Yukie Otake / curator in Obsidian experience museum

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Attracted to obsidian
Miraculous power that connects people from Jyomon era (an ancient, primitive era in Japan)
“Want to appeal the peace of Jyomon era”

Nagawa-cho famous as an obsidian mining site. Ms. Yukie Otake working as a curator in Obsidian experience museum has talked about the charm of obsidian that connects people now and then for us.

Obsidian I picked up near my home when I was a junior school student, still the treasure for me.

I am from Ibaragi-ken; when I was a junior school student, I went to a field near my home to pick up Jyomon earthenware when I picked up obsidian that I had learned could be obtained only Nagano-ken, which triggered my adoration toward Nagano-ken for me to eventually move over to Nagawa-cho. That obsidian is still the treasure of mine.

Obsidian connects people now and then.

Obsidian is a sort of natural glass, but radiates, different from rocks we daily see. In my childhood, I wondered why such a radiating rock existed there. As the number of obsidian mining cites is limited, obsidian taken in Nagawa-cho has been distributed nationwide as the material for stoneware. Nowadays children who have picked up such obsidian come over to Nagawa-cho, an attractive stone that connects people now and then.

I want to you touch real obsidian

As you can touch real obsidian or experience making stoneware with it in Obsidian experience museum, I really want you to come over to touch. Both obsidian and garnet that can be obtained in Nagawa-cho are popular as a power stone, too. The area that hoards stones that parry away evil spirit or are the energy source for living is this Nagawa-cho; just coming over here might convey its power to you.

I want to appeal the world that will make everyone happy based on one resource.

People in the past created the peaceful Jyomon era that lasted for 10 thousand years, not by monopolizing precious obsidian but by sharing it with everyone. The world that will make everyone happy based on one resource. I want to be engaged in global activities to appeal the world peace from this tiny city.

Yukie Otake / curator in Obsidian experience museum

Assistant manager of cultural heritage, Nagawa-cho education board. Curator in Obsidian experience museum. From Ibaragi-ken. Triggered by obsidian she picked up in childhood and a book titled “Stories on earthenware and stoneware” written by Eichi Fujimori, she moved on to archaeology. As Nagawa-cho is an obsidian mining cite she dreamt of, she has joined such investigations there since she was a student; in a national remains, “Seihuntoge remains of original obsidian mining site”, continued academic investigations on Jyomon era are still underway..

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