Japanese pottery and porcelain

Seizan kiln 誠山窯

The Seizan kiln was founded by Kataoka Makoto in 1889 and is recognized by bonsai masters as a great potter. Seizan since its inception has worked hard to faithfully reproduce the old Kowatari pots from China. In order to learn about the Kowatari method, Kataoka Makoto studied in China for many years and was the designer of many of his own creations. Currently the oven is run by his son Kataoka Katsushi or better known as Reiho. From a very young age he learned by observing his father’s way of making pots and his mission is to continue the will (more…)

Anto pottery 安東焼

the middle of the Edo periodIn the middle of the Edo period, a wealthy merchant from Kuwana, Nunami Rosan, started Banko ware (old Banko) in Obuke village, Asaaki-gun (present-day Komukai, Asahi-machi, Mie-gun). Somewhat later, during the Kanpo period (1741-1744), the Todo clan invited an apprentice of Rozan, Zuiga, to open a kiln in Anto village (near present-day Nagaoka-machi, Tsu City), west of Tsu Castle, and began to produce tea ceremony pottery. The works were called Anto-yaki, after the name of the kiln, and were stamped with the kiln mark “Anto”. At the time, Zuiga, the founder of Ando ware, was (more…)

Daishoji Imari 大聖寺伊万里

It was painted in the town of Daishoji, which existed in the center of present-day Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture until the early Showa period. From the early Meiji period to the Showa period, it was produced in large quantities in the area of the former Daishoji domain in response to orders from Japan and overseas.Towards the end of the Edo period, the Daishoji clan, which owned the Daishoji area in Enuma county, invited a potter from Kyoto, Eiraku Wazen, for industrial promotion, which is said to be the beginning of Daishoji ware. In the Meiji era, when the clan lost (more…)

Miyama pottery 深山焼

In Miyama, Shirataka Town, Yamagata Prefecture, there are the remains of a Miyama-yaki kiln that operated in the early 19th century. Miyama-yaki is famous as a special kiln that fired rare products for the Yonezawa clan.In the 1960s, Umemura Masayoshi, who was a teacher at the school, started researching ceramic shards with the aim of reviving Miyama-yaki.He also visited and learned from Shibata, the last inheritor of the techniques of the Narushima kiln, the modern kiln industry in Okiya to which Miyama-yaki belongs, and succeeded in producing pottery using glaze and clay collected from the former raw material production area, (more…)

Awata pottery 粟田焼

Awata ware is a type of pottery produced in the Rakuto Awata area, which is located in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. It was originally called Awataguchi ware, but since they expanded and established potteries in the entire area of Awata, the name has been changed to Awata ware.It is said that Awata ware originated in 1624 when Sanmojiya Kyuemon, a potter who lived in Imamichi Town, Keage, Sanjo, made rust-painted and blue-and-white pottery using Yugyo clay and Okazaki clay. Yugyo clay was produced in Higashiyama Gojo, Higashiyama Ward, and Okazaki clay was produced in Tenno Town, Okazaki, Sakyo Ward, and (more…)

Ichinose pottery 一の瀬焼

Ichinose ware is pottery made in Ukiha Town, Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is said that Ichinose ware originated about 400 years ago, when the ruins of Monchusho Munekage’s Ichinose mansion were discovered, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi invited potters and established a kiln during the Imjin War.In the early modern period, it became an official kiln of the Kurume Domain, but during the Meiji Restoration, it temporarily closed. It was restored in 1959, and they currently have six potteries. (more…)

Hoshino pottery 星野焼

Hoshino ware is pottery made in Hoshino Village, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Since Yame tea is produced in that area, Hoshino ware created many fine tea jars and tea utensils in the Edo period as the official kiln of the Kurume Domain.They made reddish-brown “Sunset ware” using local mud that had high iron content.However, sticky mud that has high iron content is a difficult substance to manipulate, and especially requires high expertise to deal with. Due to this, the kiln shut down in 1894, and faded away for a time. However, in 1969, Yamamoto Genta restored Hoshino ware, and Maruta (more…)

Akashi pottery 明石焼

Akashi ware is pottery and porcelain mainly made in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. Somewhere between 1615–1624, the official kiln of Ogasawara Tadamasa, the lord of the Akashi Castle, was established. Toda Oribenosuke made pottery in this kiln. After that, the kiln was moved to Nakataniyama, Akashi. This is said to be the origin of Akashi ware.As the official kiln of the Akashi Domain, they have been making a lot of colored plates and bowls, which were greatly inspired by Mishima ware and colored pottery styles, such as old Kiyomizu and Kyo ware styles, since the mid-Edo period.They were at the (more…)

Minato pottery 湊焼

Minato ware is believed to have originated when Doraku, the younger brother of Donyu, established a kiln in Minato, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, between 1648–1652 in the late 17th century. The Doraku kiln was later handed down to the Yamamoto kiln.Around the same time, a potter from Omura, Kyoto by the name of Ueda Kichiemon immigrated to Minato Village, Sakai. He learned Doraku kiln’s techniques of making and firing pottery, and started making pottery in Sakai. The Doraku kiln later became a Kichiemon kiln. By the time of the fifth-generation head, the Ueda Kichiemon kiln had succeeded in producing imitations (more…)

Manoyama pottery 眞野山焼

Manoyama ware is pottery made in Mano Town, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture. Sasaki Shodo, who became a living treasure for using the wax-mold casting technique, established Niigata Toen, a kiln that produced Koshiji ware, in 1938 in Niigata. In 1944, he evacuated to Sado to avoid the ravages of war. In 1947, he established the Manoyama ware kiln in Mano town. (more…)

Fujimi pottery 不二見焼

Fujimi ware is pottery made in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. It originated in 1879, when the founder, Murase Hachiroemon (Biko, Fuji Sanjin), who was also the feudal retainer of the Owari Domain, established a kiln with his son, Ryokichi, and four other craftsmen.Fujimi ware was initially made with a type of potter’s clay called Maezu clay, which was produced from Oike (Kikugaike). They specialized in woven-pattern pottery. They made tea utensils and table ware, as well as porcelain items. However, they were struggling because their sales were not increasing.The fourth-generation head (the son of the second-generation head) looked into imitating (more…)

Honma pottery 本間焼

Honma ware is pottery made in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture. In 1960, in the era of Rikyu, Honma Yusuke, director of the Honma Museum at the time, was impressed by the high quality of Chojiro’s tea bowls. With guidance from Asano Akira and Miura Koheiji from the Tokyo University of the Arts, they were able to establish a small kiln in the corner of the garden, and started making raku ware as oniwa ware. This is how Honma ware originated.At the time, Ikeda Taisuke, who made pottery alongside Director Yusuke, was exposed to the masterpieces displayed in the Honma Museum, (more…)

Tomida pottery 富田焼

Tomida ware is pottery made in Okawa Town, Sanuki City, Kagawa Prefecture. The Tomida area in Okawa Town has been known as a pottery village since the Edo period.In the Edo period, Rihei ware, Gennai ware, Tomida ware, Yashima ware, and Sangama kiln were earning reputation as Sanuki okuni ware, but a lot of their potter’s clay was from Tomida, Okawa Town.In 1718, The fourth-generation Rihei, of Rihei ware, established a kiln in Tomida, and created beautiful colored pottery, which has become a signature of Tomida. In the Tenmei and Kansei periods, Hiraga Gennai’s best apprentice, Akamatsu Shozan, succeeded the (more…)

