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【国際交流PRアソシエイトからの発信★】Immersed in the Nanbu Tekki

岩手の伝統工芸品の一つである「南部鉄器」をみなさんは知っていますか？留学生のXU JINGさんが、盛岡手作り村や工房を訪ね、南部鉄器の歴史や現代に続くその魅力について調べてくれました。

（言語：英語?中国語）

【Messages ★ from the International Exchange PR Associate】

Do you know one of Iwate's traditional crafts, "Nanbu Ironware (Nanbu Tekki) ", XU JING, an international student, visited the Morioka Handicraft Village and workshops to learn about the history of Nanbu Ironware and its appeal that continues to the present day.

(Language: English, Chinese)

Immersed in the Nanbu Tekki

----The Morioka Handicraft Village not to be missed

In July in Japan, many cities have entered the scorching hot summer days, and the high temperature of 30 degrees Celsius can make people feel lethargic and irritable. Different from this, Morioka, located in the northeast, is particularly cool. What places are worth visiting in Morioka on a summer weekend? My friend and I visited the interesting Morioka Handicraft Village and experienced the charm of the famous Japanese iron kettles up close.

Morioka Handicraft Village is located in Tsunagi, 10km away from Morioka city, and can be reached by bus from Morioka Station in about 30 minutes. It is located next to the beautiful Gosho Lake.

Fig.1 (Many tourists from all over the world come here)

Morioka Handicraft Village can be said to be a base camp for displaying Morioka's traditional crafts and authentic local products. It consists of three areas: the Morioka Regional Industry Promotion Center, the Handicraft Studio, and the Nanbu Magariya House. The biggest attraction is the handicraft workshop area, where you can see actual handicraft workshops including Natural Dyeing, Nanbu Tekki, pottery, bamboo crafts, Nanbu Sembei, Morioka Reimen, etc., including famous local handicrafts.

Fig.2 (Morioka Handicraft Village Shop District Shop Distribution Map)

The most popular thing among tourists in the workshop is the Nanbu Tekki, which is known as "Japan's national treasure traditional craftsmanship". Nanbu Tekki was originally a traditional Japanese tea set, mainly used for boiling water and making tea. It is not only an important part of Japanese Sado culture, but also a treasure in handicraft collections. In the early Edo period, the Nanbu clan, lord of the Morioka domain, hired foundry craftsmen from Kyoto and Koshu (now Yamanashi Prefecture) to make utensils, kicking off the production of Nanbu Tekki. After the 18th century, Sencha tea became popular, and small and exquisite iron kettles with handles entered the homes of ordinary people. This was the prototype of the "traditional iron kettle" that is still made today. Nanbu Tekki is not only a practical living utensil, but also a cultural symbol. The complex production process of Nanbu Tekki, the exquisite craftsmanship and the never-ending spirit of innovation honed by craftsmen day after day have combined to instill people's respect and love for traditional crafts. Every piece of Nanbu Tekki embodies the wisdom and hard work of the craftsman, embodying the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship and the pursuit of quality.

Fig.3 (Through the glass, you can feel the craftsmen with decades of skills making exquisite Nanbu Tekki in here)

With the development of the times, Nanbu Tekki is also constantly innovating and developing. On the basis of retaining traditional craftsmanship, modern Nanbu Tekki incorporates more modern design elements to adapt to the aesthetic and use needs of modern people.

Fig.4 (Rich Nanbu Tekki)

Fig.5 (Exquisite Nanbu Tekki)

Iwate University has a long history and fruitful achievements in the study of Nanbu Tekki. As early as 1982 (Showa 57), Professor Hiroshi Horie of the Department of Metal Engineering at Iwate University was engaged in research related to Nanbu Tekki. Later, Professor Hiratsuka Sadato of the Faculty of Engineering at Iwate University continued his research on Nanbu Tekki casting. Today, Professor Takamitsu Tanaka from the field of Design and Media Studies is dedicated to the design and development of Nanbu Tekki for export overseas. Generations of Iwate University scholars have contributed to the development of Nanbu Tekki.

As a cultural treasure passed down for hundreds of years, the Nanbu Tekki has exquisite craftsmanship and unique design style, representing the highest realm of the Japanese craftsman spirit. It is not only popular in Japan, but also won high praise in the international market. In the fast-paced modern life, Nanbu Tekki with its simplicity, durability and beauty, has become an important choice for people to pursue slow life and high quality life. Through the Nanbu Tekki, we can not only feel the charm of traditional crafts, but also enjoy the unique warmth and texture in daily life.

浸润在南部铁器的美好时光

----不容错过的盛冈手作村

7月的日本，很多城市已经进入炎热的暑伏天，动辄30摄氏度的高温让人感到昏沉烦躁。与此不同的是，位于东北部的盛冈还分外清凉。在夏日的周末，我的朋友和我探访了有趣的盛冈手作村，近距离感受闻名遐迩的日本铁壶的魅力。

盛冈手作村位于繋字尾入野，距离盛冈市区10KM，从盛冈站乘坐大巴约30min可以达到。这里紧邻风景秀丽的御所湖。

插图1（很多世界各地的游客慕名而来）

盛冈手作村可说是展示盛冈传统工艺与地道土产的大本营，由盛冈地域地场产业振兴中心、手作工房与南部曲屋三个区域构成。最大的看点为手作工房区，在此可看到包括蓝染、南部铁器、陶器制品、竹细工、南部煎饼（南部仙贝）、盛冈冷面等实演手作工房，囊括当地著名手工艺。

插图2（盛冈手作村工房区店铺分布图）