Encountering the Building

The Mysterious White Shed

About a 15-minute walk east from Kisarazu Station lies Oda-yama Park. Nestled halfway up the mountain, a small white building, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by the surrounding trees, can be glimpsed. This is the “Kinreizuka Museum” that I am introducing here.

In the summer of 2021, I moved from Tokyo to Kisarazu. On my way back from the local history museum, where I had gone to learn about the area’s history, my eyes were drawn to an elegant gate inscribed with “KINREI.” The small shed beside it also had a modern-looking clerestory window. I wondered if this was an artist’s workshop. As I stood there admiring the scene, a voice from inside called out, “Would you like to take a look?”

I was told that this place is where a local citizen group makes “Jomon pottery”. Although my initial interest was just in the architecture, hearing about Jomon pottery piqued my curiosity. More than anything, I wanted to see the interior. As someone interested in both architecture and Jomon pottery, this turned out to be a lucky encounter. I was invited inside without hesitation.

Jomon Club