Akama Inkstone Village (Iwataki)

• Yamaguchi
• Sightseeing
• Nature
• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

This is a village surrounded by deep greenery that holds the only raw material quarry for "Akama-suzuri" (inkstones), a representative traditional craft of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Akama-suzuri has a history of over 800 years and was considered the highest quality tool in Japanese calligraphy culture, said to have been favored by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Kamakura period. The sight of artisans manually cutting stones from steep rock faces and carefully carving each one is truly the pinnacle of craftsmanship. Here, while gazing at the beautiful reddish-purple stone surfaces, you can learn the history of inkstones and actually experience polishing the stones. It is an intellectual hidden village where you can touch the "soul of handwork" that has supported Japan's spiritual culture and the blessings of the Earth amidst the air of a quiet forest.