Japanese potters – O

Ochiai Miyoko 落合美世子

1945–femaleAfter graduating from university, she became an apprentice under the ornament creator, Suzuki Osamu.In 1974, she was nominated for the first time in the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and has been nominated many times after, and in 1977 she established her own pottery studio in Atogawa, Shiga. In 1994, she won the Cultural Honorable Mention from Shiga Prefecture.Her works mainly stem from her extensive observation of China’s Cizhou ware from the Song dynasty, which focuses on iron-pigmented and incised flower paintings on white porcelain and black slip, while in recent years she has also used colored glaze such as candy (more…)

Ooi Kasho 大井可笑

1928–?malehagi potteryOne of the loyalists of Hagi ware, making mainly tea wares such as tea bowls and water canteens at the Tamaso Kiln which makes Hagi ware.He mainly holds individual exhibitions at galleries to present his work.Oi Kasho’s work is often exhibited as Hagi ware, but it is actually Sano ware, fired in Sano, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The clay used for Sano ware is the same as that used for Hagi ware, so there is no apparent difference in appearance. Sano potteryDuring the Edo period (1603-1867), about 70 potters were engaged in pottery in the Sano area. Sano Pottery (more…)

Okuda Eizan 奥田英山

1944–maleshigaraki potteryBorn into a family that makes Shigaraki ware, after graduating from high school, he was influenced by his father to start making ceramic wares, holding his first individual exhibition at the Shigaraki Gallery Pottery Studio and went on to present his wares at individual exhibitions in galleries and Mitsukoshi department stores all over the region.In 1987, he gained the favor of Shimizu Kosho, the Head Priest of Todai-ji Temple, and learned the ways of tea ceremony and tea wares in general and received his note of approval. (more…)

Ogawa Choraku 3rd 三代 小川長楽

1947–maleraku potteryOgawa Yukio. Born as the eldest son of Choraku, he trained under his father, learned glaze combinations and clay firing techniques at the Kyoto Municipal Pottery Research Studio and took over as Choraku the 3rd in 1992.During that time, he was invited to present his wares at the Vallauris Pottery Exhibition in France in 1974, and he also held his first individual exhibition on the same year at Nihonbashi’s Mitsukoshi. After that, he held countless individual exhibitions at Ikebukuro’s Seibu, Yokohama’s Takashimaya etc., and a parent and child exhibition at Numazu’s Seibu in 1980, and was awarded with the (more…)

Oketani Teiichi 桶谷定一

Taisho era–maleThis kiln in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Imakumano was established by the founder in 1925 and has been inherited by the 2nd generation.The founder displayed his works at Imperial exhibitions and Bun-ten exhibitions before the war, and the Nitten exhibition after the war and has won nominations in them. Teiichi the 2nd learned pottery techniques from his father after graduating from Kyoto’s Fushimi High School Pottery Department in 1955, and proceeded to be nominated and awarded mainly at the Nitten exhibitions, Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and Japan Crafts Kinki Branch Exhibition. He has also won awards at the Kyoto Crafts Exhibition, (more…)

Ogasawara Toemon 7th 七代 小笠原藤右衛門

1943-malenabeshima porcelain Operating one of the kilns patronized by the Nabeshima Clan in the Edo period, after the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures, he continued to make ceramics for the townspeople and kept the dignity and elegance of the Nabeshima style alive until today.In recent years, it has been renamed from “Rozan Toemon Kiln” to “Ogasawara Toemon Kiln”. They make pots, incense containers, decorated plates, tableware, and sake wares with elaborate paintings. (more…)

Ozeki Sakujiro 5th 五代 尾関作十郎

maleinuyama pottery From the mid to late Edo era, the Inuyama ware flourished, but lost the patronage of the feudal lords during the Tokugawa shogunate–Meiji era, forcing their business to decline rapidly. However, after entering the Meiji era, the original Ozeki Sakujiro established the Inuyama Ceramics Company to revive the art.After that, the traditional pottery techniques were kept alive from the 2nd through to the 5th generation. (more…)

Okada Gyozan 岡田暁山

End of Edo period-malekyo-satsuma potteryWith the passing of, Hattori Gyozan, the 6th generation, in 1877, Omiya Chobei who operated the pottery wholesaler in Kiyomizu’s Gojo and was a good friend of his, inherited the brand “Gyozan” and changed his name to Okada Gyozan and started making ceramic wares. In 1998, Okada Yoshiaki took over as Gyozan the 8th.The Gyozans have participated countless times in World Expos, such as the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair in the Meiji era before he took over, and the 1924 Paris World Expo, contributing to the development of Kyo ware, and in 1986 they established an (more…)

Oae Jindo 2nd 二代 大饗仁堂

1913–1982malebizen potteryBorn as the eldest son of the original Jindo, he decided to succeed his father at around the age of 20.After that, he trained under his father to learn his amazing chiseling and hand molding skills as well as becoming an apprentice of Mimura Tokei.While also creating works that his father excelled at, especially ornaments of people, flowers, and birds, he also adapted to the taste of the ages by depicting traditional craft art on the tea pots to set himself apart and create wares that were more creative than his father’s.His son-in-low, Omori Teruhiko inherited the Jindo Kiln. (more…)

Oae Jindo 1st 初代 大饗仁堂

1890–1954malebizen potteryCreated carvings or sculptures in the form of ornaments and tea pots without handles, modelled based on flowers, birds, and people.He excelled at making tea pots with handles resembling dragons, lotus, gavels, and rats. He is also highly skilled at making frog sculptures and is often called “Frog Jindo” to reflect this, and has been designated as Okayama’s Important Intangible Cultural Property.His eldest son, Yutaka has taken over him as Jindo the 2nd and inherits his art. (more…)

