Etchu Seto ware is pottery made in Seto District, Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture.
It is said that Etchu Seto ware began in April 1594 when the second feudal lord of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshinaga, invited Hikoemon, a potter from Seto, Owari Province, and had him make pottery. The kiln flourished as the domain’s kiln, and became famous as the best in porcelain production in the Etchu province. It is said that in their heyday, they had about 120 kilns. The entire area was named Seto after the area that produced porcelain in Owari porcelain, Seto.
However, in the early modern area, support from the shogunate ceased, causing their business to decline. Also, due to the opening of the railway, they stood no chance against the influx of the low-priced pottery from Seto and Arita, and were at risk of closing. In the Taisho era, they were finally forced to close.
However, in 1943, local volunteers investigated the abandoned kiln. Shakunaga Shojiro, who used to make roof tiles (died in 1981), led them in restoring the kiln. In 1947, Shoraku kiln was established, and they were finally able to restore it. As of 2009, there were four kilns that carried on the traditional techniques; Shoraku kiln, Senmei Kiln, Senju Kiln, and Shirohachi Kiln.
