A "Basin" Perfect for Climbing Kilns and Rich Forest Resources

Hasami's rise as a ceramics hub is deeply intertwined with its geography. As an inland basin encircled by mountains, its topography was instrumental in the early days of porcelain production.

Mass-producing porcelain required enormous "noborigama," or climbing kilns. These kilns use a mountainside's slope to create a series of interconnected, stairstep-like chambers. This design efficiently funnels heat to the very back, allowing for a large number of pieces to be fired simultaneously. Hasami's landscape was the perfect setting for constructing these massive kilns. In the Nakao Mountain district, the remnants of what was once one of the world's largest climbing kilns stand as a testament to the immense scale of production in those days.

Furthermore, the rich forest resources of the surrounding area were another key factor driving the ceramics industry's growth. Firing porcelain demanded huge quantities of firewood, which was the main fuel source for centuries. The nearby mountains provided a steady supply. However, this wealth of resources sometimes sparked conflicts over firewood with adjacent pottery-producing areas. Records even show that boundary stones known as "bōjishi" were set up to clearly mark domain borders. This reveals how the local environment not only laid the groundwork for Hasami ware production but also shaped inter-regional dynamics.