Okuiso Taigaku 奥磯太覚

1965–malemino potteryBorn as the eldest son of Okuiso Eiroku, a master ceramicist of Mino and Shino ware, he was influenced by his father and enjoyed pottery but only devoted himself to making wares after he graduated from university and when his father passed away in 1987, inheriting the kiln.He continues to hold individual exhibitions of his tea wares including tea bowls made in the Shino and Oribe tradition. (more…)

Ogawa Bunsai 小川文斎

1809–1885malekaseyama potteryotokoyama potteryIn the beginning, during the Bunsei era (1818–30), he went all over Japan touring various kilns to hone his pottery skills, and established his own kiln in 1839 at Tenma, Osaka. In 1847, he was invited by the head of the Ichijo clan to teach the Kaseyama ware technique, and in 1870 he was invited to teach the Otokoyama ware technique. In the latter years of his life in 1878, he established a kiln on the Kiyomizu hills, and his pottery style was subsequently inherited by the 2nd–5th generation (Ogawa Kinji).His particularly excellent wares are dyed porcelain, true (more…)

Okada Kyuta 岡田久太

?-1832malesakuraisato pottery The founder, Okada Kyuta (birthdate unknown–1832) also worked under the pen name Sakura Kyuta, and is said to have originated from Kaga, but this is currently unclear, and there are records of him working as a master ceramicist for Aoki Mokubei in Kyoto, earning him the title of Master of the Potter’s Wheel, and he mostly made thin teapots from white mud. Additionally, together with Ogata Shuhei, he also worked at the Sakuraisato ware kiln in Settsu. He passed away on 20 August.The name of Kyuta the 2nd (birthdate unknown–1877) was Kyubei and he inherited the founder’s potter’s (more…)

Ono Gishin 小野義真

1839–1905maleBorn as the eldest son of Ono Yasue Yoshinobu, the village headman of Sukumo in the Tosa region, he studied at the “Tekijuku” of Ogata Koan in Osaka, served in the new government formed after the Meiji Restoration, and worked under Okuma Shigenobu but retired from being a government servant in 1874.After his retirement, he became an advisor for the Mitsubishi Foundation, creating lasting legacies in the business world together with the likes of Iwasaki Yataro. For example, in 1891, Ono, Iwasaki, and Inoue Masaru established the Koiwai Farm, which is a combination of the first character of their family (more…)

Okada Beisanjin 岡田米山人

1744–1820Okada Beisanjin was well-known as a master of Nanga (which focused exclusively on landscapes, birds, and flowers), and it has also been confirmed that he was on close terms with many artists and literati of the time and was versed in a wide range of fields, and this might have been what led him to dive into pottery in the latter stage of his life, creating tea bowls, ornaments, images of people, and tea ware in the Raku ware style, and his works branded with the stamps “Beisanjin” and “Uji” have been discovered intact. (more…)

Ogawa Choraku 2nd 二代 小川長楽

1912–1991maleraku potteryThe eldest son of the first Ogawa (Choyuken) Choraku. Born in Kyoto. Graduated from the Department of Ceramics, Kyoto Municipal Second Technical School. Awarded a prize at the Kyoto Exposition of Arts and Crafts, France and Paris.With the passing of his father, the founder of Choraku, in 1936, he became Choraku the 2nd.He maintained the family business well, and mainly made tea bowls in the Raku ware style, being particular skillful at Red Raku and Black Raku ware, and also gained the trust of the Senke school. In 1939, after the founder’s passing, he was bestowed the pen name (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 5th 五代 大樋長左衛門

1781 (or 1799)-1856maleohi potteryBorn as the eldest son of Chozaemon the 4th (Doan), he studied his father’s techniques and inherited the family business as Chozaemon the 5th in 1824.Patronized by the 13th Lord of the Kaga domain Maeda Narinaga, he presented the Opuku Tea Bowl to the court as is customary, and in 1850 demonstrated his skills in front of the 11th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, at his main residence in Edo, maintaining his family’s legacy.Additionally, he was particularly good at making black tea bowls which use cut-out decorations and molds, and was said to be only second to the (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 4th 四代 大樋長左衛門

1758–1839maleohi potteryBorn as the 3rd son of Chozaemon the 3rd, he inherited the family business and was well-known as a master artisan surpassing his predecessors, researching and developing the Ohi ware standard that include Ohi’s traditional candy glaze and Raku ware that used brown sugar glaze and white glaze. He made his mark with brilliantly made tea ware as well as artistic ornaments.In the year 1824, he retired and took on the name Doan. (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 3rd 三代 大樋長左衛門

1728–1802maleohi potteryHe was born as the 2nd son of Ohi Chozaemon the 2nd, and inherited the family business. The 3rd’s branding stamp is different from his predecessors’ and uses a unique representation of Ohi, but he also preserved the works by the 2nd which were branded with oval-shaped branding stamps. (more…)

Ogawa Hansuke 小川半助

meiji periodmalebanko potteryHe was a master ceramicist of Banko ware in the Meiji period and beyond, and is known as one of the “3 Keepers” of Banko ware.In the beginning, he ran a tobacco store, but as his hands were dexterous, he started making hand molded tea sets and changed the store’s name to “Ensousha”, a wordplay on the Japanese word for tobacco.The clay he used was rough and more similar in texture to Bizen’s rather than Banko, and his strength when shaping left his fingerprints on them, and as the shape looked particularly like “a raccoon hitting its belly (more…)