1860-1934
male
kutani porcelain
Watano Kichiji was from Terai in Kaga Province (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture). His family had worked producing Kutani ware for generations, but began making works for export starting with his father, Genemon. Watano established a direct export route to Paris and, in 1876, opened a branch location in Kobe. In 1880, he moved the branch location to Yokohama and established overseas exports of ceramics bearing aka-e (‘red paintings’) and gold-leafed Kutani ware. He also added a kiln dedicated to applying printed figures to the main kiln in Terai, Kanazawa. This kiln was named “Tenraido,” and had 40 ceramic artwork painters working there. In this way, the business was able to produce works for export on its own.
The business also contributed to the prevention of poor-quality products hitting the market. In 1893, Watano assumed the role of director of the Exhibition Association for Ishikawa Prefecture during the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, and would continue being extremely active in the overseas market until 1924. Throughout this time, he was also active as one of the founding members of the Daishi Rail Company, the previous incarnation of Keikyu Corporation.
