Muneyoshi’s Remonstrance
Before Hideyoshi’s departure for Korea, Torii Soshitsu (a wealthy merchant in Hakata named Tokko Monshige, 77 years old and a graduate of the first year of the Genna Era), who had received a private order from Hideyoshi, made an inspection of Korea. He found that this plan was very unfavorable, and he often remonstrated with Hideyoshi against it, but Hideyoshi would have none of it, and thus forbade him from approaching him.
On March 13, 1868, Hideyoshi summoned a large army of more than 30,000 men and dispatched 25,570 of them to Korea, leaving Kyongji on March 26 and arriving at Nagoya Castle in Kamimatsuura, Hizen Province on April 25. The spearhead of the first army was the Kadamaro.
Kiyomasa Kato (lord of Kumamoto Castle, Higo Province) and Yukinaga Konishi (lord of Uto Castle, Higo Province) were the spearheads of the first force, with Kiyomasa leading a force of 8,000 men (or 10,000), and Naoshige Nabeshima, lord of Sakae Castle in Hizen Province, leading 12,000 men as second in command.
Gonishi Yukinaga led a detachment of 7,000 men, and the Hizen commanders he commanded included Matsuura Shigenobu, lord of Hirado, with 3,000 men; Arima Harunobu, lord of Shimabara, with 2,000 men; Omura Kimae, lord of Omura, with 1,000 men; and Goshima Jungen (Awaji Moritoki), lord of Goto Fukue, with 700 men, who were to march in two separate columns with Kiyomasa.
The overlapping generals of Nabeshima’s army
The commanders who followed Nabeshima Naoshige at this time included Yamashiro Magoshichiro Sada, Tajiri Tango no Katsunari, Narutomi Hyogosuke Shigeyasu, Taku Nagato no Yasujun, Nabeshima Heigoro Shigeri, Togo Saburobe Shigemasa, Shinzaikumon Tane Millstone, Togo Ikusan Iri Michiharu, Togo Suke Ukumon Shigeyoshi, Ryuzoji Shichiro Sakumon Ieharu, Togo彥右工門 Ietoshi, Togo Matahachiro Hisashige, Togo Tarojiro Shigenari, Togo Shinsuke Ietomo Iemitsu, Kotaro Goro Shigenobu, Kotaro Kuro Nobunari, Kotaro Shirobei Nobutoki, Matsuura Taro Nobuaki, Goto Juzaikomon Ienobu, Fukahori Jungaku Taisuke Junken, Oda Shirojiro Nobumitsu, Kamishiro Kiheiji Ieyoshi, Anegawa Jungaku Taisuke Nobuyasu, Ogawa Ichizakumon Ietoshi, Kotoba Hannai Ienao, Senbu Sou Uekomon Kentoshi, Chiba Uma Inobu, Inuzuka Saburo Ukumon Shigetora, Kotoko Kozo Uekomon Mokeki, Hachinohe Sobei Munenobu, Yokodake Yokogake Muneharu Sukebe, Yokodake Shimonomori Laiaki, Bizen no Noboru Nakayama, Izumo Hyobu Shosuke Nobutada, Oki Hyobu Shosuke Junmitsu, Kae Hakkimori Nobuaki, Miura Shiro Ukumon Kenjun, Kinoshita Shirobei Masanao, Babataro Jiro Nobunin, Jinbei Takagi Moriki, Yo Saikumon Insei, Doubei Uchiyasu, Mawata Ai Ukumon Shigemitsu, Kamouchi Mikazumo Tane Jun, Doubei Ietane, Nakano Shin Ukon Kiyoaki Ota Misakomon Shiguren, Uchida Sukesaburo Iekatsu, Dohi Magorokuro Shigenori, Noutomi Matasaburo Ienawa, Nishimuta Shinsuke Iechika, Hirayoshi Gyobujo Shigeyoshi, Mizumachi Heiemon Shigenari, Kuramachi Hansaburo Ieshu, Ureshino Kyuso Michinao, Ureshino Sunsaku Michikiyo, and others.
Unmooring and Returning Home
Naoshige’s forces thus sailed from Imari Port in Hizen Province, and both spearheads set sail from Nagoyaura on April 12, Bunroku 1. On April 12, 12, Bunroku, both spearheads sailed from Nagoyaura and moved to Hamgyeong, Kaesong, and Anbyeon. Naomochi entered Wangseong with Kiyomasa, but on June 29, they separated and headed for Giju, where they fought a major battle in Yeongheung-gun in October. On the 5th day of the 2nd lunar month, another commander, Takakage Kobayakawa (Lord of Najima Castle in Chikuzen), defeated a large force led by Ri Ryo-song of Ming at Hekiteikan, but was defeated by Gyonaga Pyongyang on the 7th day of the same month.
