Japan, without a doubt, has the world's largest number of art museums devoted solely to pottery -- more than 500 venues, I've heard. That's a lot of beauty (or not) to take in.

Almost all potting centers, major or minor, as well as non-potting locales, have at least one museum either publicly or privately owned. Some are devoted to the collections of private individuals, such as the splendid porcelain Toguri Collection housed in Shibuya ( www.toguri-museum.or.jp ), while others trace the history of the clay arts in that area, like the Okayama Prefecture Bizen Ceramic Museum in Bizen City ( www.kan-ran-sha.com/museum/ bizen-togei-m.html ). Some are even potters' homes turned into museums, the splendid Kanjiro Kawai Memorial Museum in Kyoto ( www.studiomiu.com/kanjiro ) being a fine example.

Up until recently, almost all these museums either focused on single potters or on wares at least a few hundred years old. But things are rapidly changing. In the last few years museums have been built that highlight works made after the Meiji Era -- right up to contemporary clay pieces. This week I'd like to introduce one of these institutions: the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum.