Narrow alleys lined with houses under tile roofs. Firewood stacked under the eaves, jars and braziers placed in the gardens – all of it is evidence of living together with Tambayaki.

This is a “living alley” where potters still reside and work today. It’s not a theme park readied as a tourist attraction. Rather, it’s everyday life itself that shapes the scenery of Tambayaki.

Pottery-making here used to be rooted in a way of life called “half farmer, half potter.”
From spring to autumn, they tilled the fields, and during the winter, they fired the kilns.
By balancing agriculture and pottery, people were able to sustain themselves even in a harsh natural environment.

Tambayaki is also a culture of “cottage industry.”
Entire families shared the work of pottery-making.
Children, adults – everyone at home was “part of pottery.”
People who live in these alleys still say, “When the climbing kilns were fired, the whole village was filled with tension.”

You may have already noticed something curious about this community.
In this long, narrow valley that runs north to south, the potters are clustered on the west side of the valley.
On the east side, where Sue no Sato stands, you’ll find no houses—and not even traces of old kilns.

Why is that?

One person says:
“The morning sun doesn’t shine on the east side, so you wake up later, and your spirits don’t rise.”
Another person sees the reason like the wind:
“Here, the wind blows through from east to west. If you built a climbing kiln on the east side, the smoke from the chimney would get pushed back by the wind.”

No one knows which explanation is correct. But as you walk and feel the wind on your skin, you’ll come to sense the “rational beauty” of this land.

For a moment, become a quiet part of the scenery yourself. Then you’ll surely feel that Tambayaki is a “living landscape.”