In the 3rd year of Bunroku, Ming Dynasty envoys arrived in the morning and a peace agreement was reached. In November of the 5th year of Bunroku, the Ming Dynasty’s envoys arrived in Japan, and by the first day of the 5th year of Keicho, all of our forces had returned, and Naomo took refuge in Imari. (It is said that the pine tree under the Kompira Shrine is the one that was transplanted to the Todoshima Shrine in Kisu, which was later relocated to the Aioi Bridge in Imari and then to Doi-cho.)
The Second Deployment of the Soldiers
In September of the first year of the Keicho Era, the Joseon War broke out again, and on October 20 of the same year, Naomochi, as military commander of the first army, left the port of Imari to fight again. In December of the same year, Yangho, the commander of the Ming Dynasty, attacked the enemy army at night. On August 18, Hideyoshi died at Fushimi Castle, and on August 25, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Maeda Toshie agreed to recall the army they had dispatched, and Naoshige and other commanders returned to the port of Hakata in Tsukizen in early December.
Postwar Considerations
In considering the aftermath of the war, it was difficult to gather provisions and fodder in a foreign country where roads were poor and uninformative, and there were not many commanders of strategy and bravery such as Yi Sun-sin and Gwon Shiver among the Korean forces.
In addition, the two commanders of our spearhead were in discord and could not take action at all, and Gyongchang was defeated in Pyeongyang and the army had no choice but to abandon Gyeongseong and retreat to the south, once a peace agreement was made.
Next, many of our forces were encamped in the three provinces of Jeolla, Gyeongsang, and Chungcheong and could not advance to Gyeongseong at all. In particular, the naval forces were severely defeated, and according to current military scholars, this was due to the fact that our naval bases did not extend west of Sunseo Bay.
The Failure of the War
In short, Hideyoshi’s expedition only dealt a blow to the Ming Dynasty and inflicted havoc on Joseon, costing a great deal of lives and property and demonstrating the peerless valor of his army, but in reality, it was a complete failure with no real rewards. At the very least, one of the most notable achievements of the campaign was the importation of a large number of potters from the region, which stimulated the advancement of Japanese ceramics and allowed us to establish the production of white porcelain, which had been considered impossible at the time.
Although Hideyoshi did not order the commanders to bring local potters with them when they returned to Korea, it is not difficult to imagine that there were not a few who needed Korean potters among those who went to war, even though tea ceremonies were held in the main gate of Nagoya Castle or tea utensils were fired in the vicinity of the castle.
The Founding of Joseon
It is said that the ceramic art of former Korea was brought from China geographically in the history of the founding of the nation. 4,000 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Gyotai, Zengjun came to this place and founded the nation in Pyeongyang.
After that, it was divided into three provinces, but in the third year of the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was conquered and divided into four counties in the 50th year of the reign of Emperor Kaehwa (2,043 years ago). Then, in the 37th year of the Emperor Sojin’s reign (2,036 years ago), the southern peninsula was under constant pressure from Silla, which had been established in the land of Tatsuhan, and in the 65th year of the same dynasty, it paid tribute and asked for our assistance.
Ancient Pottery from Rokunami
In the twelfth year of Emperor Sojin’s reign (1,947 years ago), the nation of Hyakje was established in the southern part of Mahan, and was under the protection of our country, as was the nation of Rinna, which was under constant threat from Silla. The people of Korea were not to be destroyed by Silla. The fact that these Koreans have been skilled in pottery making since the days of the old Doraknam period is clearly demonstrated by the fact that a variety of elegant ceramics are still being excavated from the same area today.
The Home of Koryo Pottery
Thus, in the 18th year of Emperor Daigo’s reign (108 years ago), Wang Jian rebuilt the country of Kogoryeo (formerly Kogoryeo was founded in the 61st year of Emperor Sojin, or 1,972 years ago), and in the 5th year of Emperor Suzaku’s reign (101 years ago), he destroyed Silla and settled his capital in Kaesong. Centered in Gaeseong (Gyeonggi-do, also known as Songdo), Koryo-soildings were made in various places on the Korean peninsula. The pottery was produced in Daeguchi-Myeon, Gangjin-Gun, Chilamyeon-Gun, East and West, and Jangheung-Gun in Jeolla-Do, where it was produced for 475 years until it was destroyed by the Yi Dynasty’s founder, Yi Seong-Gye, in the 9th year of Emperor Gueyama’s reign.
