Imari and Arita Porcelain: Saga's Famous Export Ware

How porcelain made in the hills of Saga travelled by ship to European palaces and left its mark on the china cabinets of the world.

Published October 26, 2026 at 9:01 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Arita ware is Japanese porcelain made around Arita in Saga Prefecture on Kyushu, and Imari ware is the Western name for its colorful export style, usually blue under the glaze with red, gold and black enamel on top. The wares were shipped from the port of Imari to Nagasaki and sold to Europe by the Dutch East India Company, mainly in the late 1600s and early 1700s.

Many people see a bold blue, red and gold plate labeled Imari and wonder what the name means and whether it comes from Imari or Arita. The answer is both: the pottery was made in Arita, and the name comes from the harbor where it was loaded onto ships. This guide focuses on the story of the export trade, with explanations of the main styles, the role of the Dutch traders, the European copies it inspired and a few simple ways to recognize the styles in museums and shops.

Arita, Imari and why the names overlap

Arita is a town in Saga Prefecture in northwestern Kyushu, in the area once called Hizen Province, and it is the home of Japan's first porcelain. The pottery is called Arita ware, or Arita-yaki in Japanese, and it is sometimes called Hizen ware after the old province. Imari is a nearby port, and wares were carried there and shipped on toward Nagasaki, so Europeans came to call the exported goods Imari.

According to Wikipedia, in English the term Arita ware traditionally meant blue-and-white export wares that copied Chinese styles, while the colorful enamelled wares were called Imari or Kakiemon. Because the same kilns often made several kinds of goods, Arita ware is now more often used as an umbrella term for all of them.

So a plate labeled Imari in a museum was almost certainly made in or near Arita, even though the name comes from the port. This is a good example of how trade routes sometimes name a product instead of its place of origin.

How porcelain began in Arita

Porcelain was first made in Japan around Arita after clay suited to porcelain was found nearby around the end of the sixteenth century. Tradition credits a Korean potter, Yi Sam-pyeong, known in Japan as Kanagae Sanbee, with starting the industry, and he is honored as a founder at a shrine in Arita. Historians debate the details of this account, but the tradition shows how highly the craft was valued.

The earliest pieces were mostly small, simply painted blue-and-white wares for the Japanese market. Potters then learned to add colored enamel on top of the glaze, which allowed bright reds, yellows and greens. By the middle of the seventeenth century, Arita led Japan in this style of overglaze decoration.

The kilns then grew quickly, and the area became the center of Japan's porcelain industry. Climbing kilns, which are built up a hillside so that heat flows through connected chambers, allowed workshops to fire large batches.

The Dutch trade and the export boom

Exports to Europe took off in the second half of the seventeenth century. Wikipedia explains that Chinese kilns at Jingdezhen were disrupted by turmoil, and trade with Europe was interrupted for a time, which created room for Japanese porcelain. The Dutch East India Company, known by its initials VOC, held the monopoly on the export trade through Nagasaki, and the first large order at Arita was placed by the company in 1656.

Wares traveled from the port of Imari to Nagasaki, where the Dutch and Chinese had trading posts. From there they were carried by ship to Europe and also to other parts of Asia. The trade peaked in the late seventeenth century, was gradually replaced by Chinese kilns in the early eighteenth century, and ended in 1756 according to Wikipedia.

During those decades Japanese porcelain became a prized luxury in Europe. Royal collectors such as Augustus II the Strong of Poland and Mary II of England owned Kakiemon pieces, and a 1688 inventory at Burghley House in England already listed Japanese porcelain, including a standing elephant and a model of two wrestlers.

The Imari palette

The classic Imari look is called kinrande in Japanese. It uses cobalt blue painted under the glaze, then red, gold and sometimes black enamel painted on top. The result is a rich, almost crowded design, often with flowers, birds and patterned borders.

Wikipedia observes that the bold floral styles can lean toward heavy decoration. Even so, the style was beloved in Europe, and the bright colors worked well in grand homes. Gold was more plentiful in Japan than in China at the time, which may explain why gold appears so often in the Japanese palette.

