Japanese potters

Sato Soha 6th 六代 佐藤走波

1953-2012?arita porcelainIn 1975, he learned pottery from his father, the 5th generation Sato Soha, started making pottery, and in 1988 succeeded to the name of 6th Soha.Since then, he has exhibited his works at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, the Western Crafts Exhibition, the Kyushu Yamaguchi Ceramics Exhibition, the All Japan Comprehensive Art Exhibition and in solo exhibitions.The kiln was closed due to the death of the sixth generation. Soha ware ceased to exist. (more…)

Sakakura Shinbe 12th 十二代 坂倉新兵衛

1884-1960malehagi potteryBorn as the eldest son of the 11th generation Sakakura Shinbe, he inherited the family business.He was someone who deepened his knowledge by learning tea ceremony from Sugi Minji(Yoshida Shoin’s older brother) and Sokuchusai masters, and revived the Hagi-ware industry, which had fallen into decline since the abolition of feudal domain kilns. He was called the most recent ‘ancestor of rejuvenation’ for Hagi-ware together with the 10th generation Miwa Kyusetsu, and it was certified as a designated cultural property of Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1955.Traditional Hagi tea bowls, and Ido Chawan, etc. (more…)

Sato Katsuhiko 佐藤勝彦

1940-maleIt was by cultivating his religious values through a life of fighting illness(severe tuberculosis) while in school, that led him to establish his own world.After graduating from university in 1963, in April of the same year, he worked as a teacher at the private elementary school, Tezukayama Gakuen in Nara. Amidst a daily life with children, he produced work that combined his own religious values and an uncontrolled feeling of being carefree, and published his own publication ‘Clouds’ in 1970. In 1973, he published his first book, ‘Eegana, Eegana’, and in 1975, he drew about 80,000 hand-drawn pictures specifically for (more…)

Sanshu Ichiyo 三秀一陽

1902-1985Born into a family of wholesalers of Seto pottery, he started to become independent early on, and opened Sanshuya Shintoku store in Ebisu, Tokyo. During that time, he visited various kilns to do research on manufacturing methods, and in 1932 he returned to his hometown and leased a kiln that had become abandoned, and started producing works by himself as the Sanshu kiln.However, after World War II and its influence, he stopped producing work and started up work in precision machinery, and after entrusting that work to his son in 1970, he started making pots again. In his later years, (more…)

Sasaki Teruo 佐々木輝夫

1935-2010maleraku potteryAlso known as Sasaki Kyoshitsu the 1st. Born into a Raku-ware family in Kyoto, that started with his grandfather the first generation Sasaki Shoraku, he studied under his father, the second generation Shoraku and then took over the family business.Later, in 1972, he became independent, and since then he has exhibited his works mainly focusing on solo exhibitions. Also, at the time of his 60th birthday in 1996, his kiln was designated as ‘Kirai-gama,’ and he with the potter’s name ‘Kyoshitsu’ by priest Fukutomi Settei, the superintendent priest at Daitoku-ji temple.Pursuing classic Raku-ware such as that by Chojiro and (more…)

Sakuma Hokyu 佐久間芳丘

1911-?malebanko potteryBorn into the former Matsuko kiln for Banko-ware, he built up discipline under his father Horin and his grandfather the 2nd generation Yoshiharu, and also researched various kilns through self-study. He became independent after building a kiln in 1954.In 1956, he held his first solo exhibition at Osaka Hankyu Department Store, and since then he has continued to mainly present his works focused on solo exhibitions.In addition to aka-e works inherited through Banko-ware, he specializes in Karatsu, Mishima, and Iga etc., and there remains his tea bowl masterpieces that include pots, vases, plates, water jugs, and cups.In addition, he (more…)

Samukawa Yoshitaka 寒川義嵩

1951-malekosobe potteryBorn as the fifth son of Samukawa Seiho of the Kishu-ware Aoi kiln, he studied under his father while still in school.Later, he opened a kiln in Takatsuki in 1979 with the aim of reviving Kosobe-ware in Takatsuki, Osaka. Since then, he has exhibited his works mainly focusing on solo exhibitions.He finds his own Kosobe style by giving a more modern feel to Kosobe-ware, which was originally fired in a wide variety of ways such as Mishimade, Karatsu, Goryeo-style, and Kyo-ware-style. (more…)

Samukawa Seiho 1st 初代 寒川栖豊

1899-1975malekishu potteryIn 1932, he opened a kiln in Odawara, Mt.Koya, and at the beginning, he worked hard to make pottery with the aim of reviving Kishu’s old kiln sites for things such as Kairakuen-yaki. In 1937, it was officially designated as ‘Kishu Kiln’, named by the former Kishu feudal lord, Tokugawa Yorisada.Later, he moved the kiln to Shirahama to create a new kind of Kishu pottery, and after great efforts, in 1956 he completed the ‘Nachiguro Glaze’ which had the ‘Nachikuro’ of Nachi stones as its motif. He produced works that mainly focused on Matcha bowls.Since then, he has been (more…)

Saka Shinbe 8th 八代 坂新兵衛

1796-1877malehagi potteryHe was Saka Koraizaemon the eighth generation but called himself Shinbe.With Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s dispatch to Korea, Mori Terumoto, who ruled the entire Chugoku region at that time, had brought back a potter from Korea and named him Sakata at first, but later changed his name to Saka. After Terumoto was forced to move to Hagi by the Shogunate, the potter received the name Koraizaemon from the 2nd Hagi feudal lord, Mori Tsunahiro, and the 8th generation of Saka Koraizaemon continued to use it to the present.The 8th Koraizaemon was able to protect his family business well by working with (more…)

Sato Taisei 佐藤泰生

1945-maleAfter graduating from university, he did a number of exhibitions mainly at the Shinseisaku Association Exhibition, and won the New Artist Award in 1970. Later, he studied abroad in France from 1973 to 1978, and held solo exhibitions at art galleries in Paris, etc. After returning to Japan, he was recommended to be a member of the Shinseisaku Association, and as well as having a history of receiving awards there, he has also received awards at the Showakai Exhibition and the Tokyo Central Museum Oil Painting Awards Exhibition.He has worked on folding screen works and glass paintings, and has produced (more…)

Sakata Deika 13th 十三代 坂田泥華

1915-2010malehagi potteryReal name is Sakata Ippei. His father was 12th generation Sakata Deika, so after graduating from the local Hagi Commercial High School, he got involved in the family business, but this was at the same time as the war and he was drafted by the military.It was after the war that he really learned how to make pottery from his father, and with his father’s retirement in 1950, he succeeded to the name of 13th generation Sakata Deika.He was a prizewinner for the first time at the Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition in 1956 (he continued to be a consecutive prizewinner (more…)

Sasaoka Shunzan 笹岡春山

1893-1965malebanko potteryBorn in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. He was one of the best potters in the area for Banko-ware sencha utensils, and was especially known as an expert of making things by hand(as opposed to a potter’s wheel).He moved his kiln to Toei-cho in 1951, and continued his style until his death at the age of 73, without ever belonging anywhere. (more…)

Sawada Sozan 澤田宗山

1881-1963maleHe went to the United States in 1904 while attending Tokyo University of the Arts to do research on craft and design, and after returning to Japan, established the Sawada Design Studio.Over the Taisho to Showa periods, he worked on many Yuzen designs, and also designs for posters, signboards, and liquor labels.Even as a potter, he also developed works full of originality, using patterns and designs that utilized his sense of design, making a wide range of pottery from tableware such as small plates and dishes, to tea bowls such as tea cups and water jugs. In 1931, he built (more…)

Sabane Mio 佐羽未央

1870-1962maleReal name is Sotaro. After graduating from the Tokyo Higher Commercial School(now Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo), he joined Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Besides being a trading company man, he attached himself to Makuzu Kozan to seek instruction in making pottery.Later, at the time he worked at the Mitsui Nagoya branch office, he was instructed by Morimura Yoshine on how to make Japanese paintings and met Masuda Donno. Later, on the basis of his friendship with Masuda, he built a kiln in Nagoe, Kamakura after leaving Mitsui. He also made Koyama Fujio’s Kakunoji-ware.He was named ‘Mio’ by Masuda Donno. He liked to (more…)