A Genius in the Art of Pottery
The country’s name was changed to Joseon, and although pottery production flourished under the Yi Dynasty, it declined in later years as the nation’s power declined with the Yi Dynasty. It is strange that there are so many talented Korean potters who were born with this kind of genius, and yet they were all brought to our country during the war.
The Status of Korean Potters
Since the time of the Roknam War, many of the Korean potters were makers of Ming wares (burial accessories and toys) and belonged to the lowest social class in Korea. This is just like the earthenware makers of our dynasty who were later disgraced by society because they were in charge of all matters related to the worship and burial of the dead.
Causes of the arrival of Korean potters
When they arrived in Japan, lords and princes competed with each other to invite them for their own pleasure and for the industry of their territories, and some even gave them hereditary support. In addition, some Korean nationals who served as guides for Japanese troops, collected large quantities of food and fodder, or otherwise provided convenience to the enemy forces could not remain on Japanese soil. In addition, because of the ravages of the war over the past seven years, many Koreans were forced to abandon the graves of their beloved ancestors, and not a few of them led their families away from their homes.
Lack of firewood
The next problem was the overcutting of forests. They had no choice but to be content with the shortsightedness of their plans, which were more important for the next ten years than a hundred years. If anyone had even a small amount of money to save, the local county officials would use various means to forcefully exploit them, and those with little savings and a lack of positive planning spirit were forced to cut down mountains and forests out of immediate necessity, This was one of the main reasons for the scarcity of fuel for pottery making, which required large amounts of fuel.
In lieu of weight
Another reason was that it was very difficult for the small ships of the time to carry empty cargo over the waves of the Gensho (Gensho Sea) when they returned from Pusan and other ports, and they were forced to take on board as cargo each time. Since that time, old pagodas, bells, lanterns, and stone statues in temples and cemeteries along the Busan seashore have all been loaded onto the ships, leaving almost no trace of their existence. Therefore, many Koreans must have landed at the ports of Karatsu, Imari, and Hirado continuously by taking this opportunity.
Naoshige and Korean Potters
It is said that Nabeshima Naoshige, who led the largest military force in the area due to its convenient geographical location, also brought back many Koreans, although this is confirmed by the frequency of his profitable voyages. However, Naomochi was not a tea ceremony expert like Hosokawa Tadaoki, Gamo Ujisato, or Tanaka Yoshimasa, and he spent much of his life engaged in the conquest of Kyushu for Ryuzoji Takanobu, and in his later years he was involved in the consolidation of Hizen territory.
Therefore, I hesitate to agree with the theory that he did not bring many Koreans along with him for the sake of the tea ceremony, or that he brought them along with him from the beginning for the sake of his own domain’s pottery business. The motive for sending Ri San-pyo to Japan, which was also motivated by human nature, will be described in more detail in a later section, but it can be assumed that Ri accidentally discovered the mineral deposits at Arita Quanshan, where he first perfected white porcelain, and then decided to award and protect the product as a national product.
This volume should be categorized and described in terms of the various Korean groups that came to Saga, Karatsu, Takeo, Fujitsu, Imari, Hirado, Omura, Isahaya, and other areas in Hizen, but at this time I will also give a brief description of the various groups that were established in their own territories after the Korean invasion.
Takatori Pottery
Hachiyama, who followed Nagamasa Kuroda of Gyeongsangnam-do, Joseon, and Shinkuro, who followed Kiyomasa Kato of Alexandria, Alexandria, both of whom were ordered by Nagamasa to find clay in their territory, opened a kiln in Takatori Village, Kuramote County, Chikuzen Province and made Takatori ware. Hachiyama was renamed Izuchi Hachiko and was given a stipend of 70 men.
In Kan’ei 5, Kuroda Tadayuki (Nagamasa’s eldest son, Komonza) summoned Igarashi Tsugisa Komon, a samurai of the Karatsu Terasawa clan (he was given a grant of 30 men), and together with Hachizo, they improved this business. Kobori Masakazu also came to Enshu and worked with Tsugasa-komon and Hachizo and their son, Hachiro-ekomon, to produce a variety of excellent wares, including Mitsuzawa brown, repulsive blue, white, and black glazed wares. Since then, he became one of the seven Enshu kilns favored by Takatori Pottery.
In 1775, Takatori ware was moved to Iso-mura in the same county, and in 1875, it was moved to the foot of Mount Shirahata in Aiya-mura, Hoba-gun.
