SHIGARAKI

town, one of the six major pottery centres of ancient Japan, located in southern Shiga ken (prefecture), east of Kyoto and southeast of Nara. The wares for which the town is known were first produced in 1278; they have a crude shape and an oatmeallike surface covered with various glazes. Water urns, seed jars, and bottles were produced for daily use by the farming community. Shigaraki bowls and jars have been used as utensils in the cha-no-yu (tea ceremony) since 1520. Modern factories produce imitations of the blue splash Kwangtung stoneware of China. Agricultural products of the area include rice, mandarin oranges, tea, and timber. A physical-science research institute is located there. Shigaraki has railway and highway connections to Nara. Pop. (1990) 14,215.