In the Bizen Pottery Traditional & Contemporary Art Museum, there is a huge collection of ceramics with more than 2000 items. The museum opened its doors to visitors in 1988.

Bizen ceramics is a kind of Japanese pottery. It originated in the city of Bizen because there is one of six old kilns that has been preserved since the Middle Ages.

The material of which the pottery is made is unique. It is all about a special characteristic of Bizen clay. It is resistant to glazing due to a high concentration of organic elements and iron in it. Nevertheless, masters pursue a glossy sheen by using a special technique and by selecting a special fossil.

Bizen ceramics is very specific. It is rather elements which are responsible for the result, than a master. Bizen clay is very plastic and can take any shape, decor can barely be controlled. Many factors influence the process and the outcome: place in the kiln, type of fossil, the temperature of the fire, firing duration, cooling-off period, etc. This is why potters of Bizen are especially honored in the country. Five of them were called «living national treasure».

The decor consists of the smallest nuances of texture: uneven inclusions of rock chips, seashell prints, color spots and shades. Bizen ceramics is easily recognizable by the absence of glazing, special marks left after firing and reddish-brown hue. Another specific feature of Bizen ceramics is the durability of the items.

The best examples of Bizen ceramics are represented in the biggest museums in the world. The British Museum, The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and others got them for their collections.

Items made of Bizen ceramics are inextricably linked to a tea ceremony and are widely used at home. Today, around six hundred masters live and work in Bizen.