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Bizen Pottery Festival, Imbe, Japan
備前焼まつり
Every year in October, the Festival of Bizen Pottery is held in the small town of Imbe in the former Bizen province, now part of Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
Bizenware (備前焼, Bizen-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery most identifiable by its iron-like hardness, reddish brown color, absence of glaze, and markings resulting from wood-burning kiln firing. It is Japan’s oldest pottery making technique, introduced in the Heian period (794 - 1185). Because of the clay composition, Bizen wares are fired slowly over a long period of time. Firings take place only once or twice a year, requiring the wood fire to be kept burning for 10-14 days at a temperature of about 1,300°C.
All photos in this story shot with Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Edited in Lightroom 5.7.
Emerging from JR Imbe Station, dancers were just getting ready for their parade.
Dancers at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
An engaging group consisting of very young performers …
Dancers performing at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
… and young-at-heart performers 🙂 ,
Dancers performing at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
dressed in colorful costumes, and …
Dancers performing at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
… carrying out a rather elaborate sequence of dance moves.
Dancers performing at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
After watching the parade, it was time to look around the tents and stands, where local potters presented their works of Bizen pottery. A myriad of beautifully shaped and colored tea cups, sake bottles, beer mugs, dishes, vases and decorative items.
Bizenware being sold at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
The level of interest in those pottery items seemed to loosely correlate to the visitors’ age, …
Bizenware being sold at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
… and upon closer look, many a bargain was to be found.
Bizenware being sold at the Festival of Bizen Pottery in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
Imbe is also home to a lovely small shrine, Amatsu Jinja (天津神社).
Amatsu Shrine in Imbe, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
As one might expect at this location, the shrine features a unique set of decorative elements and ornate details made of Bizenware.
Amatsu Shrine in Imbe, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
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