The Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for greenware is . It was introduced during the Song Dynasty (960–1270) from China and via Korea. Even though Japan has arguably the most diverse styles of ceramic art in the modern era, greenware was mostly avoided by potters because of the high loss rate of up to 80%. Kaolinite, the ceramic material usually used for the production of porcelain, also does not exist in large quantities like in China. One of the sources for kaolin in Japan is from Amakusa in Kyushu. Nevertheless a number of artists emerged whose works received critical acclaim in regards to the quality and colour of the glazes achieved, as well as later on in the innovation of modern design.