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 Sasebo city, Nagasaki Prefecture, as well as other kilns. It is known for being coated with a russet color that has high iron content, and for the various brush strokes and decorations applied to it.
