Japanese potters

Kato Shubei 加藤周兵衛

1819-1900maleseto potteryBorn the second son of Kato Sadasuke, 5th generation owner of a ceramics shop in Seto, he became the adopted son of Kato Jinbei within the same village in the 13th year of Tenpo (1830) and studied ceramics under the 2nd generation Kawamoto Osamu. Primarily produced very dignified blue-white dyed porcelain. Retired in 1877 and took on the name Sadao, with his business taken over by his eldest son Tokushichi. (more…)

Kato Karasaburo 9th 九代 加藤唐三郎

1850-1885maleseto pottery9th generation of a kiln shop in Seto passed down through the generations. His lions, seioubo (Queen Mother of the West, a Chinese goddess) and others were exhibited at the First Domestic Expo (the First National Industrial Exposition) in 1877. (more…)

Kato Kuwajiro 加藤桑次郎

Late Edo periodmaleseto potteryA direct descendant of potter Kato Kagemasa, he inherited the family pottery business as 25th generation. His flowerpots were exhibited at the Philadelphia Expo of 1876 and First Domestic Expo of 1877. In the latter half of the Meiji period, he pioneered the toy manufacturing, which later became one of the most important ceramic industries in Aichi prefecture. (more…)

Kawahara Noritatsu 河原徳立

1845-1914maleBorn in Koishikawa, Edo, on December 3rd as son of Sato Jizaemon, who held an official position within the Edo shogunate. Adopted by Kawahara Yoichiro, vassal of the shogunate, in the 5th year of Ansei (1858). When the Meiji period began, he served within the Meiji government and served within the secretariat section of the Vienna World’s Fair in 1872 and as general affairs accountant for the ceramics factory set up by the Ministry of the Interior. Established a private business called “Hyoike-en” in Fukagawa, Tokyo, in 1873 along with businessman Hirose Mitsumasa where they gathered together excellent painters from (more…)

Kawasaki Yasuhide 川崎靖英

1935-?malebizen potteryWorked as a potter in Bizen-ware at the Taroemon kiln. Studied under Kato Tokuro before building his own independent kiln in Bizen, Okayama. Active primarily in solo exhibition with the aim of reproducing ko-bizen (ancient Bizen-ware). (more…)

Kano Hakuo 加納白鴎

1914-2010maleZen monk, ink painter, ceramics artist.Studied under the Buddhist scholar Suzuki Daisetsu, working with ceramics involving calligraphy, ink painting and tea-ware. Also a prominent figure in the study of Ogata Kenzan. (more…)

Kato Shuntei 加藤春定

?-1979seto potteryThe first generation Kato Shuntei (?-1979) produced mainly tea-ware in Seto and was selected for the Imperial Exhibition and Commerce and Industry Exhibition. His son (1945- ) inherited as second generation owner of the business, winning the Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Chunichi Award. Still currently active as a member of the Seto Traditional Ceramics Society. (more…)

Kageyama Ryosai 2nd 二代 蔭山良斎

1927-kyo potteryGraduated from the Ceramics Department of Kyoto Municipal No. 2 Technical School. Specialized in color painting. Still active as a traditional Kyo-ware and Kiyomizu-ware craftsman and as the chairman of the Kyoto Color Painting Ceramics Association. (more…)

Kato Yoshitaka 加藤良孝

1951-malekyo potteryAfter being selected for the Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition in 1979, received consecutive selections. Also selected for the 11th Nitten Exhibition. Recipient of numerous awards in Kyoto. (more…)

Kawakami Kiyomi 川上清美

1948-malekaratsu potteryAfter graduating from Meiji Gakuin University’s Faculty of Law, he joined Kodansha but did not take to that line of work and began to turn to the path of ceramics, a passion he had held since childhood. After training in Karatsu and Bizen, he fell in love with the soil of Karatsu, building a kiln there in 1988 and going independent. (more…)

Kajiwara Tomotaro 梶原友太郎

1841-1915malearita porcelainBorn into the Kajiwara family, renowned for manufacturing large ceramics, he learned his trade under his father Kikusaburo making large plates and bowls. In 1876, he and his father made a huge four-shaku (1.21 meter) bowl that earned the name of Kajiwara its place in ceramics history. Also exhibited at the Tokyo Kyoshinkai in 1885. Liked to surprise his audiences. (more…)

Kasama Chikusetsu 笠間竹雪

1871-1934malekutani porcelainBorn into a house of fishermen, he showed a love of painting from an early age. Beginning age 14, he studied under Sawada Minami, master Kutani-ware craftsman and also became an aka-e painter. Later studied painting under Takashima Hokkai, creating a range of works such as hanging scrolls. Wen independent in 1903 and build a workshop where many excellent painters learned their trade including Matsumoto Sakichi, Nakajima Juko, and Izumiyama Suekawa. (more…)

