Japanese potters

Maruta Nobuchika 丸田延親

1964-malekuromuta potteryBorn the first son of Maruta Nobumasa. 1983 Graduated from Arita Technical High School, Department of Ceramics. 1987 Graduated from Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Art, Department of Design. Selected for the Contemporary Kogei Bijutsu Exhibition every time, including five times for prizes. 2006 Nominated as a member of Contemporary KOGEI Artist Association. 2012 Nominated as a member of Saga Ceramic Society.Selected for the first time for the 28th Japan Contemporary Kogei Bijutsu Exhibition, and 22 times since then.Selected for the 26th Nitten, and 12 times since then. 2014 Presented a commemorative gift to Imperial Princess Takamado at National (more…)

Matsuo Jun 松尾潤

1961-maleBorn in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture. 1982 Graduated from Saga Art College and studied under Iwabuchi Shigeya. 1983 Selected for the Grand Prize and the Governor’s Prize at the Kyusyu New Craft Exhibition. 1983 Selected for Saga Prefectural Exhibition (later awarded NHK Saga Broadcasting Station Prize, Honorable Mention, Saga Ceramic Society Prize, and Saga Bank Cultural Foundation Prize and 25 other prizes.) 1984 Selected, Kyoto Industrial Arts Exhibition. 1985 Returned to his home town and started pottery making at Ryozan Kiln. 1985 Awarded the Maruta Masami Prize at the Saga Art Association Exhibition (Since then, he has received the Maruta (more…)

Fujimoto Roka 藤本路加

1973-femaleAlso known as Fujimoto Toshin the 4th.Born in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture 1991 Graduated from Fukuyama Gyonosei Girls’ High School 1996 Graduated from Kyoto University of Art and Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Course. 1997 Completed the Molding Course at Kyoto Prefectural College of Ceramics. 1998 Completed research course at Kyoto prefectural college of technology for pottery. 1998-2000 Trained at Tsuboya Pottery in Okinawa for 2 years. 2005 Invited to exhibit at the 24th Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition. 2008 Selected for the 20th “Oribe no Kokoro” Pottery Exhibition. 2009 Received an Excellent Prize at the 56th Fukuyama City Art (more…)

Fujimoto Meisei 藤本明成

1942-maleAlso known as Fujimoto Toshin the 3rd.Born in Sarayama, Daimon-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture. Real name is Meisei.1962 Graduated from Hiroshima Prefectural Fukuyama Seinokan High School.1962 Entered Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Fine Arts.1966 Entered Graduate School of Ceramics, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.1968 Graduated from the graduate school of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. 1973 Opened Shinshoji Pottery Toshin Kiln in Numakuma-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture.Selected seven times for the Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition.1999 His work was televised on NHKBS’s Yakimono Exploration Home program. The program was titled “Enchanted by Colored Paintings: Akinari Fujimoto – (more…)

Wakunami Soya 4th 四代 涌波蘇嶐

1977-maleBorn in Kyoto.Graduated from Seian Zokei University, Department of Art and Design, Art Planning Group.Graduated from Kyoto Prefectural Technical College of Ceramics, Department of Ceramic Forming and Research.Completed the course in ceramics at the Kyoto City Training Program for Traditional Industry Technicians.2005 Succeeded to the name of Wakunami Suwano IV.2008 Held the fourth succession exhibition at Matsuzakaya Takatsuki Store.2012 Solo exhibition at Daiwa Korinbo Store.2014 Solo exhibition at Daimaru Shinsaibashi store.2016 Personal Exhibition at Daimaru Kyoto Store.At present, Solo and group exhibitions in various places. (more…)

Fujita Masahiro 藤田昌宏

1983-malebizen potteryBorn in Ibe, Bizen City, the eldest son of Fujita Ryuhou III. 2010 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, majoring in sculpture 2012 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, Department of Fine Arts, Sculpture Course. Started to make pottery. (more…)

Hashimoto Jogaku 3rd 三代 橋本城岳

1969-malekyo potteryBorn in Kyoto.He is the third generation of Hashimoto Jougaku, a Kiyomizu-yaki pottery kiln established in Kyoto that has been in operation for 70 years. Member of Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Cooperative.Vice-chairman of the youth club. He produces tableware and tea ceremony utensils by hand using traditional Kiyomizu-yaki techniques. (more…)

Hashimoto Jogaku 2nd 二代 橋本城岳

1940-malekyo potteryBorn in Osaka City in. 1964 Graduated from Doshisha University in . After graduating from Doshisha University, joined Kawashima Textile Co. Art research on textiles. 1969 Engaged in pottery making under the first generation. 2003 Successor to Jogaku II after the death of the founder.Held a solo exhibition at a famous tea store in Japan. (more…)