Koto porcelain 湖東焼

Koto ware is porcelain made in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. The origin of its name comes from the name of an area located on the east coast of Lake Biwa called Koto.It is believed that it originated in Honryo, Hakone Domain (currently Hikone City), in the Bunsei era of the mid-Edo period, when Kinuya Hanbei invited a potter from Arita, who made Imari ware. Koto ware developed under the Feudal Ii Domain. However, when the feudal lord, Ii Naosuke, who was also chief minister of the shogunate, was assassinated, the workers at the pottery dispersed, and their business instantly declined. (more…)

Kirigome pottery 切込焼

Kirigome ware is pottery made in Kami Town, Kami District, Miyagi Prefecture. There are not many details about its foundation. Some theories suggest that it was founded by Date Masamune, and others suggest third-generation Kinmune.In the Edo period, it flourished as the official kiln of the Date clan, and became very popular. At that time, in addition to producing high-grade blue-and-white porcelain, they also produced a lot of everyday items for the general public.When the domain’s support ceased in the Meiji period, their business greatly declined, and eventually, the kiln was closed.In 1990, Miyazaki Town (currently Kami Town) started making (more…)

Tajima pottery 但馬焼

Tajima ware is pottery made in Kinosaki Town, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. It originated in 1976, when Yamane Tsuyoshi established the Sasaura kiln in Sasaura, Kinosaki Town. Sasaura kiln was a cave kiln, which is a style of kilns older than climbing kilns. Tajima ware was named by the mayor of Kinosaki Town at that time with the hope that “It puts down roots in this town.” (more…)

Shinshu pottery 真朱焼

Shinshu ware is pottery that has been passed down in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture. It has been designated as the prefecture’s Traditional Craft. Shinshu ware originated in the Taisho period (around 1918?), by a potter called Hamada Keizan in Onigoe, Ishikawa City. He was inspired by old Chinese pottery called Keiketsu ware.Mitsuhashi Eisaku (1929-2008), the second generation of Shinshu Kiln. He succeeded Hamada Keizan and developed Shinshu ware, but the kiln was closed due to the lack of a successor after the death of Mitsuhashi Eisaku.After the death of Eisaku Mitsuhashi, the kiln was closed due to the lack of (more…)

Tsugaru pottery 津軽焼

Tsugaru ware is pottery made in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. Between 1688–1703, Tsugaru Nobumasa, the fourth feudal lord of the Tsugaru Domain, wanted the Hirosaki Domain to reach pottery and porcelain self-sufficiency, so he invited Hirashimizu Sanemon from Edo. To test if pottery and porcelain can be produced in Tsugaru, they had Setosuke, a renowned master craftsman, make porcelain using the clay that Sanemon had gathered. They concluded from the results that it was perfectly possible to produce pottery and porcelain. They invited the tea pot craftsman, Kyubei, and others from Edo and established kilns in Teramachi and Shimizu Village. (more…)

Shizuhata pottery 賤機焼

Shizuhata ware is pottery made in Yanagi Town, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It was founded by Ota Shichiroemon at the foot of Mt. Shizuhata in the Edo period.Their kiln was authorized as the official kiln of the Tokugawa clan and granted the name Shizuhata ware by Tokugawa Ieyasu. They flourished for hundreds of years, but by the end of the Bunsei era, the kiln was washed away by the Abe river flood, and they inevitably continued to decline.With the start of the Meiji period, the kiln was restored by Ota Manjiro, but it did not regain its initial prosperity. The (more…)

Ako-Unka pottery 赤穂雲火焼

Ako Unka ware is pottery made in Misaki, Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Ako Unka ware is traditional Ako City pottery that originated in the late Edo period, but faded in the late Meiji period. It was founded by a foundry craftsman from Ako by the name of Oshima Kokoku (1821–1904). It is believed that Ako Unka ware originated when Sakune Benjiro stayed in Ako in 1848 for a year, learning pottery techniques before founding Ako Unka ware. Sakune was a potter from Imado ware, which was believed to have been made in the Asakusa area in Tokyo. momoi-museum.com桃井ミュージアム : 無二の至宝 (more…)

Takato pottery 高遠焼

Takato ware is pottery made in Ina Town (currently Ina City), Nagano Prefecture. It is said that Takato ware originated in 1812, when a kiln was established to produce clay pipes to supply water to the castle. After that, the feudal lord, Naito Yoriyasu, invited a potter from Seto called Kato Katsushiro, and the kiln was used to make oniwa ware for the Takato Domain. However, in 1877, their business declined, and they were forced to temporarily shut down in the early Showa era.The ruins of the kiln from that time are at the bottom of Takato lake. However, in (more…)

Uchiharano pottery 内原野焼

Uchiharano ware is pottery made in Aki City, Kochi Prefecture. It is said that Uchiharano ware originated around 1829, when Goto Kazue, chief retainer of the Tosa Domain, invited a potter from Kyoto to Uchiharano, which is located in the north part of Aki City, and the locals learned from him how to make pottery using good-quality clay. (more…)

Tada pottery 多田焼

Tada ware is pottery made in Mikawa Town, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is said that Tada ware originated in 1700, when the feudal lord of that time invited a potter from Kyoto, and had him teach his pottery techniques to the residents of Tada, Iwakuni City. The pottery from the Iwakuni Domain kiln, which had once flourished, was restored in the Showa era, leading to the current Tada ware. (more…)

Fujina pottery 布志名焼

Fujina ware is pottery made in the Fujina area in Tamayu Town, Shimane Prefecture. It is believed that Fujina ware originated in 1750, when Funaki Yojibei Muramasa established a kiln in Fujina.Later on, in 1780, Tsuchiya Zenshiro Yoshikata (current Uzen kiln) left Rakuzan ware and moved to Fujina as a domain-appointed pottery instructor, and established the first official kiln under the orders of Matsudaira Harusato (Lord Fumai), tea master and feudal lord of the Matsue Domain.With the start of the Meiji era, the domain stopped supporting the kiln, so they had to become independent as a private kiln. They made (more…)

Obayashi pottery 尾林焼

Obayashi ware is pottery made in Obayashi, Tatsue, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture. It is said that Shinoda Tokusai established an official kiln for the Iida Domain. Obayashi ware is the oldest pottery in Nagano Prefecture. Their kiln is known for following the Mino style. The iron-glazed komainu statuettes that were made in 1609 have been handed down over generations.Around 1897, Hagimoto Tosai applied the technique of carving seals into the pottery to make Tenryu ware.They closed temporarily, but in the late Edo period, Mizuno Gizaburo moved to Obayashi and restored the kiln. Before that, Mizuno Gizaburo used to teach the (more…)

