Nicholas Centala Former Corpsman Returns To Okinawa As Artist
Story by Lance Cpl. J Nava
okinawa marine staff

Traditional Japanese wood-fired kilns are characterized by one long firing chamber, fueled by burning wood instead of gas or electricity. Wood-fired kilns produce ash and flame that interact with minerals in the clay, giving it a different finish from pottery cured in other fashions. Now, a former Navy corpsman aims to share his knowledge and love for wood-fired pottery with Okinawa’s residents.

Nicholas Centala first came to Okinawa in 1993 as a corpsman with the 3rd Force Service Support Group and now owns and operates a traditional wood-fired kiln and public workshop and offers pottery classes in Nago.

Centala was first introduced to wood-fired kilns in 1999 and shortly afterward began to study Asian art at Waseda University in Tokyo.

“I later apprenticed at a kiln in Kumamoto and was instantly hooked,” Centala said. “I learned everything about wood-fired kilns here in Japan, and I do it all the traditional way.”

Centala credits the military with giving him the values to push through the hard labor that is required to run the kiln.

“It’s all about the core values we learn in basic training,” he said. “Discipline, mission accomplishment, attention to detail; you need every little bit of it during this process.”

Centala says he first knew he wanted to build a kiln on Okinawa 10 years ago. The kiln is five meters long, consisting of a firing chamber at one end, a space for pottery in the middle and a flue at the other end.

There is no physical structure separating the fire from the pottery, allowing ash and smoke to stick to the pottery giving it a “unique glass finish,” Centala said.

Typically the pottery comes out looking metallic and textured due to the ash and smoke, Centala explained.

The operation started off as a non-profit organization to give free ceramic sessions to children and adults with learning disabilities and is now open to all locals, service members and dependants.

The kiln is fired four times a year for three days straight each time. It requires constant stoking throughout all three days to get the fire to an optimum temperature of 2,280-degrees Fahrenheit.

Constantly adding wood to the kiln for three days creates a large workload for Centala. All the wood used in the kiln must be cut and placed in by hand.

“(Operating the kiln) requires lots of hard work but it all has to be done. It’s all about the process; if I don’t cut the wood myself then my hands won’t be ready for the fire,” Centala said about toughening up his hands for the work.

The operation is of such a large scale that Centala’s patrons often volunteer to help in the curing of their pottery.

“I came up one time and saw the process and was just hooked,” said David Morse, a volunteer. “There’s just something about working with your hands and the joy of seeing stuff that I made.”

Centala says the natural glass finish attained by this method can’t be done any other way.
“I think the best part of the process is closing the kiln’s door at the end,” Centala said. “When we’re done, my back hurts and my hands ache, but it’s all worth it to see what we made.”

To learn more about the kiln or to participate in the pottery classes visit http://www.sentorayaki.com.