Ojiro Pottery
Kiyomasa Kato, a potter from Korea, founded a pottery called Ojiro-yaki (also known as Ryugahara-yaki), which is a stoneware with underglaze glaze, at the foot of Ojiro Mountain in Tamana County, Higo Prefecture. In Kan’ei 9, Hosokawa Tadatoshi (Tadaoki’s eldest son, Etchu no Mamoru) was appointed to this area from Toyomae, and Marekoji Matazaemon and Katsuragi Yasuzaemon came to this area to produce pottery, which Tadatoshi greatly protected and encouraged. In later years, the kiln of Noda Matashichi’s predecessor was moved to Horike-en in Nanki-cho and renamed Shofu-yaki.
Shimazu Yoshihiro brought 22 (or 44) Korean potters with him back to Japan, including Hochin (Kim Hae), Park Pyeong-i (and Park Heung-yang), Park Jeong-ki, Shen Tae-gil, Chi Shin, Lee, Kang, Jin, Jeong, Che, Lin, Bai, Chu, Choi, Hada, Kim, A, Ding, etc. Hochin was sent to Kagoshima (now Korai Town), and Park Pyeong-i to Shimona, Kushikino, Hioki-gun.
Chosa ware
After Yoshihiro moved to Chosa Castle in Aira County, he ordered Hochin to open a kiln for Chosa-yaki pottery. Yoshinaka changed his name to Hoshiyama Nakatsugu and was given a 15-year apprenticeship.
The pottery he produced was of fine texture, with tortoiseshell, tiger spots, and white toughened glaze mottled with serpents and scorpions, and was called “Chosa ware” in the olden days. The most suitable one, which was stamped by Yoshihiro himself, is called “Goban-te.
After Yoshihiro moved back to Kajiki Castle in Keicho 12, Nakatsugu came back to this area and opened a kiln at Tatsunokuchi, Kajiki Township. Nakatsugu’s sons Kihei and Tohei both took the surname Kawahara, but Kihei’s son Koemon changed it to Yamamoto, and in the 4th year of the Kanbun Era, both the Kawahara and Yamamoto families moved their kilns to Ryumonji in the same county.
Nashirogawa Pottery
In 1896, Yoshihiro and his son Tadatsune (the governor of Osumi) had Heiyoi Park, Masaki Park, Tokichi Shim (the ancestor of Jugan Shim), and others move to Miaoshirokawa Village, Ijuin Township, Hioki-gun, Satsuma Prefecture. He produced pure white Satsuma, Tamagote, Hakeme, Mishimate, Sunkokei, etc., which were similar to white porcelain, and he also stamped his excellent works and encouraged them, thus leaving behind Obanote. In the first year of the Koka Era, Park Jeong-Gwan succeeded in making gold handles, and in the fourth year of the Ansei Era, he became the eleventh generation of Kim Tae-soo’s family to oversee and prosper at the factory established by Kim Soo-gwan.
Tateno ware
In 1870, Shimazu Iehisa (Yoshihiro’s eldest son, the Satsuma governor) moved his residence to Kagoshima, and following Nakaji’s son, Hoshiyama Yaemon Kinwa, and his younger brother, Yasuzaemon Kinrin, he moved his kiln to Shimotatsuno under the castle, which is Tateno ware. In 1775, the second son of the aforementioned Kawahara Tohei, Juza-komon, a skilled potter, left the domain and came to the Tatsuno kiln in 1872, and in 1872, at the request of the lord of the domain, studied pottery in Hiziku, then in Nagato and Bizen, and finally in Kyoto.
Agano Pottery
In Keicho 3, a man named Sonokai, a resident of Toki Township, Sacheon County, Korea, attached to Kiyomasa Kato, temporarily resided in Karatsu, but in Keicho 5, he was called to Ueno Village, Tagawa County, Buzen Province by Tadaoki Hosokawa, where he founded Ueno Pottery and changed his name to Kizo Ueno Takakuni (first name Hokai, last name Ryo-ko), and was granted five men with a stipend of 15 koku and two sundry stones.
After Tadatoshi moved to Kumamoto, Takakuni’s son Toki’s grandson, Zakumon Bokyu, and his fourth son, Watakyu Zakumon Takatoshi, stopped and served under Ogasawara Tadamasa, and succeeded to the Ueno-soke business. In the first year of Bunka era, he learned the method of Raku ware from Kyoukou Kyoubei, a master of Raku ware, and was allowed to become a cavalryman for his services.
Takada Pottery
Takakuni and his eldest son, Chubei Ueno (named Susan), who followed Tadatoshi to Higo, opened a kiln in Naraki Village, Takada Township, Yatsushiro County, and started Takada-yaki pottery. Some of them are called Yatsushi-S燒, and are reddish brown with a purple or yellowish-black underglaze glaze, while others are light and grayish blue. It was not until the fourth generation, Fujishiro IV, that he developed the black-and-white inlaid clay method and changed the glaze to a purple color.
