Japanese potters

Ohashi Shuji 大橋秋二

1795–1857maleyoro potteryHe was born into the Inagaki family of botanists on the Nushima Island in Kaito District, Owari, but was later adopted by the Ohashi (Seiemon) Clan and mastered medicine.Shuji was a man of refined tastes and enjoyed tea ceremonies and painting, and he sought apprenticeship with Kyoto’s Ogata Shuhei and created replicas of various ceramic wares such as Seto, Karatsu, Hagi, Korai, and Mishimade. His outstanding talents were noticed by the Lord of the Owari domain, who invited him to court but he showed humility by rejecting the offer because it was not his primary job. Later in life, (more…)

Ogata Shuhei 1st 初代 尾形周平

1788–1839malekyo potteryBorn on 28 May as the 3rd son of the founder, Takahashi Dohachi, his brother (Nin’ami) became Takahashi Dohachi the 2nd.He trained under his father, Dohachi, and his brother, and moved to Kiyomizu Akoya, Kyoto in the year 1817, achieving independence but did not establish his own kiln and continued making pottery exclusively at the kiln shared with his father and brother at Gojo. In the next year, 1818, he was invited by Okada Kyuta to join the Sakuraisato ware school in Osaka’s Settsu. The next year, he was influenced by Ogata Kenzan’s pottery manual and took on the (more…)

Okuda Rakusui 奥田楽水

1874–1940shigaraki potteryBorn in Shigaraki Town, Shiga. When the trade for Shigaraki wares boomed, they mainly made tea ware using white glaze. (more…)

Okuda Mokusa 奥田木左

1829–1879maleBorn as Okuda Mokuhaku’s son, he succeeded his father and took on the pen name “Mokusa”.It is said that he was a pottery master neither more nor less than his father, being talented at replicating Ninsei and Hagi’s wares and was commonly called Mokuhaku the 2nd. (more…)

Okuda Mokuhaku 奥田木白

1800–1871maleakahada potteryIn the beginning, he ran a shop (called Kashiwaya) selling household goods, but the family business was later closed down and he went independent with the name “Mokuhaku” and started making Akahada ware.His wares imitated Kyo ware in the beginning, replicating elaborate wares such as Ninsei and Satotomo’s wares, but he gradually started incorporating Nara paintings, Takatori and Hagi-style ware techniques, and even Raku ware and clay molds, showing talent in a variety of pottery schools. From artistic creations to decorating utilitarian vessels, he was and is still considered the master of Akahada ware, and his clay Noh ornaments (more…)

Omori Mitsuhiro 大森光彦

1892–1954maleBorn in Kamiina District, Nagano. After graduating from Aichi’s Seto Pottery School, he went to Tokyo. In 1924, he established the Tono Kiln in Tokyo’s Nakanogawa.He won nominations at the 9th Imperial Exhibition and from the Nihon Bijutsuin. He assumed the positions of Nitten’s Councillor and then Totokai’s President. (more…)

Daiki Toyosuke 4th 四代 大喜豊助

1813–1858malehoraku potteryBorn in the family of a potter who served the Owari-Nagoya clan as an official potter for generations. The family name of this kiln was Kato for generations, but after the third generation, the family name was changed to Daiki on his mother’s side. He is believed to be the fifth generation, although this is not known for certain due to the existence of multiple sources.He learned pottery from Kato Toyohachi, also he learned Japanese tea ceremony and literature of Kawamura Kyokuzen, and Haiku poetry of Yoshiwara Kozan.Other than Toyohachi’s pottery techniques, he also developed his own wares based (more…)

Harada Chiyoko 原田知代子

1943-femaleBorn in Tokyo. Graduated from Tokyo University of Arts. Studied under Kato Hajime and Hineno Sakuzo of Mino, Kato Shinya of Seto, and Watanabe Aisei of Tokyo. Won prizes at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Women’s Ceramic Art Exhibition, and others. Focused on celadon porcelain. (more…)

Harada Ryuho 原田隆峰

1932-2021malehagi potteryBorn in Ogori-cho, Yoshiki-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Graduated from Yamaguchi High School. After working as a secretary to a member of the Diet, he studied under Yamato Shogan in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Awarded many prizes, including the Silver Prize at the First Art Exhibition. Yamaguchi and Hiroshima. Solo exhibitions in Osaka and Tokyo. Focused on tea ceremony ceramics. (more…)

Harada Minoru 原田実

1941-maleGraduated from Kanazawa Art University. Awarded prizes at the Ishikawa Contemporary Art Exhibition, Japan New Craft Exhibition, Nitten, and others. Aoyama Towa and other solo exhibitions. His works of art are mainly kneaded and inlaid. (more…)

