In 742, Emperor Shomu built an Imperial villa and selected beautiful kanji characters for "Shigaraki", meaning the Shrine of Pleasure in Purple Fragrance. The name Shigaraki is said to have derived from "Shigeru-ki", or well-wooded, because it was a rich forest of huge, fine lumber wood deep in the mounains, and also said to have come from a Korean word "Shidara" which means a land surrounded by mountains, which came along with the introduction the ceremics technology.