Tenryukyo pottery 天龍峡焼

Tenryukyo ware is pottery made in Tenryukyo, Tatsue, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture. Near the end of the Edo period, around 1624, a potter from Seto was invited to the area to make oniwa ware for the Iida Domain. It is said that this was the start of the current Tenryukyo ware.When the domain ceased to support the kiln during the Meiji Restoration, the kiln was turned private. After a very long time, Shinoda Tokusai (Shiro) and Hagimoto Tosai (Teijiro) started creating pottery using the techniques of Yahata Kosho, a seal carving master from Suwa, in 1903. They fired the pottery (more…)

Sakurajima pottery 桜島焼

Sakurajima ware is pottery made in Sakurajima, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Originally, the Ogaku pottery kiln was established to produce White Satsuma ware. However, around 1985, when Sakurajima had a lot of volcanic activities, the current head, Hashino Midori, mixed the volcanic ashes of Sakurajima into the clay. He also bored into the ground, and used the high-iron-content spring water that came out to make his pottery, creating Sakurajima ware, a unique elegant pottery with complex colors like no other. www.ougaku.com桜島焼 窯元 桜岳陶芸（おうがくとうげい） (more…)

Hachinohe pottery 八戸焼

Until the late Edo period, Hachinohe ware was made in a private kiln in Kanisawayama, inside Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture. They made pottery for the common people.The pottery was located in Kanisawayama, inside Hachinohe City, and it had a climbing kiln and a cave kiln. It was known as Hachinohe ware or Kanisawayama ware, but its foundation date and founder are unknown, and there are no records about it remaining. It has been forgotten over the years, and in the Showa era, Hachinohe ware became a legend.The current Hachinohe ware was founded in 1975 by Watanabe Shozan, who aimed to (more…)

Narushima pottery 成島焼

It is said that Narushima ware originated 230 years ago, in 1781, when Lord Uesugi Harunori, restorer of the Yonezawa Domain, established a kiln in Narushima, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and had Sagara Seizaemon Atsutada produce pottery there as part of promoting new industries to financially sustain the domain.After that, they were overwhelmed by Seto pottery at the end of the Meiji period, so they temporarily closed. However, because it had been said for a long time that there was good-quality potter’s clay in Imaizumiyama, Wakui Toshizo trained at Hirashimizu ware in 1937 in Imaizumi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture. He (more…)

Hachiman pottery 八幡焼

Hachiman ware was made in a pottery near Toda Hachimangu Shrine in Hirose Town, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture. It is said that Hachiman ware originated in 1723 when the Shinto priest, Takeya Buzen-no-kami, and the feudal retainer, Kumagai Yoshitake, from the Toda Hachimangu Shrine, invited a potter from Sakushu (Mimasaka Province, or the current Okayama Prefecture), and had him establish a kiln. (more…)

Fujigoko pottery 富士五湖焼

In 1963, the Fujigoko ware kiln was established in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture, under the guidance of Hosokawa Hidetoshi, one of Kyomizu Rokubei’s apprentices. (more…)

Kujaku pottery 孔雀焼

After the Second Sino-Japanese War, the founder, Matsuyama Gaei (1916–1963) went to mainland China as a pacification officer. He was impressed by Chinese pottery, so he studied it. In 1947, he went back to Japan and opened a kiln in Tominaga, Tatsuno Town, Hyogo Prefecture. He started making Tatsuno ware using clay from Issai Town under the guidance of Kyomizu Rokubei from Kyoto. This was how Kujaku ware originated.In 1950, he moved the kiln to Kamikajo, and in 1951, he perfected the Yohen Kujaku Tenmoku glaze, creating Kujaku ware. In 1963, when the founder had a gastrointestinal disease, he passed (more…)

Zuishi pottery 瑞芝焼

Zuishi ware is pottery made in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture. It was named Zuishi because the feudal lord, Harutomi described it as “a celadon porcelain that is reminiscent to the green color of the lawn.”The 10th feudal lord of the Kishu Domain from the Tokugawa Gosanke, Harutomi, put effort in promoting cultures and traditions. In his era, from 1789–1824, there were three official kilns; Kairakuen ware, Nanki Otokoyama ware, and Zuishi ware. (They were all closed in the early Meiji period.)In 1796, the Zuishi ware kiln was established at the riverbank of Mokuzugawa, Shindo Town, (formerly Suzumaru Town), Hatayashiki, Wakayama (more…)

Yashima pottery 屋島焼

Yashima ware is pottery made in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. Their pottery is known for following the style of Gennai ware. The head potter of Yashima ware is always given the name of Mitani Rinso.The first-generation Rinso was born in 1752 in Mure Village, Kita District. He was adopted by Mitani Keiei from Hiragi Village, Kita District in 1776. Before that, in 1766, he trained in Shido Village under a pottery master. There are two different theories; one says that he became the apprentice of a potter that makes Gennai ware, by the name of Sakaiya Gengo, at that time, (more…)

Tanegashima pottery 種子島焼

It is said that Tanegashima ware started around the 17th–18th centuries. Up until 1902, there had originally been pottery known as Yokino ware made in a climbing kiln in Tanegashima.Tanegashima is abundant in iron sand, so its mud has a high iron content. That is why pottery made with that mud is known to be masculine, simple, and rich.Yokino ware masterpieces are preserved in the Tanegashima Development Center.The ruins of the Yokino ware kiln were designated as a cultural property of Nishinoomote City on February 12th, 1975.In February 1971, the Tanegashima kiln was established by a potter from Karatsu by (more…)

Sesshu pottery 雪舟焼

Sesshu ware is pottery made in Someba Town, Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture. In 1949, the founder, Fukugo Futetsu (changed his name to Tetsu in 1963), was inspired by the traditional art of the outstanding artist, Sesshu, who is associated with Masuda City. He left Okayama ware, which was located in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, and established the Sesshu ware kiln at the foot of Mt. Kagozo in Masuda. (more…)

Hosshouji pottery 法勝寺焼

Ando Hidetaro (1876-1937) founded the Hoshoji-yaki-Hanaya-kiln, which was succeeded by Ando Yoshiaki (1913-1953), the second generation of the family, who built the Matsuba-kiln, and later built the Kaio-kiln. After handing over the Matsuhana and Kaioh kilns to him, he built a Hinoyama-Yobuko-kiln, which means there are three kilns in total, but no one took over the Yobuko kiln, so there are now only two, the Matsuhana and Kaioh kilns. (more…)

Ushinoto pottery 牛ノ戸焼

Ushinoto ware is pottery made in Kawahara Town, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture. Ushinoto ware was founded by Kanekawa Toshichi (born in Tottori) between 1830-1844. In 1837, the Kobayashi Umegoro family, who came from Iwami, Gotsu Town, Shimane Prefecture, succeeded Ushinoto ware. They established an Ushinoto kiln in Ushinoto, Kawahara Town, Tottori Prefecture.After that, the Ushinoto kiln was succeeded by Kobayashi Kumasaburo, the second-generation head, and Kobayashi Hidenosuke, the third-generation head. They mainly produced everyday pottery (water pots, sake bottles, mortars and pestles). However, their business gradually declined, and it became difficult to continue in the era of the fourth-generation head, (more…)

