Handing down a scenic tradition

The overall tile demand across Japan has been on the decline due to a dwindling population and diversified roofing materials. When we set a goal of passing down the traditional tile culture to the next generation, we thought that we should tap into promising foreign markets rather than stimulate domestic demand. These durable tiles are coated with a natural glaze containing Kimachi stones, which possess reinforcing properties. The tiles are then fired in a kiln at temperature over 1,300°C, making them hard and robust for use as cooking utensils; for example, they can be used as substitutes for heavy cast iron barbecue plates. We are planning to introduce these cooking tiles together with a wide variety of other products we have developed taking into account requests from restaurants overseas, first to the U.S. and Australia where people love the outdoors. By attracting attention among local people and creating overseas demand, we will pass down the scenic views of houses with red-tiled roofs in our hometown to the future generations in a new fashion.