益子の近くに来ると薪を焚く匂いが漂ってきます。
薪ストーブを使う方が多い里山とはいえ、陶芸の町に来たと感じる瞬間です。
窯元の家の壁に整然と積み上げられた薪の束には独特な風情を感じます。
あれは窯焚き用の赤松の薪なのですが、皆さんはご存じでしたか?
The sent of burning firewood tickles your nose when you arrive in Mashiko-cho. Fire places are popular as Mashiko-cho is in woodland, but it is still a reminder that you are in pottery city. In front of the pottery-making family homes, bundles of firewood are stuck up in an orderly fashion, which have a charm of their own.
Did you know that theses bundles of firewood are made from Japanese red-pine trees specifically for pottery-making?
薪ストーブを使う方が多い里山とはいえ、陶芸の町に来たと感じる瞬間です。
窯元の家の壁に整然と積み上げられた薪の束には独特な風情を感じます。
あれは窯焚き用の赤松の薪なのですが、皆さんはご存じでしたか?
The sent of burning firewood tickles your nose when you arrive in Mashiko-cho. Fire places are popular as Mashiko-cho is in woodland, but it is still a reminder that you are in pottery city. In front of the pottery-making family homes, bundles of firewood are stuck up in an orderly fashion, which have a charm of their own.
Did you know that theses bundles of firewood are made from Japanese red-pine trees specifically for pottery-making?
窯焚き用の薪には30-50年以上に育った赤松が適しているそうです。
松ヤニの油は火力が強く、薄い皮は燃えた粉が器に付着しづらいので窯焚きに向いているのだそうです。
According to Otsuka-san, the best and most appropriate firewood for pottery-making is Japanese red pine trees. The tree oil from their pine tars fule high temperature fire, and their thin barks produce less ashes, therefore they won’t stick to pottery as much.
焼き物の産地は上質な土と粘土があり、燃料とする松があることが条件されています。
その条件を満たす場所に窯業が栄えたわけで、かつては益子にもたくさんの松があったのです。 しかし、外来種の松食い虫や寄生虫によって松が枯れ、窯に使う為の松が無くなってしまいました。 今では長野県や岩手県から薪を購入しているのだそうです。
窯焚きの燃料にはガス、電気、灯油等があり、薪が一番高いそうですが、味わいのある作品が生まれます。
Pottery is produced in places where high quality soil, clay and pine tress are found, which leads to cultivation of prosperous pottery culture. In other words, Japanese-red pine trees are also found in Mashiko-cho – well, they did in the past. Non-Japanese pine-eating insects and parasites from overseas took over and caused the Japanese red-pine trees to die out in the region: thus, Mashiko-cho is currently buying these firewood from other prefectures in Japan such as Nagano and Iwate. Gas, electrocity and oil are commonly used for fuel, and even though firewood is the most expensive type of fuel for pottery-making, it helps to create unique and profound pottery.
松ヤニの油は火力が強く、薄い皮は燃えた粉が器に付着しづらいので窯焚きに向いているのだそうです。
According to Otsuka-san, the best and most appropriate firewood for pottery-making is Japanese red pine trees. The tree oil from their pine tars fule high temperature fire, and their thin barks produce less ashes, therefore they won’t stick to pottery as much.
焼き物の産地は上質な土と粘土があり、燃料とする松があることが条件されています。
その条件を満たす場所に窯業が栄えたわけで、かつては益子にもたくさんの松があったのです。 しかし、外来種の松食い虫や寄生虫によって松が枯れ、窯に使う為の松が無くなってしまいました。 今では長野県や岩手県から薪を購入しているのだそうです。
窯焚きの燃料にはガス、電気、灯油等があり、薪が一番高いそうですが、味わいのある作品が生まれます。
Pottery is produced in places where high quality soil, clay and pine tress are found, which leads to cultivation of prosperous pottery culture. In other words, Japanese-red pine trees are also found in Mashiko-cho – well, they did in the past. Non-Japanese pine-eating insects and parasites from overseas took over and caused the Japanese red-pine trees to die out in the region: thus, Mashiko-cho is currently buying these firewood from other prefectures in Japan such as Nagano and Iwate. Gas, electrocity and oil are commonly used for fuel, and even though firewood is the most expensive type of fuel for pottery-making, it helps to create unique and profound pottery.