Wender·Vista
Tanegashima
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileJapan
south of Kyushu, in the Ōsumi Islands

Tanegashima

— — a long green island that watches the sky.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A long, low island south of the Ōsumi Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture. Sugar cane, sweet-potato fields, and the JAXA launch complex at the southern tip. The Portuguese arrived here in 1543 with the first matchlock guns to reach Japan; the surfers arrived later, drawn by the long beach breaks at Kanehama and Takezaki. from the studio

from the studio
Tanegashima
— bring it home

Tanegashima, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Tanegashima

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Tanegashima lies in the Ōsumi Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, about 40 kilometres south of the tip of Kyushu and separated from neighbouring Yakushima by the Vincennes Strait. The island is roughly 57 kilometres long and 12 kilometres at its widest, with a low spine that peaks under 300 metres. It is divided into the city of Nishinoomote and the towns of Nakatane and Minamitane, and is reached by ferry or by air from Kagoshima city on the mainland.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the year

The JAXA Tanegashima Space Center occupies the southern coast around Cape Minamimaki. The Yoshinobu Launch Complex has lifted Japan's H-IIA, H-IIB, and now H3 rockets from the island since 2001, and the older Ōsaki pad before that. Launch windows tend to cluster in late summer and winter, and the coastal road through Minamitane fills with photographers when one is announced. The center is widely described as the most beautiful rocket-launch site in the world.

— the visit

Ferries run daily from Kagoshima to Nishinoomote in about three and a half hours, with the faster Toppy hydrofoil cutting the trip to roughly ninety minutes. The space center offers guided tours when launches are not in progress. The 1543 arrival of a Portuguese carrack at Kadokura-misaki is recorded at the Teppōkan museum in Nishinoomote, where the early matchlock arquebuses are displayed alongside the smith Yaita's reproductions.

— where
Japan · Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
— position
30.6000° N · 130.9500° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
20 km SW
Yakushima
World Heritage island
115 km NW
Kagoshima
prefectural capital
N
Tanegashima
Yakushima
Kagoshima
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Tanegashima — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In the Ōsumi Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, about 40 kilometres south of Kyushu and across the Vincennes Strait from Yakushima. The island is roughly 57 kilometres long and 12 kilometres at its widest.

A Portuguese carrack made landfall here in 1543, bringing the first matchlock firearms to reach Japan. Local smiths reproduced the weapons within a year, and the matchlock arquebus is still called tanegashima in Japanese.

The Tanegashima Space Center on the southern coast is Japan's main launch facility. The Yoshinobu Launch Complex has lifted H-IIA, H-IIB, and H3 rockets since 2001, carrying satellites and supply missions to the International Space Station.

From Kagoshima by ferry to Nishinoomote in about three and a half hours, or by the Toppy hydrofoil in roughly ninety minutes. Japan Air Commuter also flies from Kagoshima Airport.

Yes. The east and south coasts hold consistent beach and reef breaks at Kanehama, Takezaki, and Hamada. The island is one of Japan's earliest surf spots and remains a destination through the typhoon season.

Yes. Designated viewing points along the coast road open during launch windows. JAXA publishes launch schedules in advance, and Minamitane's accommodation tends to book out around major H3 flights.

— about the piece in your home

It can carry meaning for visitors and former residents alike. Tanegashima is tied to two threads in Japanese history, the arrival of firearms and the modern space program, and the studio's piece reads as both island and place of consequence.

The piece suits Japandi, coastal-modern, and quiet minimalist rooms. The sea-green and basalt palette holds its own against pale oak, washi paper, and unpainted plaster.

Yes. Japandi continues to lean on coastal Japanese imagery, and southern-island work like Tanegashima sits comfortably alongside Yakushima and Okinawa motifs in current design portfolios.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural reads at the right scale. Above a console or sideboard, a Medium or a pair of Smalls keeps the proportions easy.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a sealed top layer, so steam and splash do not affect it.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based sprays, which can dull the surface over time.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is curated by Reid Wender and finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. We do not licence the artwork from any outside source.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.