Imari Port — The Original Export Route for Japanese Porcelain

**The VOC connection:** The Dutch East India Company (VOC) trading records from this period — preserved in the Nationaal Archief in the Hague — are partially reproduced in the Imari museum. The specific patterns ordered by European buyers (adapted from Chinese blue-and-white but with Japanese modifications to suit European decorating tastes) are tracked piece by piece. **Imari Ceramic Fair (November):** An annual fair fills the port town with ceramics dealers from across Kyushu — genuine antique Imari ware from the 17th–19th centuries is sold alongside modern production. Antique pieces start at ¥3,000 for small bowls.