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 start of Koito ware.
After that, they closed after about 20 years. It was restored in 1836, but closed again after just four years.
After experiencing a couple ups and downs, the current head of the pottery, Nagakura Yasukuni, and his late predecessor, Nagakura Saburo, did a detailed excavation after the war, and restored Koito ware, which still exists until today.
Koito ware is known for none other than its glaze. It is coated with a glaze called irabo, which is a type of glaze mixed with red clay. Unlike the normal smooth texture of pottery, this glaze produces arough, gritty texture that resembles Bizen ware at first glance.