Kaneshige Junpei 金重潤平

1972-malebizen potteryBorn in Komaba, Tokyo, as the eldest son of Bizen-ware ceramist Kanashige Kosuke. Grandfather was Kaneshige Toyo, considered a national treasure in the field of ceramics. Graduated from Waseda University’s Faculty of Literature in 1994 and completed graduate school in sculpture at Long Island University in 2000. Held solo exhibitions mainly in Tokyo, Okayama and Osaka. Selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art Tea Ceremony Modeling Exhibition and the Japan Traditional Crafts Association Chugoku Branch Exhibition. (more…)

Kato Yohachi 3rd 三代 加藤与八

Late Edo period – Meiji periodmaleseto potteryThird generation kiln owner who manufactured ceramics under the name of Yohachi from the late Edo period into the Meiji. His predecessors focused mainly on ceramics, but starting in the 8th year of Bunka (1811), Yohachi requested a stock of dyed porcelain, which he began to produce in Seto throughout the rest of the Edo period. He exhibited at the Philadelphia Expo in 1876 and displayed dyed bonsai pots at the first Domestic Expo in 1877, receiving an award. In the end, it seems that his ceramics activity finished in 1908. Master Seto craftsman (more…)

Kato Hiroaki 加藤博明

Meiji period-Showa periodmaleWorked from the Meiji period to the Showa period, producing ceramics for tea and other miscellaneous uses at the Gyoki-ware kiln in Seto, which were then sold wholesale in Tokyo and Osaka. (more…)

Kawamura Matasuke 川村又助

1843-1918malebanko potteryBusinessman who dealt in Banko-ware, starting out as a wholesaler in 1875, then in 1878 moving into manufacturing and exporting to the United States before establishing Kawamura-gumi, a joint-stock company that became prominent both in Japan and overseas. Set up the Banko Ceramics Commerce and Industry Association in 1885 as union leader. In 1900, he moved to the Kawamura Ceramics Factory and established Taisho Banko. Manufactured bobble-head dolls, Okame figurines and kyusu teapots, exporting primarily to the United States. (more…)

Kato Shozaburo 加藤正三郎

1828-1896maleBorn the second son of Kato Shoemon, first generation owner of a kiln shop that manufactured ceramics in Seto from the late Edo period up until the early Showa period. The family separated in the first year of Ansei (1854), with Shozaburo working primarily with dyed porcelain and lapis lazuli. Exhibited lapis lazuli vases and flower pots at the first Domestic Expo in 1877 and dyed dishes and mizusashi (Japanese water pitchers) at the second. His eldest son Kintaro took over as second-generation owner when he retired. (more…)

Kato Yoroku 加藤与六

Late Edo period – Meiji periodmaleFounded a kiln shop in Seto in the 9th year of Bunsei (1826) and manufactured ceramics for several generations into the Meiji period. Focused mainly on blue-white dyeing of ceramics, his “Long angle dyed flower board” was exhibited at the 1st Domestic Expo in 1877. This was followed with a close partnership with the cloisonné company in Nagoya focusing on the production of cloisonné-ware, but this business closed down in 1905. (more…)

Kato Teruo 加藤輝雄

1938-maleThird son of Kato Shizan, 13th generation potter of Jibei Seto-ware. While studying at Kansai Bijutsuin, graduated from the ceramics training school and craft mentoring institute. Began making ceramics under his father Shizan until he built a kiln at Kyoto Shugakuin in 1985. Starting in the following year, he began to hold solo exhibitions at Mumeisha (Kyoto) annually as well as at Tokyo Ikebukuro Seibu department store starting in the first year of Heisei (1989). Also opened a workshop in Ayukawa, Tsuchiyama-cho, Shiga prefecture in 1991, holding solo exhibitions at Kiyomizu-dera and Jojuin Temple every year since. Following this, he (more…)

Kato Heizaemon 加藤平左衛門

Late Edo period – Meiji periodmaleRan a kiln shop that primarily produced porcelain for the first half of the Meiji period. Exhibited at the Philadelphia Expo in 1876 and put plates and lidded bowls on show at the Domestic Expo in the following year. Several other items (such as Kiji-ware ceramic cows) were put on display at the Domestic Expo of 1882. Worked under the ownership of the painting company Kaiyosha from 1878 to 1888 in Nagoya and Yokohama. (more…)