Chapter 10

That's right.

When did I forget?

I'm sure there were several famous kilns in Takada.

Why this town calls itself the "Ceramic Capital" is because it has an unparalleled pride in being the head and shoulders above all other ceramic production areas in Japan.

When it comes to Mino ware, it includes the Oribe ware, which is said to have been founded by the ancient warlord Furuta Oribe, the Shino ware, which is known for its rich white glaze that looks like sugar-coated roughness, and the yellow Seto and black Seto, which are proudly produced here despite the name "Seto."

This land has produced many masterpieces, so there must be kilns.

(I wish I could have experienced such an era at least once.)

I used to think about such things.

If I had been born in the heyday of the ceramics industry, I could have done anything.

Mino ware flooded the market as an affordable product for the masses and swept the nation.

However, the entrepreneurs of the Meiji era, who were given a big chance, missed the opportunity to grab the goddess's hair by clinging to domestic success. The lost chance never returned, and the rising powers of the emerging countries dragged them down from the stage of the world.

Why did Mino ware retreat?

Why did the products of the emerging countries rise?

To him, the reasons were clear.

It was because the potters, who became capitalists on the strength of the momentum, squandered the enormous profits without a solid business strategy. They could have made a fortune at the time. If they had invested the money not only in expanding production but also in marketing and branding, a different future could have unfolded.

Cheap technology is quickly caught up by followers.

He dreamed.

Of his products being praised and flying around the world.

Of his company's logo being displayed like a treasure in a polished showcase as a symbol of high quality.

(Why did I forget...? I was given the chance to make that dream come true, by God or Buddha, I don't know, but how could I not do it!)

Kosuke followed Jiro to the back of the Ichida Machiya, lost in thought, trying to shape the shock that had been given to his spirit.

"This is my wife's house. You've never been here before, right? It's a good opportunity, so let's stop by and say hello."

The back alleys of Ichida Machiya are lined with shabby houses, packed together at a density that would never be seen in Ohara. It's more of a back alley than a gap, with a narrow path where people can barely pass each other, continuing in a block-like pattern. A small waterway runs at the foot, carrying dirty domestic wastewater.

If you go to the next block, you'll see the appearance of an inn facing the lower road. You can hear many voices from a distance. On the back side, mainly the back doors are concentrated, and maids are busy throwing dirty water from buckets and carrying laundry in and out.

A dense smell of daily life wafts from the open back doors, filling the back alley with a unique odor. At one inn, they seem to be grilling fish, and the smell of burning fat tickles the nose.

It was a smell he hadn't smelled in a long time, so his stomach growled involuntarily.

The "wife's house" that Jiro pointed out was a quaint inn with red walls dyed with bengara.

The name "Kiso-ya" alone makes it look like a lumberyard.

When Jiro entered, two maids working there shouted, "Young Master is back!" and "Madam!" with loud voices that resonated from the bottom of their stomachs. They must have well-trained abs.

One was a plump type, Kamesan. The other was a skinny type with buck teeth, Ine.

The direction in which their faces turned was where Jiro's wife, the madam, was. Entering the back door, the inside seemed to be the same layout everywhere, with a wide earthen floor and a hearth. There was a slightly sour smell like takuan. Looking at it, there was a large jar with the lid open in the back of the earthen floor. It must be homemade pickles or something.

"Oh, is our inn's sixth son back? ... Wasn't the work at your parents' house already finished!? Yet you didn't come back and went wandering around, what a life you lead!"

Wow.

Suddenly got a sarcastic comment.

The woman who appeared from the long corridor had a round face that looked like the madam of a fire brigade in a period drama.

I thought Jiro had a beautiful wife because he was handsome. Sorry, Jiro.

The young madam of Kiso-ya, Ose, grabbed her husband's collar and sent a wireless signal from her eyes, demanding something. Jiro reacted to it in a funny way, slightly twisting his mouth and saying, "I'm really a lucky man. I got such a well-behaved and cute wife..."

I wanted to point out that such a wooden reading wouldn't soothe the madam, but surprisingly, Ose's reaction was clearly positive.

Her round face turned slightly red, and she really pushed her husband over, saying, "Oh, you!" before she could say anything.

You must have been struggling in the unseen, Jiro.

"I wasn't selling oil, I was doing odd jobs at the Ohara mansion... This is the kid I told you about before, Satoru. Say hello, boy."

Pushed from behind, he timidly stepped forward.

At five years old, he was already short, and standing on the lower earthen floor made him look up even more.

He thought she would be a scary demon wife, but her eyes were smiling at him.

"Boy, what's your name?"

"Kosuke"

Observing the other person while imagining an age-appropriate response. She seems to take the initiative with her husband but smiles at children. If she likes children, I can work with that.

"How old are you?"

"Five"

He showed it with his fingers.

Suddenly, Ose's face lit up, and her hand reached out, ruffling Kosuke's head. The unexpected force made his head shake back and forth, and he stumbled.

"Oh, what a promising boy! So cute~"

Ruffle ruffle ruffle.

Stop it. My height is already short enough.

Ose offered to let them come up and have some tea and sweets, but he had a mission from his grandfather.

"Jiro and I have to go around the store now, so we'll have tea another time."

"Store?"

"We have to buy food for the village festival. ...Hey, let's go."

Jiro's large hand grabbed his underdeveloped hand before he could react.

"Shopping can be done in a moment! Sou-chan, there are delicious rakugan. Do you want to eat them?"

"Y-Yes! I want to eat them!"

Held under the arm, his body was easily placed in Ose's arms. Even though he was small, he must have been quite heavy.

Anyway, shopping is important, but how could he pass up the very precious sweets of this era?

In his previous life, rakugan? Those chalk-like things? But in this era of scarce sweetness, the soft sweetness of wasanbon sugar was a big hit.

Jiro gave him a puzzled look.

You were like this?

I understand what he means, but I'm deliberately ignoring it. Country children are hungry for sweets.