Rihei pottery 理平焼

Rihei ware is pottery made in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. It originated when Lord Matsudaira Yorishige, the founder of the Takamatsu Domain in Sanuki, invited a potter from Kyoto called Morishima Sakubei Shigetoshi and had him make oniwa ware. They produced Kyo-ware-style tea bowls. Rihei ware is also known as Takamatsu ware, Obayashi ware, Rihei ware, Iwaseo ware, and Inariyama ware.In 1647, he changed his name to Kita Rihei Shigetoshi, and established a kiln to the north of the Ritsurin Villa, the secondary residence of the Takamatsu Domain. Since then, the descendants of the Kita family have succeeded the name (more…)

Kosugi pottery 小杉焼

Kosugi ware is pottery made in Kosugi Town (currently Imizu City), Toyama Prefecture. In 1816, a local potter called Takahata Yozaemon (died in 1838) established a kiln. It is said that Yozaemon visited various potteries in places including Soma, Seto, Mino, and Kyoto, and trained a lot there. Ever since he returned to his hometown, Mt. Miwa, he made various everyday items, such as tea utensils, sake sets, tableware, and ritual utensils. The sake bottles adorned with copper glaze and iron glaze were especially famous. Among those, the gourd-shaped sake bottles and the duck-shaped sake bottles with ameyu glaze line (more…)

Kozan pottery 江山焼

Kozan ware is pottery made in Kaminada (currently Iyo City), Ukena District, Ehime Prefecture. It was founded by Maki Shikazo (pseudonym: Kozan). He lived in Tonomachi, Gunchu Minatomachi. From the Meiji era until the beginning of the Taisho era, he built a kiln in his garden and made pottery.The patterns the he paints on his works were influenced by artists and writers that he kept company with, such as the artist, Shimomura Izan. His works have a simple, elegant appearance similar to raku ware, and are valued by the people.It was named Kozan ware by Ito Hirobumi when he visited (more…)

Otaru pottery 小樽焼

Otaru ware is pottery made in Irifune, Otaru City, Hokkaido. The kiln that produces it was established in 1900, making it the oldest kiln in Hokkaido. Shirose Shinji, a potter from Shibata, Echigo, who worked at an official domain kiln, went to Otaru, Hokkaido and established a kiln in Hanazono Town. He mainly made unglazed pots and vases. It is said that this is the origin of Otaru ware. The second-generation head, Seizo, inherited the kiln and moved it to Irifune Town. He made flower vases and everyday items.In 1941, during the Second World War, the third-generation head, Shirose Eiichi (more…)

Naeshirogawa pottery 苗代川焼

In 1599, a potter called Boku Hei established the Kushikino kiln, and later immigrated to Naeshirogawa (currently Miyama, Higashiichiki Town, Hioki City). At the beginning, he mainly made Black Satsuma (Kuromon), and Hibakaride (kiln-only style) using white clay from Korea. However, in 1782, he started making White Satsuma (Shiromon) hinerimono handicrafts, and in 1844, he also started making nishikide (multi-color style) porcelain and Kinrande (gold-painted style) porcelain.Among the potters that were brought from Korea, about 40 landed on Shimabira, Kushikino. They opened a kiln there because the scenery was similar to that of their hometown. From when they landed until (more…)

Dai pottery 台焼

Dai ware is pottery and porcelain made in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. It is made near Dai hot spring and is part of the Hanamaki hot-spring village. It originated in 1895, when Sugimura Kanbei discovered potter’s clay in the area, and used the ruins of the kiln, where the Yunosawa ware (Ozegawa ware) used to be made, to make porcelain. He used the hot-spring water to precipitate the metals that are inside the clay, and succeeded in creating white porcelain that has no impurities.After that, Sugimura Kanbei sold the hot spring that he owned, and invested that money into learning (more…)

Shimoda porcelain 下田焼

Shimoda ware is semi-porcelain made in Shimoda (currently Konan City), Kosei Town, Shiga Prefecture. It is said that Shimoda ware originated around 1751–1764 in the mid-Edo period, when Kita Yasubei, a villager from Shimoda Village discovered high-quality white clay in Kagamiyama (currently Ryuo Town). He used this clay to produce everyday items, such as ceramic lamps and oilcans.It is said that in their heyday, from the end of the Edo period until the Early Meiji era, they had 3 shared climbing kilns and 10 potteries. After a while, they were overwhelmed by the cheap products manufactured nearby in Shigaraki, causing (more…)

Kikko pottery 吉向焼

Kikko ware is pottery inspired by raku ware made in Osaka Prefecture. It is made without using a potter’s wheel or a mold. After the hand-kneading process, where they knead the clay with their fingers, they bake it in a barrel kiln at a low temperature. Then, they fire each black raku tea bowl using bellows on charcoal.The founder of Kikko ware is Toda Jihei from Iyo Ozu. He learned pottery in Kyoto. At the beginning of the Kyowa era, he established a kiln in Juso Village, Osaka. He admired the old pine tree in the garden and the moon (more…)

Shiraishi pottery 白石焼

Shiraishi ware is pottery made in the Sarayama area in Miyaki Town (formerly Kitashigeyasu Town), which is located in the eastern part of Saga Prefecture, and is adjacent to Fukuoka Prefecture. While Arita was known as “The Sarayama of West Saga,” Shiraishi was known as “The Sarayama of East Saga” because of the rich tradition they had.Long ago, Sue ware and roof tiles were produced in the Kishima area, where Kitashigeyasu Town was located. It is believed that Shiraishi ware originated in the Horeki era, when Masuya Kinuemon settled in that area, as suggested by Fukahori Tansaku, and started making (more…)

Mihama pottery 御浜焼

Mihama ware in pottery made in Konogi, Mihama Town, Minamimuro District, Mie Prefecture. In 1959, Kisei Ceramics founded the Mihama kiln. It was part of the development plan for south Nanki, in Mie prefecture, after discovering that the Mihama area was abundant in underground deposits of good quality pottery feldspar. It was used to maintain a continuous operation of porcelain production from scratch with modern equipment for the first time. Later on, in 1982, Mihama ware was sold to Mihama Kiln, Inc. and still exists until now. (more…)

Mushiake pottery 虫明焼

Mushiake ware is pottery made in Mushiake, Oku Town, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. It is said that it was first made in the Edo period in an oniwa kiln near the entrance of Mifune by the Igi Family, who lived there and served as the head of chief retainers of the Okayama Domain.This kiln had also been producing Bizen ware imitations since the Bunsei era in the late Edo period, which led a pottery in Inbe to sue them. Those in charge of the Mushiake kiln received a penalty, and the kiln was shut down in 1842.After that, in 1847, (more…)

Tsukiyono pottery 月夜野焼

Tsukiyono ware is pottery made in Minakami Town (formerly Tsukiyono town), Tone District, Gunma Prefecture. Its origin was a complete coincidence.In Gunma Prefecture, there were no places that produced pottery because there was no potter’s clay there to make pottery with. Second-generation head, Fukuda Yutaro grew up in Nagasaki Prefecture, where they produced Hasami ware. in January 1975, he was visiting his wife’s hometown, Tsukiyono, and he discovered that the mud discarded from the construction site of the Joetsu Shinkansen could be used in making pottery. After that, he discovered that Tsukiyono Town was abundant with potter’s clay. He decided (more…)

