The Kyushu Ceramic Museum collects potteries and porcelains from all over Kyushu mainly the Hizen Porcelains. Inside the museum, the history of Kyushu ceramics and the characteristics of each era are exhibited in detail, as well as the artworks of contemporary potters.There are five exhibition rooms; the first offers a variety of special exhibitions throughout the year; the second exhibition room offers a permanent exhibition titled Contemporary Kyushu's Pottery Art, exhibiting an extensive collection of artworks from tea bowls made by contemporary pottery artist representative of each prefecture in the Kyushu region to avant-garde pottery pieces.
The third exhibition room consists of a permanent exhibition of Kyushu's ceramics, showing ceramic masterpieces such as the Hizen Kokaratsu ware, early Imari-yaki pottery, Kakiemon style ceramics and the ceramics of the Nabeshima Domain Kiln.
The fourth exhibition room features the history of Kyushu ceramics and regional characteristics in detail, as well as the section dedicated for a collection of Kanbara ceramics. The exhibition is a sight to see as it houses an extensive collection of the Koimari-yaki adorned with fascinating gorgeous decoration, which were exported to Europe from the Imari Port, attracting royalty and the aristocracy of the times. What is more, it houses nearly 1,000 Arita-yaki pieces from the Edo Period, named Mr. and Mrs. Shibata's collection, in the fifth exhibition room as a permanent exhibition.
In the Exhibition hall, there is an Arita-yaki wind-up musical clock, which sounds every thirty minutes. Spending a day at the Kyushu Ceramic Museum makes you an expert on Kyushu ceramics. The twenty-five porcelain wind chimes on the exterior walls of the museum, which were given from Meissen, Germany; a sister city of Arita town, sound every hour, pealing out their beautiful and clear sound all around the museum.
● Access:
From train station: 10-minute walk from Arita Station on the JR Sasebo Line
4-minute taxi ride from JR Arita Station
Car: 10-minute drive from Nishi-kyushu Expressway Hasami-Arita IC
● Admission Fee: Free (*except during special exhibitions)
● Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00
● Closed: Mondays (open if a Monday falls on a public holiday) and December 29 - 31
● Parking Lot: Accommodates 300 cars (free of charge)
● Contact: The Saga Prefectural Kyushu Ceramic Museum Tel: +81-955-43-3681, Fax: +81-955-43-3324
● Website: https://saga-museum.jp/ceramic_en/
