The history of Satsuma pottery starts when ceramic craftsmen were brought to Satsuma (present day Kagoshima-pref.) from the Korean Peninsula by General Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Satsuma Clan Lord Shimazu Yoshihiro after the battles of Bunroku and Keicho 1598. These craftsmen went in search of clay to Naeshirogawa (present day Miyama) in 1603. They set up kilns here which were protected by the Satsuma clan until they were privatized after the Meiji restoration (1868). The great craftsman Chin Jukan XII contributed the sucess of Satsuma ware abroad by producing master pieces for The World Exposition in Vienna 1873 and The World Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893. His master piece won a bronze medal at The World Exposition in Paris 1900 and a silver medal at the World Exposition in St.Louis 1904. The kilns in Kagoshima prefecture continue to produce quality Satsuma ware in line with the old traditions and are still attracting fans both at home and abroad.