Introduced to Europe in the 17th century by the East India Company, Arita ware, one of Japan’s representative brands of porcelain, became an overnight sensation. At the time, European royals and nobles gave Arita ware high praise and referred to them as “white gold,” competing to collect them as symbols of their wealth and authority. Now, on the occasion of their 400th anniversary, the Arita ware industry is about to change drastically.