Title. Written by Kurokawa Mayori (with some partial co-authorship). Published January 26, 1878 (Meiji 11). Published on January 26, 1878 (Meiji 11), the book is divided into seven volumes and describes the history of various crafts in Japan. Volume 3 is on ceramics, and the review section, signed by Kurokawa Mayori, describes the history of Japanese ceramics from ancient times to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, followed by a history of various kilns in various regions, jointly signed by Kurokawa Mayori and Kohitsu Ryouchu. According to the author’s preface, this book was written in September of the previous year by order of the government and drafted in late December, in order to provide a detailed history of the various arts and crafts in Japan for exhibition at the 1878 French Exposition. Although the book was written in such a short period of time, the authenticity of the history was verified by Kurokawa Mayori, a Japanese scholar, and the assistance of Kohshu Ryouchu, an antique connoisseur from generations past, and because it was an official edition, it has been cited in many books, and until recently, various theories on the history of Japanese ceramics have generally been based on this book and the 1885 survey. It would not be an exaggeration to say that until recently, various theories on the history of ceramics in Japan have been based on this book and the 1885 government gazetteer “History of Prefectural Pottery and Traditional Ceramic Crafts”.