Kohagi ware
He was invited by Terasawa Hirotaka of Karatsu, and changed his name to Sakamoto Sukeirin Michitada. In Keicho 3, he was invited by Mori Terumoto and came to Matsumoto, Toubun Village, Tsubaki-go, Abugun, Nagato, and founded Kohagi ware. The quality of the ware was not dense, and the glaze color was often white and yellow and light and thin. He was given a stipend of more than 50 koku.
In October 1791, Hidenari (Terumoto’s eldest son, Nagato no Mamoru) gave the name Korai Sakomon to Sukuhachi, and the name was later changed to Saka Korai Sakomon, and he died at the age of 75 on February 11, 1791. (During the Kanbun era, a man from Miwa Village in Owa Province came to Matsumoto in Hagi, and produced dense, glazed pieces, which were separately referred to as Matsumoto ware.)
The above is a long list, and it is needless to say that the opening of kilns in these Kyushu clans greatly contributed to the development of the pottery industry in Japan. As in the history of pottery production, the result of this pottery production was stoneware rather than pottery, and white porcelain had not yet been produced. Although Bak Pyeong-i of Maeyoungcheon produced a white satsuma similar to white porcelain, it was a less solid pottery in quality.
The History of Japanese Ceramics
Originally, the history of pottery production in Japan was viewed as a very slow progression from earthenware to ceramics, but once the production of japanned ware and stoneware began, the general culture of the country showed rapid progress. However, there must be a reason why no attempts have been made to improve the clay in any way over these many years. Then, why is it that we have not yet pursued research in this area, even though we have already come into contact with porcelain from China?
Shino style glazing
Of course, it was not easy to produce this type of porcelain at that time without natural magnets, but when we consider the reason why the Seto and Karatsu kilns produced Shino-like milky-white glazed wares and did not go one step further to devise a porcelain body, we can only conclude that it was because Japanese people loved elegant pottery for their taste in tea ceremony and were deeply encouraged to develop this style of porcelain.
Japanese people’s appreciation of elegant ceramics is so thorough that even the lipid hues are carefully considered when harmonizing kiln glaze colors, as is the case with the Chinese zigou-tekkoku of celadon, etc. Therefore, the white glazes of Shino ware are only appreciated when they are applied to a clay body and the color of the clay is expressed at the glaze edge.
Many other types of ceramics were made with brown or lead-colored overglaze, with a brown or lead color, or with various brush strokes, or with crude patterns on the glaze to give a deep elegance.
In order for Japanese ceramic studies to continue the trends of the time, Japanese ceramics, which had been in close contact with Ouzhou since the Tang and Song dynasties, could not have attempted the production of porcelain before China. Needless to say, Ouzhou ceramics is far behind our country with all cultures.
Pottery and Porcelain
However, from the point of view of the appreciation of the tea ceremony, which is understood only by the Japanese, the special qualities of earthenware and pottery, such as the change of kiln, the taste of the clay, the technique of spatula making and hand twisting, etc., can never be found in porcelain.
I am afraid that Ouchi’s tableware was sent to Tsuji Kiimon here in Arita not long after the creation of Arita porcelain.
Porcelain is a few steps ahead of ceramics in terms of solidity as a daily product.
If the firing process is incomplete, the glaze surface will expand due to the water absorption of the base material, and there is no danger of contamination or bacteria infiltrating the glaze. Also, the difference in shrinkage between the base and glaze in cold and hot weather can cause the glaze to peel off, making the ware unacceptable, not to mention unbefitting for use as tableware.
Progressive Pottery Making
Porcelain is fired at high temperatures in both the clay and glaze, so there is no change in the porcelain. In terms of science, there is no doubt that it is a great advance to produce transparent white porcelain by choosing a clay and glaze with less iron content than in the past, when dark-colored ceramics were fired using a clay and glaze with more iron content. This production has not been a repetitive process since the time of the Gods of Japan.
The fact that it was created by a Korean who now lives in the same country must also be a factor.
Viscount Okawachi’s Pottery Lineage
Japanese pottery and its style can be roughly divided into four lines as described by Viscount Okawachi: one is Seto style of Koga style, one is Kyoto style of pure Japanese style, one is Karatsu style of Korean style, and one is Arita style of Chinese style. Of course, Arita, like Karatsu, refers to Korea, but it was quickly converted to the Chinese style, following the example of Chinese blue and red porcelain.
