Arita porcelain is the oldest porcelain in Japan.
The Korean potter, Ri Sampei (Yi Sam-p'young; 1579-1655), is credited with discovering porcelain clay in the Arita area of Kyushu, making it possible to reproduce the fine Ming porcelains of China. A healthy export industry in blue and white and polychrome porcelains for the European market was subsequently developed through the Dutch East India Company and the tutelage of the Nabeshima Clan.
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/museum/cera/about_ce.html
http://www.1stchoicejapan.com/english/culture/top/top.phtml

日本で初めて九州で磁器を作ったのは韓国人の李参平 (Yi Sam-p'young　1579-1655)です。美しい白い陶器はヨーロッパにもすぐ人気物になりました。

素朴な土を材料として約800度程度で焼き上げる陶器に対して、磁器は、石英質の長石を主成分とする白磁陶石を1300度以上の高温で焼きしめます。灼熱の中から生まれる、白く優雅な不死鳥・・・それが有田の磁器です。白く、硬く、透明で、指ではじくと、澄み切った美しい音を立てます。

有田焼は食器や置物だけではなくて、現代技術にもよく使われています。たとえば建築磁器：タイル、陶壁など。化学磁器：化学工業に使うもの。耐酸磁器、触媒など。電気磁器：電気絶縁用。高圧碍子など。 有田焼は大量製産が多いので食器などによく見られます。だるまさんも食器の飾りとなって、湯のみ、茶碗、徳利、杯、お皿などなどに登場します。

Types of Arita Porcelain

Arita porcelain is roughly classified into the following three groups.

有田焼は主に三つのスタイルに分けられます：古伊万里、柿右衛門と色鍋島。

　　　　　　　　　1-The first is called "Old Imari (Ko-Imari古伊万里)".

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

During feudal times Arita porcelain was loaded on ships at Imari Port, which was more than l0 kilometers distant from Arita. It has remarkable characteristics. Most of the pieces of Ko-Imari are decorated with picture patterns on the entire surface. Gold and silver are used generously. Dragons, chrysanthemums, peonies, pine trees, bamboo and plum blossoms are often seen in brilliant and dazzling patterns. In this group we find the influence of China, the baroque and rococo fine arts of Europe and the fully matured culture of the Japanese people at that time.

　　　　　　　　　2-The second group is called "Kakiemon　柿右衛門".
　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The picture patterns on the milk-white background color are intentionally unbalanced on the right and left. In old times these designs were so popular in Europe that copies were baked at the Meissen Kiln. The family of potter Sakaida Kakiemon now goes into the 14th generation. "Fourteenth Red" was even the subject of a book explaining the tradition of this famous Arita kiln.

　　　　　　　　　3-The third group is called "Iro-Nabeshima 色鍋島".
　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　

The products of this group were only for presentation to Emperors, Shoguns and feudal lords as well as for daily used by Lord Nabeshima and his family, rulers of this area. Commoners were barred from access to "Iro-Nabeshima". After the collapse of feudalism, however, it became available to anyone. It still retains its noble elegance for which it has been noted for centuries.

Read more about the famous Kakiemon kiln here.
http://www.ualberta.ca/~chor/kakiemon.htm

The Greater Arita Porcelain Promotion Association 大有田焼振興協同組合

The HP of this group provides a great source to learn about Arita ware in English: Arita Online. I especially recommend the page about "Making Aritayaki"
http://www.arita.or.jp/index_e.html
日本語の有田オンラインはこちら：
http://www.arita.or.jp/aritaware/index.html
http://www.arita.or.jp/common/kauindex.html#yamachu

Read more about Arita porcelain on this HP in English.
http://www.arita.or.jp/common/english/europe_e.html

In Arita there is also a shrine for the God of Pottery.

焼物の神様 もあります。

陶山神社

有田町は陶磁器発祥の地です。ここに祀られた当神社は有田町及び有田焼の発展のために創建されました。有田の栄枯盛衰は歴史の中にあります。

http://www.arita.or.jp/toso/index.html
Click on any of these items to see the parts of the shrine made of Arita ware:

陶磁器製（鳥居 Torii　 狛犬 Komainu-Dogs　大水瓶 Great water pitcher　 欄干 Railing
お守り Talisman　七五三記念手形 Handprint of Your Child for Good Luck）

Have a look at a special kiln (登り窯) and some nice pieces of Arita ware.
登り窯や有田焼の作品はこちら：
http://www.arita.or.jp/yamachu/index.html

Here is a website with stores which sell Arita ware.
有田焼を売るお店のＨＰ：
http://www.qs-net.com/woa/

There is even a special store called DARUMA DOO, which sells Arita ware. Since the name of the owner is Tatsuma (written with the Chinese characters for DARUMA, the store choose this auspiciously lucky reading for the name.
だるま堂という焼物のお店もあります：
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/daruma5725/

On this HP you find a lot of links about the Arita area and the kilns in Japanese.
有田の観光案内.
http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/sohyoh/page.link.htm

Now let us have a look at some Arita ware with our Daruma san. Arita is known for its mass-produced tableware and we find a lot of them with Daruma san as a decorative pattern, ranging from a real face to quite an abstract rendering. See also my story about YUNOMI.

A big teacup with Daruma looking at you.
だるま特大湯呑　（有田焼）

Diameter 口径：8cm 　Hight 高さ：10.5cm 　Contents 容量300cc

"This is a humorous little fellow, I am not at all afraid of him, you know."
“ こわそうですか？（笑）なかなかユーモラスな感じだと思いますがいかがでしょうか？ 達磨さんって本当にこんな顔だったかもしれませんね。”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
http://www.fukusuian.jna.ne.jp/yunomi2.htm

They are quite down to earth in Arita and look at the needs of Japanese society, especially the rapid growing of the elderly population. Here is a pot you might want to have in a few years time.
A container for your third teeth 　だるま歯納
これは入れ歯入れです。 入れ歯を洗浄するのにガラスだと外から見えたりしますが これでしたらお部屋のどこに置いていても大丈夫です。 Hight:高さ：12cm

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/iseryu/384330/

I also have a tea set and many more items of this pattern, which we will discuss in other stories.
The teacups are made with the face of Daruma looking at you any time, straight or upside down and when the tea is finished another face of Daruma is smiling at you from the side.

だるまの茶セットの一つです。茶碗をさかさまにしても、飲み終わったら中からも達磨の顔はちゃんとのぞいています。ちょっとヒューモラスな絵柄ですね。

Finally let us have a look at one of the Daruma figures of my collection.
最後に私のコレクションの有田焼の姫達磨を見ましょう。
This is a Princess Daruma of 29 cm. Her dress is blue with colorful patterns、with one foot peeking out of the robe.