Sakaida Kakiemon 12th 十二代 酒井田柿右衛門

1878-1963malearita porcelainBorn as the eldest son of the 11th generation Kakiemon, he succeeded to the name of 12th Kakiemon with the death of his father in 1917.In 1919, Obata Hideyoshi and Kakiemon established a limited partnership and started to use ‘Kakufuku’ on their products, but upon leaving the company in 2016, the ‘Kakufuku’ seal became the company’s property and so the Sakaida family began to use ‘Work of Kakiemon’ on their products. During that time, he showed success through things like winning the silver medal at the Kyushu-Okinawa Prefectural Association Prize Show in 1919, and being designated as an arts (more…)

Saka Koraizaemon 9th 九代 坂高麗左衛門

1839-1921malehagi potteryThe grandson of the 8th generation Saka Koraizaemon. With Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s dispatch to Korea, Mori Terumoto, who ruled the entire Chugoku region at that time, had brought back a potter from Korea and named him Sakata at first, but later changed his name to Saka. After Terumoto was forced to move to Hagi by the Shogunate, the potter received the name Koraizaemon from the 2nd Hagi feudal lord, Mori Tsunahiro, and the 9th generation of Saka Koraizaemon continued to use it to the present. At present, the 12th generation Saka Koraizaemon is active. From the Meiji to Taisho periods, (more…)

Saka Koraizaemon 10th 十代 坂高麗左衛門

1890-1958malehagi potteryThe second son of the 9th generation Saka Koraizaemon. With Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s dispatch to Korea, Mori Terumoto, who ruled the entire Chugoku region at that time, had brought back a potter from Korea and named him Sakata at first, but later changed his name to Saka. After Terumoto was forced to move to Hagi by the Shogunate, the potter received the name Koraizaemon from the 2nd Hagi feudal lord, Mori Tsunahiro, and the 10th generation of Saka Koraizaemon continued to use it to the present.The tenth generation Koraizaemon, inherited the family business due to his brother’s premature death, and (more…)

Ohi Soshun (Ohi Chozaemon 8th) 大樋宗春 (八代 大樋長左衛門)

1851-1927maleOverlapping with the new Meiji period, in the time when not only Ohi ware but tea pottery culture was in decline throughout the country, both the eldest and second eldest sons of the seventh generation Michitada (Chozaemon) did not pursue the family business and left the house, which caused Michitada’s cousin, Nara Rikichi, to enter the Ohi family and succeed the family name and estate.After succeeding the name, he produced works thoroughly adhering to traditional pottery techniques while also adding his own originality. He overcame the tumultuous Meiji period and carried on to the prosperity of Ohi ware.Also, he received (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 1st 初代 大樋長左衛門

1631-1712maleohi potterySaid to have originally descended from the Haji family, who lived in Haji, Kawachi Province, he left for Kyoto at around 1656 and learned the method of producing Raku ware from Ichinyu of the Raku family. It is said that he took up residence near Nijo Kawaramachi, and for that reason it is conjectured that he had some sort of connection to the Oshikoji ware that the nearby Raku branch kiln fired at the time.In 1666, he served the Maeda family of the Kaga Domain, on the recommendation of Senso Soshitsu, who worked as a tea master for the (more…)

Ogawa Choraku 1st 初代 小川長楽

1874-1939maleraku potteryPotter of Kiyomizu ware. Studied under Keinyu and Konyu of the Raku family.From South Kuwa in Tanba Province (modern-day Kameoka in Kyoto Prefecture).In 1885, he moved to Kyoto and received pottery instruction from Raku Konyu. In 1903, he started a branch family at Konyu’s behest and began making pottery in earnest at a kiln in Gojo-zaka. At this time he was granted the name “Choraku” by Master Mokurai, the head priest of Kennin Temple, as well as the name “Choyuken” by Ennosai of the 13th generation of the Urasenke.In 1910, he moved his kiln to Tenno Town in Okazaki, (more…)