Miyakonojo pottery 都城焼

Miyakonojo ware is pottery made in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Its origin dates back to 1781, when a domain kiln was established and started producing Miyakonojo pottery.After transitioning from Miyamare ware and Komatsubara ware, Utsuno Shintaro opened the current Miyakonojo ware at full scale in 1974. Ever since, they have wanted to produce pottery while making the best use of the nature in Miyakonojo. So, they were very careful about choosing their materials, which drew attention to their pottery, locally and internationally. (Komatsubara ware were in Miyakonojo at first, but they have since moved to Miyazaki City.) (more…)

Tobe porcelain 砥部焼

They produce the largest quantity of ceramics in Shikoku area. Since producing whetstones had been a local specialty in the area, they originally used to grind the scraps of those whetstone with a water wheel, and make porcelain out of them.They mainly produce everyday items and tableware. They are well-known for being heavyweight and durable, making them popular as everyday-use tableware. Their Sanuki udon noodles bowls are especially used a lot.It is said that Tobe ware originated when Kato Yasutoki, the ninth feudal lord of the Ozu Domain, ordered Sugino Josuke to make porcelain using whetstone scraps in order to (more…)

Odo pottery 尾戸焼

Odo ware is pottery from Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. In 1653, in the era of Lord Yamauchi Tadayoshi, the second feudal lord of the Tosa Domain, a potter called Kuno Shohaku was invited from Osaka. They established an oniwa-ware kiln for the Yamauchi Domain, and made pottery. The kiln was located in Oda (currently Otsumachi), which was located to the north of Kochi Castle. In 1820, the kiln was moved to Nosayama. They produced porcelain for more than 50 years, from 1820 until the Meiji period. (more…)

Noketsu pottery 能穴焼

Noketsu ware is pottery made in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It is said that it originated long ago in the Tensho era as the oniwa ware of the feudal lord of Takeda. The kiln was located at the foot of Nomi Castle, which is located to the north of Shinpu castle, at a place called Anayama, which is related to Anayama Baisetsu, hence the name Noketsu.The current Noketsu ware was restored by the founder, Hayashi ShigematsuIn 1935, the founder, Hayashi Shigematsu, whose family had been roof tilers for generations, worked hard on pottery in Yamanashi. His pottery was well-received as (more…)

Naraoka pottery 楢岡焼

Naraoka ware is pottery made in Nangai District (formerly Nangai Village), Daisen City, Akita Prefecture. In 1863, Komatsu Seiji (founder of the Kakuemon kiln) from Minami Naraoka Osugi (formerly Nangai Village), summoned craftsmen from the Terauchi Seto guild (Akita City) and established a kiln. It is said that it was previously called Osugi Seto.After the second-generation head succeeded the kiln, it was moved to its current location in Takano in 1907, and has been named Naraoka ware ever since.Naraoka ware is best known for their namako glaze yakishime technique, which is firing sea cucumber glaze at high temperature, then charcoal (more…)

Suzu pottery 珠洲焼

Suzu ware is pottery made in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It carries on the simplicity of the Sue ware style, which was introduced by potters in the continent in the mid-Kofun era.The old Suzu kiln carried on the Sue ware style. Suzu ware was produced in Suzu, which is located on the edge of the Noto Peninsula, for about 400 years, from the end of the Heian era through the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period. Suzu ware pieces were used as everyday items by the common people in a large area in the north of Kansai. It was produced (more…)

Kokuji pottery 小久慈焼

Kokuji ware is pottery made in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. Kokuji ware started in 1818–1829 in the Edo period, when the founder, Kumagai Jin’emon, trained under Kazo, a potter from Soma. After that, Jin’emon acquired his mentor’s techniques. He discovered clay in the area, created his own glaze, and made tea utensils.In the Meiji era, He was acknowledged by Yanagi Muneyoshi, but his performance gradually declined. In 1953, with the efforts of Kuji City, they merged the three kilns that were barely managing, and established the Kokuji ware pottery workshop, represented by Shimodake Takeshi. The place was restored and still (more…)

Kumano pottery 熊野焼

Kumano ware is pottery made in the Kumano Ware Kado Kiln in Kumano Town, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.Originally, Kumano Town had ruins of old earthenware kilns. So, it seems that the area has had potter’s clay since long ago.In 1946, Saragai Kazuji (Zenzaemon) from Kumano Town, discovered that this area had potter’s clay, so he built a kiln. He called it Kado ware and produced everyday tea utensils.In May 1954, ever since the chief priest at Kasuga Taisha, Tadamaro Miyagawa (Fumimaro Konoe’s younger brother), visited the place and made pottery, the name of the kiln changed to Kumano ware. Before (more…)

Akazu pottery 赤津焼

Akazu ware is a type of Seto ware that is made in Akazu District, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture.Seto ware is known as one of Japan’s six oldest kilns. It has 1300 years of pottery-making history. In the Edo period, Akazu District, which lies between the eastern mountains, was known to have the official kiln of the Owari Tokugawa family. They mainly produced tea bowls. They combined their techniques with the local materials and traditions to create their pottery, and the kiln was passed down.Akazu ware produced pottery coated with their traditional “seven glazes,” such as Ofuke. These works were designated (more…)

Etchu-seto pottery 越中瀬戸焼

Etchu Seto ware is pottery made in Seto District, Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture. It is said that Etchu Seto ware began in April 1594 when the second feudal lord of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshinaga, invited Hikoemon, a potter from Seto, Owari Province, and had him make pottery. The kiln flourished as the domain’s kiln, and became famous as the best in porcelain production in the Etchu province. It is said that in their heyday, they had about 120 kilns. The entire area was named Seto after the area that produced porcelain in Owari porcelain, Seto.However, in the early modern (more…)

Koishiwara pottery 小石原焼

Koishiwara ware is pottery made in Toho Village, Asakura District, Fukuoka Prefecture. They mainly make everyday items. Koishiwara ware started in 1682, when Kuroda Mitsuyuki invited potters from Imari and established a kiln. It was the first area to produce pottery in Chikuho.It is known for its unique geometrical patterns that are made using hakeme, tobikanna, and kushikaki. They often use a raw glazing technique, which means they pour the glaze without bisque firing. This technique later reached Onta ware in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, which is why Onta ware and Koishiwara ware are similar. Bernard Leach, who significantly changed (more…)

Kuromuta pottery 黒牟田焼

Kuromuta ware is pottery made in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture. It is considered folk pottery like Onta ware. They used to make all kinds of everyday items that the common people throughout Hizen used.In the Meiji era, they had 40 kilns, but currently they have just one, Maruta Nobumasa’s kiln. In the 1960s–70s, the late Maruta Masami also participated in making Kuromuta ware. Maruta is known to have trained under Hamada Shoji, who holds an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). Maruta was known as “One of the artists that represent the folk art of the west.” However, in (more…)

Kasama pottery 笠間焼

Kasama ware is pottery and porcelain made around the area of Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Between 1772–1781, Kuno Hanuemon from Hakoda village (currently Hakoda, Kasama City) started making pottery under the guidance of Choemon, a potter from Shigaraki, and established a kiln.With the start of the Meiji era, Kasuma had 9 kilns, and was known for producing coarse ceramic kitchenware. However, after the war, people’s lifestyles significantly changed, forcing the village of pottery, which had been the best in the Kanto region for over 100 years, to switch from coarse ceramic kitchenware to artistic pottery. However, it is currently known (more…)

