An old kiln of Hizen Karatsu ware. It is located in Kojukanja, Nashikawachi, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. Empress Jingu brought a prince from Koryo with her as a hostage when she conquered the Three Kingdoms and ordered him to live in this area. Kojikanja was named after him. Kojiroukanja opened a pottery kiln here and presented the pieces he had made to the Empress. This is said to be the origin of Karatsu ware. Today, the ruins of the old kiln can be seen in the bamboo grove on the hilltop here, but the pottery shards and kiln tools are so numerous that even a hoe is difficult to use. The variety, glaze, ceramic technique, and kiln equipment are similar to those of the Kishitake Iidong Kiln, but it is the hardest pottery in Kogaratsu, and the grayish-white glazed ware looks semi-porcelain at first glance. Most of the plates were layered with three or four small panels, and only a few painted Karatsu plates were fired. In the Karatsu region, this kiln is conventionally referred to as Kojiro ware, as if it were made in the reign of Empress Jingu, but it is completely different from the pottery of that period, and all conditions are identical to those of the Kishitake kiln. It is thought that this kiln was founded about 450 years ago, and was abandoned at the beginning of the Keicho period (1596-1615). About 450 meters away from the Kojugansha Kiln, in a rice field, there is a Korean-style stone pagoda about 2 meters square, which the locals call the grave of Kojuganja and have enshrined. The pagoda has some carvings on the top, but regrettably, there are no letters engraved on it, so it is impossible to know what it is. (Kyoichi Kanahara)
