Tsunehide Shimabukuro, a 77-year-old potter in Yomitan, Okinawa, upholds the Tsuboya ware tradition using a climbing kiln. Designated in 2025 as a holder of Okinawa Prefecture's important intangible cultural property, he hand-paints chrysanthemum arabesque patterns from the Ryukyu Kingdom era with Japanese brushes and operates a kick-wheel inherited from his father. Facing dwindling resources, he remains committed to cherishing the craft.
Tsuboya ware originated in 1682 when the Ryukyu Kingdom consolidated three kilns from Okinawa Island into the present-day Tsuboya district of Naha. While traditional Shisa guardian lion figurines serve as popular souvenirs for travelers, everyday tableware is also renowned.
Tsunehide Shimabukuro was born in Naha's Tsuboya district. In 1987, he established independence from his father's studio and relocated to Yomitan in central Okinawa Island to pursue the unique effects of climbing kilns. During the Battle of Okinawa in World War II, the Tsuboya district avoided major damage, allowing potters to produce tableware for residents. However, urbanization later caused smoke issues from wood-burning, prompting a shift to gas kilns; those committed to climbing kilns moved to Yomitan.
One such potter was Jiro Kinjo (1914-2004), a living national treasure who built the Jiro Kinjo Kiln in the village in 1972. It still fires large volumes of pottery three times a year, and Shimabukuro uses it today.
On November 10 at 9 a.m., a firing ceremony gathered workshop members to ignite the kiln. As the eldest, Shimabukuro chanted, “Please give birth [to the wares].” The kiln features six chambers shared by eight workshops. Shimabukuro's section measures 3.5 meters deep with a width and height of about 1.8 meters, covered by an arched firebrick roof.
Forty hours after ignition, around 12:40 a.m. on November 12, potters added wood to the red-hot chambers for over three hours, raising temperatures above 1,200°C. An iron rod retrieved a small jar several times to check the glaze; once melted sufficiently, no more wood was added, and the entrance and windows were sealed with earth. The kiln cooled slowly to avoid cracks. On November 18, the pottery was removed, prompting Shimabukuro to smile and say, “Looks excellent.”
Okinawan pottery, a national traditional craft, employs two methods: unglazed firing or glazing before firing. Shimabukuro's studio favors the latter, using iron-rich red clay mainly from Okinawa Island. However, scarcity has driven up prices. In early September, failed pieces were carefully destroyed, mixed with water, and kneaded by machine—replacing the traditional foot-treading method. Shimabukuro adjusts water by touch to gauge completion.
“Resources are limited and decreasing year by year,” Shimabukuro said. “We want to cherish them.” The potter's wheel, inherited from his father and made of Ryukyu pine, has a polished luster from over 50 years of near-daily use. “My body remembers the movements of this wheel, so I can’t use an electric one either,” he explained.