Arita, Saga

Arita (有田町, Arita-chō) is a town located in Nishimatsuura District, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is known for producing Arita porcelain, one of the traditional handicrafts of Japan. It also holds the largest ceramic fair in Western Japan, the Arita Ceramic Fair. This event is held from April 29 to May 5 (Golden Week) every year and has thousands of stores and stalls lining the six-kilometre long main street.

Arita

有田町
Town
Arita Town Hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Arita in Saga Prefecture
Country Japan
RegionKyūshū
Prefecture Saga
DistrictNishimatsuura
Area
 • Total65.85 km2 (25.42 sq mi)
Population
 (August 1, 2020)
 • Total18,989
 • Density290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (JST)
Postal code
849-4153
Symbols 
• TreeGinkgo biloba
Quercus glauca
• FlowerPrunus serrulata
Phone number0955-46-2111
Address2202 Tachibe, Arita-chō, Nishimatsuura-gun,
Saga-ken
WebsiteOfficial website
The Arita Ceramic Fair

On March 1, 2006 the town of Nishiarita, from Nishimatsuura District, was merged into Arita.

Geography

Arita is located in the western part of Saga Prefecture, bordering Nagasaki Prefecture from its southwest to western sides. About 70% of the town is forest and mountains.

Neighbouring municipalities

History

Arita was one of the first sites in Japan to produce porcelain, Arita ware. The discovery of porcelain stone is attributed to a Korean potter named Kanagae Sambe, although most historians consider this a legend.

  • April 1, 1889 – The modern municipal system is established. In accordance with this system the village of Sarayama is renamed and reclassified as the town of Arita. Also at this time the villages of Shin, Magarikawa and Ōyama are formed.
  • November 13, 1896 – The village of Shin is renamed Arita.
  • January 1, 1947 – The village of Arita becomes a town and is renamed Higashi-Arita.
  • April 1, 1954 – Higashi-Arita is incorporated into Arita.
  • April 1, 1955 – Magarikawa and Ōyama merge to form the village of Nishi-Arita.
  • January 1, 1956 – Several areas of Nishi-Arita are incorporated into Arita.
  • April 1, 1965 – Nishi-Arita becomes a town.
  • March 1, 2006 – Nishi-Arita is incorporated into Arita.

Demography

According to Japanese census data,[1] this is the population of Arita in recent years.

199520002005201020152020
22,81822,31421,57020,92920,14818,989

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Arita is twinned with:[2]

Frienship city

Education

Prefectural high schools
  • Arita Technical High School

Municipal junior high schools
  • Arita Junior High School
  • Nishi-Arita Junior High School

Municipal elementary schools
  • Arita Elementary School
  • Arita Chūbu Elementary School
  • Magarikawa Elementary School
  • Ōyama Elementary School

Other schools
  • Arita College of Ceramics

Transportation

Air

There is no airport in Arita. The closest airports are Saga Airport and Nagasaki Airport.

Rail
View of the Japanese town of Arita from the railway station

Road

Sightseeing
Torii at Tozan Shrine
  • The Kyushu Ceramic Museum houses large exhibits of old and modern style ceramics.
  • The Porcelain Park is a ceramic centered theme park, and is modeled on the Zwinger Palace in Germany. Ceramic ware from the heyday of Arita are on display in the gallery.
  • Arita Kan (有田館) has an exhibition of modern art porcelain, 400 different cups for coffee or tea and a theatre with computerized puppets made of porcelain.
  • "China On The Park" dates back to the end of the last century when the Fukugawa factory was chosen to provide the Imperial household with porcelain. This large and modern style facility contains a factory, galleries, shops and a restaurant.
  • Tozan Shrine has a porcelain archway and other items of porcelain which, at other shrines, are usually made of stone. This shrine was and still is particularly revered by Arita's ceramists.
  • Rokuroza (ろくろ座), located near Kami-Arita Station, is a place where one can learn how to make pottery.

Pottery
Modern Arita ware seahorse button

Notable people from Arita
  • Kakiemon Sakaeda, The 1st Kakiemon
  • Sakaida Kakiemon XIV, who is a Living National Treasure in Japan
  • Imaizumi Imaemon XIII, who is a Living National Treasure in Japan
  • Tsuji Hitachi
  • Ryuzan Aoki
  • Manji Inoue, who is a Living National Treasure in Japan

See also

References
  1. Arita population statistics
  2. "姉妹都市・友好都市・団体のご紹介". town.arita.lg.jp (in Japanese). Arita. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
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