Harada Togetsu 1st 初代 原田陶月

1917- ?malebizen potteryBorn in Inbe. His real name is Yoshio. After managing a barbershop, he began to produce pottery around 1962. Works mainly on vases, vases and incense burners and vases. (more…)

Harada Shuroku 原田拾六

1941-malebizen potteryBorn in Inbe. In 1975, he studied under Katsura Matasaburo and visited the old Bizen Kiln Site. Has held solo exhibitions at the Sanyo Newspaper Gallery, Kokura Gallery in Aomori, Mitsukoshi Matsuyama, Hanshin Art Gallery, Shinjuku Odakyu, Takamatsu, Sapporo, Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Portopia Hotel in Kobe, Iwataya, National Folk Art Exhibition of Austria, etc. Created a monument to Uemura Naomi. (more…)

Harada Kokichi 原田浩吉

1953-malebizen potteryAlso known as Harada Togetsu the 2nd. Studied under his father, Togetsu. Graduated from Higashi Okayama Technical High School. Awarded many prizes at the Japan Art Crafts Association Branch Exhibition. Willing to make tea ceremony and kaiseki cuisine tableware. (more…)

Harada Yoshito 原田佳人

1945-malerakuzan potteryHis grandfather Ginnosuke founded the kiln in the beginning of the Meiji era (1868) in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, and his father Tatsunobu moved the kiln to this location and succeeded to the third generation. After completing the Shimane Institute of Technology, he studied under his father. Made a wide range of green glazed cloth patterned tableware, tea ceremony utensils, vases, toys, earthen bells, flutes, and ascending rims. (more…)

Haraguchi Takushi 原口卓士

1947-maleBorn in Kyoto. Graduated from Dokkyo University. Graduated from the Kyoto Ceramic Art School. Won prizes at the Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition, the Kinki Branch Exhibition, the Kyoto Prefecture Exhibition, and others. Regular solo exhibitions at Takashimaya Department Store in Nihonbashi and Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nagoya. Solo exhibitions at Takashimaya Department Store in Nihonbashi, Nagoya Mitsukoshi and other places. His works focus on underglaze enamels, dyeing, Mishima, Irabo, Oribe, Turkish blue glaze, and Southern Song Guan style celadon. (more…)

Hara Yutaka 原豊

1922-?maletakatori potteryGraduated from the ceramics department at Arita Engineering School and the old school Kumamoto High School of Technology. After the war, he taught and served in the military, and then engaged in the family business of Takatori ware. Recognized as a Fukuoka City Intangible Cultural Property in 1977. Awarded the Minister of Labor Prize at the Japan Folk Art Exhibition. Awarded the Minister of Labor Prize at the Japan Folk Art Exhibition and the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. One-man show at Fukuoka Tamaya. Made a large rocuro. (more…)

Hara Kosei 原構成

1932-maleBorn in Arita, Saga Prefecture. In 1957, he went to Brazil to teach pottery. Awarded the Saga Prefecture Governor’s Prize at the Kyushu-Yamaguchi Exhibition. Awarded the Kofukai Craft Award. Awarded the Yomiuri Newspaper Award at the Japan New Craft Exhibition. Mainly working with cinnabar and celadon. (more…)

Hara Issen 原一仙

1914-?karatsu potteryBorn in Mikawachi, Nagasaki. Trained as a locomotive at Asahi Pottery in 1928. After working at Imaizumi Imaemon Pottery and Karatsu Sankeian, he became an independent potter in 1967. Returned to his hometown the following year. Awarded a prize at the Kyushu-Yamaguchi Exhibition. Solo exhibition at Komatsu, Ginza, Tokyo. (more…)

Hayami Shiro 速水史朗

1927-maleBorn in Kagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the University of Tokushima. Awarded the honorable mention in the sculpture section of the Niki Exhibition and the same artist. Awarded the Minister of Education Prize at the Kagawa Prefectural Exhibition. Grand Prize at the Shikoku Contemporary Art Exhibition. Excellent Prize at the Sculpture Forest Museum Exhibition. Award of Excellence at the Henry Moore Exhibition, Utsukushi-ga-hara Kogen Museum Award, and others. Sculpture with Japanese tiles, black pottery and ceramic sculpture. (more…)

Hayashi Rinpo 林林宝

1942-Graduated from the Gifu Prefectural Pottery Experiment Station in 1968. Later, he aspired to become a potter and started to study Kyo-shino ware and blue crystal glaze in 1969. Winner of the first prize at the Gifu Design Contest. Winner of the Chubu Economic Newspaper Award, etc. Solo exhibition at G. Inc. in Nagoya. Exhibition at Misono G. Mainly in Kyo-shino. (more…)