Sakaida Kakiemon 15th 十五代 酒井田柿右衛門

1968-malearita potteryBorn in Arita, Saga Prefecture on April 171991 Dropped out of the Department of Painting, Tama Art University1991 Started studying under Kakiemon XIV2010 Selected for the first time at the 45th Seibu Traditional Crafts ExhibitionSelected for the first time at the 57th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition2012 Became a member of the Arita Ceramic Art Association2013 Appointed as the president of the Preservation of Important Intangible Cultural Property Group (Kakiemon Pottery Technique Preservation Society)Became an official member of the Japan Kōgei AssociationAwarded the Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting Prize at the 48th Seibu Traditional Crafts Exhibition2014 Succeeded the name of Sakaida (more…)

Saka Toraizaemon 13th 十三代 坂高麗左衛門

1952-2014femalehagi potteryReal name is Saka Junko. Fourth daughter of the 11th generation (sister-in-law of the 12th generation)2011 Assumed the name of Sakakorizaemon XIII.2014 Died of pneumonia on November 18, 2014. Age 62.The position of the 14th is vacant. Although the history of Saka Koreizaemon is long, they have kept the name until Saka Koreizaemon the 12th. However, the 12th died suddenly of a brain contusion caused by a fall in 2004. After this, there was no successor, and it was thought that the tradition of Saka Koraizaemon, which had been handed down from generation to generation, had come to an (more…)

Kato Keishi 加藤圭史

1968-maleseto potteryA son of Kato Sakusuke V, Kato Shinya. Working with his father in Sakusuke kiln.1995 Completed Graduate School of Fine Arts, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, majoring in sculpture1998 The 29th Tokai Traditional Craft Exhibition, First Prize1999 First Prize, The 46th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition2007 The 38th Tokai Traditional Craft Exhibition, Nagoya Mayor’s Prize2008 The 39th Tokai Traditional Craft Exhibition, Encouragement Prize　2009 The 56th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Honorable Mention2011 The 58th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Honorable Mention2014 Produced a ceramic wall “Haruka”. (more…)

Inoue Takeshi 井上武

1931-?malebizen potteryBorn in Bizen City. After graduating from the Bizen Ceramics Center, he built a kiln and became independent. Won prizes at the Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition and others. (more…)

Tamura Kinsei 田村金星

1887-?malekutani porcelainIn 1911, he studied under Oda Seizan, a master craftsman of fine Kutani ware, and since then, he has devoted himself to learning and researching the fine Kutani ware technique.In 1941, he produced a piece that was presented to Prince Higashikuni, and in 1944, he was appointed as a technical conservator. After the war, he participated in various exhibitions such as the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and the Issui Exhibition, and in 1965, he was appointed as an intangible cultural property of Komatsu City, and in 1976, he was appointed as a member of the Kutani Ware Technical Preservation (more…)

Shirai Hanshichi 7th 七代 白井半七

1857-1933imado potteryHe inherited his family’s business, Imado-pottery, but temporarily stopped firing after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.Later, he moved the kiln to Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, and continued the business.The works of Hanshichi before the seventh generation are called “Sumidagawa Hanshichi” or Edo-Imado-pottery.Currently, Shirai Yasujiro V, a branch of the Shirai family, preserves and passes down Imado-yaki pottery in Imado-Taito-ku, Tokyo. (more…)

Kodera Tobei 小寺藤兵衛

1830-1886maleOne of the Meiji Kutani masters, he first studied Japanese painting under Matsunamiya Chozaemon, a painter from the Kaga domain.In 1869, he joined a factory of Abe Oumi (1842-1910) and taught painting at the Ishikawa Prefectural Industrial Promotion Office, and in 1935, he began studying designs under Noritomi Keijiro and compiled a catalogue of reproductions of old pottery. (more…)

Kobori Enshu 小堀遠州

1578-1645malePractitioner of the art of tea ceremony and feudal lord of the Omi-Komuro domain during the early Edo period. He was born in Omi province. From a young age he received special education from his father Shinsuke Masatsugi, took over the main school of tea ceremony continued by Sen no Rikyu and Furuta Oribe, and ascended to the position of tea ceremony instructor for the originators of the Tokugawa dynasty. In year 13 of the Keichou era (1608), he took the role of overseer for the construction of Sunpu Castle, and in doing so, he was bequeathed the official court (more…)

Kakurezaki Ryuichi 隠崎隆一

1950-malebizen potteryBorn in Nagasaki Prefecture. After graduating from the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he worked in the field of commercial design, but became interested in Bizen ware and studied under Bizen ware creator Iwamoto Shuichi, as well as learned the basics of ceramics at Bizen Togei Center and from ’54 on, studied under Isezaki Jun, who was a top class medium-standing creator at the time and is a current living national treasure, before building up an ascending kiln and going independent, leading to where he is today, being chosen and receiving awards at the Japan Kogei Association (more…)