Master Piece in Snow Country

Tokamachi City Museum

(Tokamachi City, Nigata Prefecture) 

【Doki（土器）】means an ancient earthenware pottery. The flame-shaped Doki flourished middle of Jomon period around 3,400-2,400 BC. It features three-dimensional wavelike patterns on the surface and flamelike decorations. A famous Japanese artist Taro Okamoto exclaimed “What hell is it!” when he saw a flame-shaped pottery. He saw the origin of artistic beauty of Japan in the wild, discordant form of curvy body. 

  Tokamachi City is a small local town in a small basin of mountain area in Nigata Prefecture. The area has heavy snowfall with over 2 meters snow in winter. The white world continues for 4 months. In the harsh environment, ancient people lived along the Shinano River that flows the center of the city. The river brought blessings of nature and inland water transportation. These unique artistic earthenware were prevalent in this region.

In 1980s, the flame-shaped potteries were excavated from Sasayama Ruins in Tokaichi City. The potteries were decorated with the wavelike patterns, jutting four handles and spikes. The unique shape and red brown earthen color are reminiscence of flickering flames. With the artistic and perfect form of beauty, people call this earthen pot “the master piece of Jomon”.

The form of the pot is not for practical use because the jutting handles and spicks on the top prevents from taking things in and out. It is more like ornamental or ritual use. However, in fact, the boiling mark and food remains were found in the pots that indicated people use them for cooking. This type of pot was getting less and less and people started to create more simple and practical pot without any decorations in later era. 

In 1999, 14 flame-shaped potteries were designated a National Treasure of Japan. This is the only one national treasure in Nigata Prefecture. You can see these treasures at Tokamachi City Museum. 

 After visit the museum, it is good idea to smack your lips on Hegi-Soba Noddle, a local cuisine of this town. Seaweed is blended as a binder when kneading buckwheat to make soba noodle. It serves in twisted bite-sized shape on a wooden bowl called “Hegi”. Its al dente texture is sliding down your throat smoothly. Once you try it, you will definitely be hooked.