Arita Uchiyama Historic District

Arita's Uchiyama district became the center of Japan's porcelain industry in the mid-seventeenth century, chosen for its proximity to Izumiyama's deposits of porcelain stone, the key material for making the ware. Nearly all original buildings were lost in the Great Bunsei Fire of 1828, and the 161 structures that remain today span the Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods. Each building in the 1991 preservation district designation is marked with a blue-and-white porcelain plaque showing its era of construction. Several historic kilns are open to the public year-round, and the annual Arita Porcelain Market fills the street with vendors every April 29 to May 5.