025, our company designed and construction the renewal of the entrance, document displays room, and general displays room.

The aim of the renovation was to strengthen the function of disseminating information about the history and techniques that had been cultivated while producing pottery as an official kiln for the Saga Nabeshima Domain, and to increase visitors' interest in Nabeshima ware and Okawachiyama through displays of current works that have been made using techniques that have been refined while inheriting history, and to encourage them to take a stroll and visit the kilns.

The entrance, document displays room, and general displays room were concept design according to their respective functions.
 

The entrance space at the facility is intended to be a starting point to encourage strolling around Okawauchiyama.
The space is designed to make you feel as if you are immersed in Nabeshima ware, with blue walls that evoke the image of Nabeshima ware and designs commonly used in Nabeshima ware scattered throughout.
The legs of the fixtures are decorated with "boshi," a material used in the pottery production process, and the tabletops are covered with ceramic fragments, so that just by being in the space you can tell that this facility is a pottery production area.
 

The purpose of the materials displays room is to deepen understanding of the history and techniques of Nabeshima ware, and it has been designed as a calming space.
 

The general displays room focuses on the "present" of Okawachiyama, and is a space that evokes the natural beauty of Okawachiyama, such as its abundant water and wind, which nurtures modern potteries.
displays consists of two sections: "Introduction to Presentation Bottles," which explains the modern revival of the Edo period presentation ceremony (a ceremony in which bottles and sake vessels to be offered to the shogunate were presented to the shogunate), and "Introduction to Imari Potteries," which introduces 30 contemporary potteries.
Both exhibits are simply structured with graphics and displays, but the "Introduction to Presentation Bottles" section focuses on designs that correspond to each presentation recipient (each local government and the local government where a famous castle is located), and by enlarging the designs on the bottles, visitors can enjoy looking at them like a painting, revealing the intricate and delicate craftsmanship that would go unnoticed with the naked eye.
For "Introduction to Imari Potteries," we interviewed and photographed 30 potteries. By displays both the potteries' passion and their works, we hoped to stimulate visitors' interest in the potteries and encourage them to visit them in person.

We believe that the spatial concept design and displays presentation effects of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Ltd. are as follows:
1. Reconstructing history: By organizing information about the techniques and history that had been cultivated as a Nabeshima domain kiln, we were able to clearly convey to visitors the value of the production area (Okawauchiyama).
② Added value through concept design: The sophisticated entrance hall and displays room have been renovated to create a modern space that appeals to young people and foreign tourists.
3) Strengthening the hub function: We were able to create a production that increases the mobility of tourists by allowing them to visit the surrounding pottery studios after gaining knowledge at the hall.
4) Establishing a base for disseminating information: To coincide with the milestone of the 350th anniversary, we were able to maximize the communication power of the production area by introducing displays that look good on social media and the latest displays technology.