Chotaro pottery 長太郎焼

The first Ariyama Chotaro, who was engaged as a painter with the Oniwa-ware of the Shimazu family in Kagoshima prefecture, learned the technique of making Raku-ware in Kyoto with the aim of being independent. Around 1889 after returning home, he opened a kiln in Kamifukumoto in Taniyama Town (currently Kamifukumoto Town in Kagoshima City) and showed great devotion to studying Raku-ware and Kuro-Satsuma (Black pottery). He made things like ornaments, incense burners, tea implements and sake cups, of which were praised in 1920 by artist Kuroda Seiki who named them ‘Chotaro-ware’.Also, Ariyama Chosuke is now succeeding as the fourth generation