Mikawachi porcelain 三川内焼

Mikawachi ware is porcelain made in Mikawachi Town, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and is also known as Hirado ware. It is believed that Mikawachi ware started in the Azuchi Momoyama period, when Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi took back a talented potter back to Japan during the Imjin War, and had him establish a kiln in Japan.One of the characteristics of Mikawachi ware is its translucent white color. At first, the potters were not able to find good materials on Hirado Island, so they had to go search in various places, and ended up in Mikawachi. Around 1670, they discovered a white (more…)

Hasami porcelain 波佐見焼

Hasami ware is porcelain made in Hasami town, Higashisonogi District, Nagasaki Prefecture. Since they opened in 1599, they have produced the largest quantities of blue-and-white porcelain in Japan. However, they have been overshadowed by the famous Arita ware, which was located a mountain away. They are not well-known, but it is said that many of Arita ware products were in fact Hasami ware products. It is also believed that most of the porcelain that was excavated from ruins since the Edo period in the 18th century was Hasami ware.In the beginning, they used to produce celadon porcelain, but eventually they (more…)

Shibukusa porcelain 渋草焼

It is said to have begun when the 21st Gundai of Takayama in Hida, Toyoda Fujinoshin built a joint government/private-owned kiln in year 11 of the Bunsei era(1840) in order to make ceramics self-sufficient.Inviting potters from nearby Kutani and Seto, they mainly produced porcelain and developed the Seto-style and Kutani-style known as Hida Aka-e and Hida Kutani.However, at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, the support and protection from clans disappeared, and craftsmen such as potters and ceramic painters were separated and forced to abandon the kiln for a while. Though in year 11 of the Meiji era (1878), Miwa (more…)

Matsushiro pottery 松代焼

Matsushiro ware is pottery and porcelain made in Matsushiro District, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. However, Matsushiro got famous in the castle town of the Sanada Clan, and flourished as the clan’s official kiln. In the beginning of the Kansei era, Kaheiji, a potter who trained in Karatsu, established a kiln, and made indigo earthenware pots. After that, in 1816, the kiln was promoted as Matsushiro ware by the Matsushiro Domain’s kiln. At that time, Kaheiji’s kiln was acquired, and many potteries were established. Potters invited from Kyoto made Terao ware, potters invited from Shigaraki made Tennozan ware, and potters invited (more…)

Obori-soma pottery 大堀相馬焼

Obori Soma ware is pottery made in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture. In 1690, Sama, the manservant of the feudal retainer of Oshu field, Obori Village (currently 1-Chome, Obori, Namie), Hangai Nizaemon (Kyukan), learned the techniques of manufacturing pottery at Soma Domain’s kiln (Tashiro kiln), which is located in Nakamura Castle Town (Currently Soma City), and established a kiln in Obori Village.Obori ware is made from good-quality clay, gathered from Mt. Utsukushimori in Namie Town. As for the glaze, they use a lot of ash glaze, rice husk glaze, ameyu, and black glaze. Their pieces are known to be extremely lightweight (more…)

Soma-koma pottery 相馬駒焼

Soma Koma ware is an old pottery established in 1626 by the founder, Tashiro Seijiuemon, who is said to have trained under Nonomura Ninsei. Tashiro Pottery, located in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, currently carries on the tradition as the only kiln left. It is said that Soma Koma ware’s trademark, “Hashirigoma,” has to be done in 32 brush strokes.Until the Meiji Restoration, their items were considered prohibited goods to the public. It is believed that they were introduced to the public around the time of the 13th generation. Their climbing kiln was designated as an Important Cultural Property of the (more…)

Koito pottery 小糸焼

Koito ware is the oldest kiln in the history of Hida Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.In the early Edo period, Hida was Kanamori family’s territory. The third lord of the Takayama Castle, Kanamori Shigeyori, and his elder brother, combined efforts with kanamori Sowa, the patriarch of the Sowa-style tea ceremony, and tea ceremonies were held very frequently in Takayama thanks to their efforts.In their prosperity in 1620, the landowner, Shigeyori, invited Takeya Genjuro, a potter from Kyoto, and had him build a kiln in Koitozaka, a western suburb in Takayama, and make tea utensils. It is said that this is the (more…)

Hirashimizu pottery 平清水焼

Hirashimizu ware is pottery and porcelain made in Hirashimizu, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. In the Bunka era in the late Edo period, the landowner, Niwa Jizaemon, invited Ono Tojibei, a potter from Ibaraki, and had him make pottery using clay locally supplied from Mt. Chitose. This is said to be the start of Hirashimizu ware.Currently, they have six potteries, but Seiryu Kiln’s “Nashiseiji” and “Zansetsu” are the best-known ones. The iron sulfide found in local clay is vaporized by reducing flame and is dissolved into the glaze, giving Nashiseiji a unique blueish-white color with a speckled texture that is similar (more…)

Otani pottery 大谷焼

Otani ware is pottery made in Otani District, Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture. In 1780, in the late Edo period, pottery artisan, Buneimon, who came from the Bungo Province (Oita Prefecture) on a pilgrimage to the 88 Temples of Shikoku, made pottery with Kanigaya’s red clay here in Otani Village. It is said that this was the start of Otani ware.Long ago, there was a time when they were known for using a method called lying-down potter’s wheel to make large pottery to ferment Awa indigo dyes in. (more…)

Sodeshi pottery 袖師焼

Sodeshi ware is pottery made in Sodeshi Town, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. Sodeshi ware started when Ono Tomoichi established a kiln and made everyday items in 1877, after training in Fujinaya, Rakuzan, and Hoeizan.In 1893, the second-generation head, Iwajiro, moved to the current kiln site at the coast of Lake Shinji in Sodeshinoura, where surface mail was regularly used at the time, and built five climbing kilns. After Iwajiro visited and investigated places that work in the ceramic industry including Kyoto, Seto, and Arita, he created elegant pottery, which has a different appearance than traditional Fujina ware, and named it (more…)

Aizuhongo pottery 会津本郷焼

Aizuhongo ware is pottery and porcelain that originated in Aizumisato Town (Formerly Aizuhongo Town), Fukushima Prefecture. Aizuhongo ware started in 1593 when the feudal lord, Gamo Ujisato, summoned roof tile manufacturers from Satsuma Province to make roof tiles for Tsuruga Castle.In 1645, under the orders of the lord of the domain, Hoshina Masayuki, a potter by the name of Mizuno Genzaemon was summoned from Seto. Mizuno built a full-scale foundation for pottery. After that, the kiln was managed by the Mizuno family and flourished as an official kiln of the domain. They made a lot of teaware ordered by the (more…)

