Izumiyama Quarry

The Izumiyama quarry supplied the pottery stone that made large-scale porcelain production possible in Japan for the first time. According to local tradition, the deposit was discovered in the early 1600s by a Korean potter, and the Nabeshima lords who controlled Saga domain guarded the quarry strictly, blocking roads in and out of the area and prohibiting anyone from leaving without permission. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1980 and remained in active use until 1995. Inside the two remaining open pits, tool marks from centuries of hand quarrying are still visible on the walls.