Overview
Black slate inkstones made here for six centuries, once the source of most inkstones in Japan.
About this place
Ogatsu stone is a hard, black, lustrous stone (clay slate) produced in the Ogatsu district (the former town of Ogatsu) of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Its grains are uniform, it has high strength against compression and bending, and it is highly resistant to chemical change and ageing. It occurs in the Upper Paleozoic Permian strata of the Tome Formation in the Kitakami Mountains. Its estimated reserves are said to be five million tonnes, and because it is extracted by open-pit mining, it can also be supplied in large quantities. It has been used to make inkstones (Ogatsu inkstones) and crafts, and as natural slate roofing material.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗Key facts
Founded / opened：Muromachi period Highlights / collection：Black slate inkstones, Inkstone carving Genre：Crafts and ceramics, Calligraphy
Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗Before you go
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