Koisago pottery 小砂焼

Koisago ware is pottery made in Koisago, Nakagawa town, Tochigi Prefecture. Koisago has a long history of making pottery. Ruins of kilns that were used to bake Sue ware in the Heian period were discovered. In 1830, Tokugawa Nariaki, the 9th feudal lord of the Mito Domain, discovered potter’s clay in Koisago, and used it as the base material at the Mito Domain’s Pottery Barn. It is said that they became famous when they started using this clay as their base material. After that, Koisago ware was launched as an official Seto ware in 1851.They had a temporary momentum at (more…)

Utsutsugawa pottery 現川焼

Utsutsugawa ware is pottery made in the kiln that Tanaka Soetsu established in Utsutsugawa town, Nagasaki City (formerly Utsutsugawa village, Isahaya Domain) in 1691 in the mid-Edo period. However, just about 50 years after the kiln was established, they closed sometime between 1741-1744, and their pottery became a legend.In the Meiji era, the predecessor, who was the 12th-generation head, restored Utsutsugawa ware, which was even known as “The Ninsei of the west” in the Edo period. He unleashed its full potential and continued trying new styles. Utsutsugawa ware still remains until today.Currently, Utsutsugawa ware is made in Gagyu pottery in (more…)

Koda pottery 高田焼

Koda ware is pottery made in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, with over 400 years of history. Their elegant pottery became popular for their style of using white and colorful clay inlays.In the Bunroku era, following the orders of Kato Kiyomasa, Sonkai came to Japan from Haicheng, Busan, Korea. He trained in Karatsu, then he was invited into the Hosokawa clan, and established a kiln in Agano, Buzen (Southeastern end of Fukuoka Prefecture). After that, in 1632, when Hosokawa Tadatoshi was transferred, he took the Agano Kizo family of Agano ware with him, and established a kiln in Koda village, Yatsushiro (more…)

Miyajima pottery 宮島焼

There are three potteries located in Miyajimaguchi, which leads to Miyajima, one of Japan’s three most scenic places. The three potteries are gathered in walking distance from each other. Miyajima ware is mostly purchased as souvenirs by people visiting Miyajima for sightseeing, but they used to make containers for the famous Anagomeshi.Kawahara Tosaigama’s third-generation head, Kawahara Tosai (store: Kawahara Geneido), second-generation head, Yamane Kosai (Yamane Taigendo), and Kawahara Keisaigama’s Kawahara Keisai (Kawahara Koji), are the current heads of Miyajima ware. The current potteries that produce Miyajima ware are: Kawahara Geneido, run by Kawahara Tosaigama’s third-generation head, Kawahara Tosai; Yamane Taigendo, (more…)

Shofuzan pottery 松風山焼

Shofuzan ware is pottery made in Shofuzan, which is located in Katsuyama, Toyora District, Nagato Province (Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture).The founder, Saka Koraizaemon, came from Korea and established a kiln under the orders of Mori Hidemoto, but it is said that later on, he moved to Matsumoto, Hagi (Chinto, Hagi City).After that, the kiln was restored in the era of Mori Motoyoshi (1785-1843), making porcelain everyday items and tea utensils. 山口県の旅行・観光情報 おいでませ山口へ松風山焼　和同窯｜観光情報｜山口県の旅行・観光情報 おいでませ山口へ (more…)

Takanoha pottery 鷹羽焼

A pottery that existed in Koishiwara, Asakura District, Fukuoka prefecture from the end of the Edo period to the mid-Meiji period. (more…)

Moriyama pottery 森山焼

Moriyama ware is pottery made in Mori Town, Shuchi District, Shizuoka Prefecture, and it follows the school of Shitoro ware. When they built the kiln in 1909, Nakamura Hideyoshi, also as known as Nakamura Tokichi the 1st, was inspired by the story of Kato Toshiro (Tamikichi), who restored Seto ware. So, he invited Suzuki Seison, a Shitoro potter, and they mainly made everyday tableware, tea utensils, sake sets, and flower vases. Their name was inspired by the name of their location, Moriyama, Mori Town.They currently have four potteries, Nakamura pottery workshop (Nakamura Tokichi), Seizan pottery workshop (Matsui Seizan), Seison pottery (more…)

Hanno pottery 飯能焼

Around 1832, Namiki Seikichi invited potters from Shigaraki and built a kiln in Hachiman Town, Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture, and made simple everyday pottery painted using the slip trailing technique. In their heyday, the kiln was as famous as Mashiko and Kasama in the Kanto region, but they closed in 1887. Namikihonke Hanno ware collection (more…)

Onta pottery 小鹿田焼

Onta ware is pottery made in Onta village, which lies in the center of Sarayama, a valley in Hita City, Oita Prefecture. They use many techniques including “Tobikanna,” “Uchi Hakeme,” “Yubikaki,” “Kushikaki,” “Uchikake,” and “Nagashikake.” Those pottery techniques were designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property of the country in 1995, and in March 2008, the whole village was selected as an Important Cultural Landscape under the name of “Onta Pottery Village.”They refrain from adding personal marks on their own ceramic pieces, which resiliently preserves folk pottery, thus many of their products come with the distributor’s label on them. Onta ware (more…)

Horikoshi pottery 堀越焼

Horikoshi ware is pottery inspired by Sano ware, and is produced in Horikoshi District, Mure, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.It is said that in 1887, Uchida Zenzaemon, a resident of Sano Village, Sawa District (currently Sano, Hofu City), found the soil there suitable for pottery, so he built a climbing kiln and started a business in Horikoshi, Mureson Settlement, Sawa District.After that, the business temporarily declined, but Zenzaemon’s apprentices, Rinji Emon and Miyamoto Kamejiro revitalized the shingama kiln. By the start of the Meiji period, they had 19 potters, and in the heigh of their prosperity, they had 38 flourishing potteries. (more…)

Isshochi pottery 一勝地焼

Isshochi ware is pottery that was made in Isshochi, Kuma Village, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture. In 1776, Migita Denpachi, a feudal retainer of the Sagara Domain (currently Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture), went to learn pottery techniques in Edo and came back. He then established a kiln in Shiromoto, Hitoyoshi. He invited Kawahara Hoko, a craftsman who made Satsuma ware in the Ryumonji kilns, and sought his guidance. After that, Denpachi immigrated to Isshochi and established a kiln. This is said to be the start of Isshochi ware. 日本遺産 人吉球磨58.人吉球磨のやきもの（上村焼、一勝地焼） – 日本遺産 人吉球磨 (more…)

Shodai pottery 小代焼

Shodai ware is pottery made in northern parts of Kumamoto Prefecture, such as Arao City.It is traditional pottery that has existed from the Kanei era, in the Edo period.It is made of Shodai clay, which has high iron content, and is known for its simple, powerful style.A delicate coloring technique is used to create blue, yellow, and white Shodai by adjusting the glaze’s mix ratio and the firing temperature. (more…)

Kosenjo pottery 古戦場焼

End of the Edo period – Early Meiji periodIt is one of the Owari ware of the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, and was fired by Seto potter Kato Katsusuke Harunaga in Okehazama, Chita-gun, during the brief period between Kaei (1848-54) and the beginning of the Meiji era (it is believed that the kiln was closed in 1871).The kiln fired mainly tea utensils and sake cups as well as daily life goods. (more…)

