The climbing kiln, built by Rikei Imai, 71-year-old potter of Tsugaru Ujoyaki in Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture, earned the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the longest bricked climbing kiln on August 9, 2019.
In the hope of creating pottery nobody has seen before, Imai embarked on this project from scratch 22 years ago and completed it in early December 2018. “I am so glad that all hard work has paid off. This kiln, for me, is my life,” said Imai.
Tsugaru Ujoyaki is a pottery studio located in Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture. It creates high-quality “shizenyu” (natural ash glaze) works that are free from glaze chemicals. Red pine ash generated in the kiln accumulates on the ceramics and melts on the surface in the 1,300+ degree heat like snow creating unique beauty. As the temperature in the kiln goes even higher, the ash melts into vitreous entity.
“You never really know what you’ll get until you open the kiln. That's what's fun about it.”
The bricked climbing kiln consists of 52 chambers that together can contain around 6000 pieces of ceramic at a time. In the kiln, the temperature reaches 1,300 degrees.
About Tsugaru Ujoyaki
Tsugaru Ujoyaki is a pottery studio committed in works that are handmade, wood-fired, and nature-glazed.
Visit Ujoyaki for more information.
