In the Tokoname area of Aichi Prefecture, shale is called kuzu. Shale forms the foundation of the Chita Peninsula and forms the Tokoname Formation, which is rare in Japan. It is a hard clay, but it is dried, crushed, and kneaded with water to make the main raw material for ceramic pipes. Because it can be used to make stoneware at a relatively low fire temperature and because there are large reserves of it, this shale has been used as a raw material since around 1937, instead of rice paddy soil.