Tamamizu pottery 玉水焼

It is pottery originated by Ichigen who was the illegitimate child of the fourth generation Raku, Ichinyu, and is called Tamamizu-ware because the kiln was opened in Tamamizu, Minamiyamashiro.After the death of the first Yahei (Ichigen), it continued with the second generation Yahei (Nindosai), the third generation Yahei (Kansai), and the fourth generation Yahei (Rakuo) (it is unknown in what generation it was finally abandoned). It is said that all of them were masters of Raku-ware, and even within ‘wakigama’ where there is a number of Raku-ware, they became associated with being the most well-known.It was common for works of (more…)

Sakuraisato pottery 桜井里焼

It is pottery from Settsu Province (Osaka Prefecture) Shimamoto Aza Village, Mishima District Sakuraisato. It is also known as Samurai Yoiyama-ware or Kusunokiko-ware.In 1782, a person called Shimizu Kanzo learned pottery from the first generation Dohachi in Kyoto and opened a kiln. From then until 1912, pottery spanning four generations had been produced.It is said that the first Kanzo came from the lineage of the Shukujin Kusunokiko family, and was set on becoming a potter in order to honor the history. Around the second generation Mokuzaemon, he invited Ogata Shuhei and Okada Kyuta from Kyoto, and left behind excellent work (more…)

Oro pottery 尾呂焼

It is pottery fired in Owari Province (currently Shimohadagawa Oro, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture) said to have been produced in the Kyoho era (1716-36). Also, since it is regarded as having been a kiln that violated prohibition at the time and produced illicitly, it is said to be extremely rare pottery with very little existing.There has been speculation about the excavated items with there being things like tea bowls, water jugs, sake bottles and Buddhist ritual implements, but very few kinds of daily necessities such as plates and containers. So, the possibility of the kiln belonging to a tea master (more…)

Shinonome pottery 東雲焼

In 1893, Kimata Toshiaki, who had samurai family ties to the Owari clan, opened a kiln in the Higashi Furuwatari district of Nagoya.Production centered on various daily life things such as tea implements, vases, and earthenware pots, but because there were a range of highly elegant and refined works, they created a lot of demand and he opened a sales office in Suehirocho. However, in 1924 the kiln was handed over to an antiques dealer, Yokoi Beikin.After that, Beikin devoted himself to research and study, improved them, and made implements and receptacles in the style of Annam, Karatsu-ware and Iga-ware. (more…)

Naniwa pottery 難波焼

It is said to have been originated by the potter Kuno Shohaku during the Enpo era (1673-81), but there are various theories that also say it had already been fired in the second year of the Joo period (1653).At first, it was also called Kozu-ware because it is said to have started near Kozu Shrine, in Kozu, Osaka (currently Tennoji Ward), but after that, it came to be called Naniwa-ware because the kilns were moved to places like Namba and Imamiya.Ordering clay from Kurodaniyama in Kyoto (Okazaki, Sakyo-ward), the range of production was wide including Goryeo’s gosu porcelain style, iron (more…)

Kishu pottery 紀州焼

It is mainly pottery by present-day artists that points to the work of first and second generation Samukawa Seiho. It is famous for the ‘Nachiguro glaze’ (Black from Nachi) tea bowls.Also, Kairakuen-ware and Nanki Otokoyama-ware, which were pottery for the Kishu domain during the Edo period, are also sometimes collectively referred to as Kishu-ware. (more…)

Oda porcelain 網田焼

It was originally founded around 1793 when Hosokawa Tatsuyuki, Uto feudal lord of Higo Province, invited several potters of Takahama-ware from Amakusa, of which Hizen potters Yamamichi Kiemon and Kiemon were instructing porcelain making at that time.At first, they made excellent pieces of work by receiving the patronage of clans, and offering presents such as ornaments and incense burners to various feudal lords and daimyo. However, from around 1822 patronage from the clans ceased so from then on they centered on producing daily life receptacles etc., but they kept falling into decline with the quality becoming naturally lower, and the (more…)

Nagayo porcelain 長与焼

Porcelain from Nagayo Village in Hizen Province (Nagasaki Prefecture) said to have originated around 1667. It was in production for about 200 years, with two revivals until the kiln was abandoned in 1859.It was first originated in 1667 by potters of the time, such as Asai Kakuzaemon, Onomichi Kichiemon, and Yamada Genemon, and continued production for over a period of about 30 years.Although production was discontinued for a while, someone called Tarobei from the same place in Hasami revived the kiln in 1712. After that, it flourished for about 100 years, but was abandoned due to the time’s fall in (more…)

Suisetsu pottery 酔雪焼

It originated around the Tenpo era (1830-1844) at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, when Tsuji Sobei of Nagoya, under the name of Niko, built a kiln in the garden of the Ryotei Suisetsuro, and made mainly tea bowls modeled on Raku-ware.In the early Meiji era, it was inherited by his child, Shojiro Tsuji, as Yosamu-ware. (more…)

Yosamu pottery 夜寒焼

Tsuji Shojiro the head of the Ryotei Suisetsuro and child of Tsuji Sobei (who originated Suisetsu-ware), started this pottery under the name Ryokodo Suigetsu in Yosamu-ri, Furuwatari, Nagoya around 1879. At first he got a reputation for firing masterpiece tea bowls, and established the Tsuji Ceramics Factory in 1896. He expanded the business and from then on also fired things used in daily life etc.In the early days, the style was soft pottery like Raku-ware, but there were many works with blue and white dyed porcelain using blue glaze, and pottery painted by neighboring Japanese painters (Yamamoto Baiso, Oda Kyousai, (more…)

Rakurakuen pottery 楽々園焼

It originated in the Manji era (1658-61), when Tokugawa Mitsutomo, the second feudal lord of the Owari domain, built an Oniwa-ware kiln at the Toyama clan’s residence in Edo. Originally the work was called Toyama-ware (戸山焼) or Toyama-ware (外山焼). This kiln was soon abandoned, but years later in 1841, the twelfth feudal lord of the time, Tokugawa Naritaka, invited potters from Seto and Akatsu to revive it, and often had them make imitations of the Seto-style and Raku-ware.Since clay from Sobokai was ordered, there are works that have ‘Sobokai’ stamped on them as well as ‘Rakurakuen’ and ‘Masaki’ seals, and (more…)

Azuma porcelain 東焼

In 1895, Nagoya’s Matsumura Hachijiro ‘s pottery was the first in Japan to imitate the pure white hard porcelain of France. He mainly produced things ranging from Japanese bowls to Western bowls.Hard porcelain has the advantage that the basic matter is harder than existing porcelain, and has strong resistance regardless of how low or high the temperature is, and so does not easily break. It is characterized by a more milky white color when compared to white porcelain. (more…)

Sakazu pottery 酒津焼

Pottery from Okayama PrefectureIn 1869, Okamoto Suekichi, who was a powerful figure in Sakazu, Kurashiki City, invited potters from all over the country to the kiln he had set up, to produce things like receptacles for daily use, tableware and sake cups.From the latter half of the Meiji era to the Taisho era, it flourished tremendously at its base in the Chugoku region, and in the Showa era, under the guidance of potters from pro-folk art groups such as Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach, it developed into a folk art kiln, and continues to this day. (more…)