When you see a plate with deep blue, orange-red and gold, with panels of flowers and a busy border, you are looking at the typical Imari look. Many of these are later pieces, since the style remained popular and was revived in the nineteenth century.

Kakiemon: the delicate style

Kakiemon is a quieter, more refined style that grew out of the same kilns. It is named after the Sakaida Kakiemon family, and legend says the founder received the name Kakiemon from his lord after perfecting a design of persimmons. The style is known for a milky white porcelain body, sometimes called nigoshide, and for sparse, balanced decoration in soft red, yellow, blue and turquoise green.

Designs often include birds, flowers, the pine, plum and bamboo known as the Three Friends of Winter, and the Quail and Millet pattern. The decoration is placed with plenty of white space so that the porcelain itself shines.

The style was so admired that European factories copied it. Meissen copied the shape of the so-called Hampton Court vase around 1730, and workshops such as Chelsea, Worcester, Chantilly and Delft also made versions. Meissen and Arita even entered a sister city agreement in 1979. The family tradition continues today, and the technique was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971.

Nabeshima: porcelain not made for export

Not all Arita porcelain went abroad. Nabeshima ware was made at a domain kiln at Okawachiyama under the patronage of the Nabeshima lords of the Saga Domain, and it was intended mainly for gifts to the Tokugawa shogunate, other lords and the domain itself. It was not meant for the general market.

Nabeshima plates are usually round, made in sets with standard sizes, and have a high foot with a comb-tooth pattern on the sides. The designs often draw on Japanese textiles, plants and nature, rather than Chinese models. The kiln site at Okawachiyama was designated a National Historic Site in 2003.

This domestic, high-end tradition stands alongside the export trade and shows the range of Arita's skill.

Recognizing the styles and seeing them today

A few simple clues help when looking at pieces. Deep blue with red and gold usually points to Imari, while a milky body with sparse, delicate enamel suggests Kakiemon, and a high foot with a comb pattern suggests Nabeshima. These are rough guides, and experts rely on much more detail, so treat them as a starting point.

Museums in Europe and Japan hold excellent collections, and Arita itself is a good place to see kilns and shops. The town hosts events and festivals, but dates change, so confirm them with local tourism sources. If you plan to buy, ask the seller about the age and the maker, and be aware that many later pieces and copies in the Imari style exist.

For gifts, modern Arita makers produce everyday tableware as well as fine decorative pieces, so there are options at many prices.

Why the story still matters

Arita and Imari wares show how Japanese craft shaped global taste. They traveled by ship to a Europe that was hungry for fine porcelain, and they influenced the designs of factories in several countries. Later, in the Meiji era, exports rose again when Japanese styles were popular in Europe, an interest sometimes called Japonism.

The same kilns also remind us that cultural exchange often begins with practical work: skilled potters, local clay, wood for firing and a nearby port. Behind every colorful plate is a long chain of makers and traders.

Visitors who enjoy this story can pair Arita with a visit to Nagasaki, where the trading posts once stood, to see both ends of the journey.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Tokyo Paul's Japan Unrevealed: Japan in Motion is available on Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Imari ware the same as Arita ware?

They are closely related. Arita ware is the broad term for porcelain made around Arita in Saga Prefecture. Imari is the Western name for the colorful export style from the same kilns, named after the port of Imari where goods were loaded for shipping. Today many people use Arita ware as an umbrella term that includes Imari.

Why is it called Imari if it was made in Arita?

The name comes from the port of Imari, which was the point where the pottery was shipped on toward Nagasaki. European buyers named the porcelain after the port they associated with it rather than the town where the kilns stood. The wares themselves were made in Arita and nearby kilns.

What colors are typical of Imari porcelain?

The classic Imari look combines cobalt blue under the glaze with red and gold enamel on top, often with black outlines. Designs usually show flowers, birds and decorative borders. Kakiemon, a related style, uses a milky white body with softer red, yellow, blue and green and more empty space.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Arita and Karatsu: Saga's Porcelain and Pottery Towns, Hasami Ware: Nagasaki's Everyday Stackable Ceramics and Nagasaki: A Harbor City of Cultural Crossroads.