13. Kutanihon Kiln （Eiraku Kiln）(1860-1870)

 Kutanihon kiln was founded in 1860, when the Daishoji domain, thinking of restoring Kutani ware and promoting the industry, decided to put the Miyamotoya kiln, which had been at an impasse, under direct management of the domain. This kiln was established after being acquired by Chikuken Tsukatani and Ichigo Asai. Management was given to Bunjiro Mito of Yamashiro Village, Enuma District (present-day Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City), and Yasoshige Fujikake a feudal official.
In order to develop the domain's economy, the domain drew on the development of the Kutani ware industry in Nomi District through the development of Kutani ware kilns, and created creative products such as those seen at Yoshidaya kilns and Miyamotoya kilns. It is thought that there was a policy intention to make Kutani ware the center of industrial development by focusing on the climate and the skilled craftsmen that were cultivated there. That is why we named the kiln Kutanihon kiln, meaning the origin of Kutani ware.
At first, the kiln's management was not good, and this put pressure on the domain's finances, which is thought to have been one of the reasons why they were forced to stop supporting the Matsuyama kiln around 1863. On the other hand, in order to improve the management of this kiln, Bunjiro and Yasoshi arranged with Manki Kizaki of Kizaki Kiln to seek guidance from Wazen Eiraku, Manki's master and a master craftsman from Kyoto. In order to look up to him, he proposed to the lord of the domain that he invite Wazen. This was recognized, and in 1865, Wazen, accompanied by his brother-in-law Sozaburo Nishimura, came to the Kutanihon Kiln in Yamashiro.
During the three-year period of his contract, Eiraku improved the base material and produced works with ingenious shapes and drawings, many of which came to occupy a position as excellent examples of Kaga ceramics. He did. For this reason, this kiln came to be called "Eiraku kiln" rather than Kutanihon kiln.
However, although Wazen was an excellent writer, he was unable to turn Kutanihon Kiln into a production factory until three years passed. The domain lacked high-quality pottery stone and lacked the foundation to develop and expand its pottery industry, and it was also unable to compete with the products produced in large quantities in Nomi District. Furthermore, due to reforms in the feudal government, funding for this kiln was cut off. The previous managers, Bunjiro and Yasoshiro, took over the business once again, but in 1888, it became difficult to maintain the kiln, and the kiln was finally closed.
However, the following year, this kiln was transferred to Asa Tsukatani and Juraku Okura and restarted as the private Kutanihon kiln.