Japanese potters

Sakai Reiko 酒井玲子

1946-femalemino potteryBorn in Gifu Prefecture. Graduated from Naniwa Junior College. After working in Kyoto, studied at the Gifu Ceramics Research Institute. After studying under Kato Kozo, established Toyagane Kiln. Received the Women’s Ceramic Art Award and others. Selected for the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and others. Works in Shino and Oribe for tableware and tea ceremony utensils. Member of the Mino Ceramic Society. (more…)

Sakai Yoshito 酒井芳人

1931-2019maletobe porcelainHis real name is Yoshimi. Graduated from Tobe High School and inherited the family business. Awarded the Grand Prize at the Issuikai Exhibition and the Member’s Prize. Awarded the Excellence Prize and the Commemorative Prize at the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Awarded the Minister of Education’s Prize at the Japan Art Exhibition. Selected for the Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition and others. Regular member of Japan Kogei Association. Councilor of the Prefectural Art Association. (more…)

Sakai Hoju 酒井芳樹

1950 –malekasama potteryBorn in Iwase-cho, Nishiibaraki-gun. Trained at Fukuda Pottery and opened the kiln in 1975. His work has been selected for the New Traditional Craft Exhibition and others. Works mainly with amber glaze, zaffre glaze, and high-fired unglazed ceramics. (more…)

Sakai Manabu 酒井学

1948 –maleBorn in Kawasaki City. After working at Musashino Art College and the Gifu Ceramic Testing Center, he studied under Haino Kenzo at Musashino Art University, and then became an assistant in the laboratory at Musashino Art University, where he studied under Kato Tatsumi. He later studied under Komori Shoan and opened the Bukei Kiln in 1977. Solo exhibitions at Hachioji Daimaru, Shinjuku Isetan, Gallery Genkai, Ginza Toetsu, etc. Published “Introduction to Yakimono” (Goto Shoin). Focuses on kaiseki tableware using various techniques including blue and white porcelain. (more…)

Sakai Hyozaburo 坂井兵三郎

1925-?malebizen potteryBorn in Tokyo. Studied in Shigaraki, established Seiren-kai in 1980, and opened Noshioji Kiln. Exhibited at the Japan-Korea Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Fujisawa Saika-ya, Kamakura Issuido, Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, and others. He is a member of the board of directors of the Kiyose City Federation. President of the Kanagawa Prefecture Ceramic Society. Focuses on Shigaraki tea ceremony ceramics. (more…)

Nagae Shizan 長江司山

Late Edo period-Meiji periodsmalekobe-satsuma potteryShizan, whose real name was Nagae Tosaburo.He was born in 1867 in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, to a father, Nagae Juntaro, and a mother, Yori.Although the exact date is not known, he left for Kobe around the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), where he worked as a Satsuma-yaki painter.In 1902, he applied for a change of domicile to Kobe.So at least by this time, his business in Kobe must have been on the right track.He produced the best kobe-satsuma in the Nunobiki area of Kobe city. His work was even exhibited at European Expos etc., (more…)

Nakamura Yoshihisa 中村能久

1949-malekyo potteryAfter entering the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramists’ Technical Institute in 1969, he studied Ninsei and Kenzan, and was a prizewiner at the Creative Art Exhibition in 1978. He won at the Kyo-ware and Kiyomizu-ware exhibition the following year. Later still, he continues to win prizes at the Creative Art Exhibition. (more…)

Nakano Geirin 2nd 二代 中野霓林

1918-1966malehagi potterytokoji potteryBorn in Karatsu as the second son of the first generation Nakano Geirin, he inherited his father’s title and succeeded the Nakano kiln that was opened as a kiln under the domain’s authority, but later moved to Hagi looking to the Hadano ‘Sigetu kiln’ of Hagi-ware. He studied under Nosaka Kogetsu, became independent after the war, and opened his own kiln Tokoji-gama, but it was abandoned when he committed suicide at the age of 48. He leaves behind life-sized ceramic statues such as the Daibyaku-gosha (ox-cart) statue at Kokeiden in Nara Todaiji Temple, the Daikannon seated statue at (more…)

Nakano Geirin 1st 初代 中野霓林

1871-1951maleHe learned from Matsushima Yagoro, who opened a kiln that was under the authority of the Hizen Karatsu domain, and succeeded him to take over the Nakano kiln. He specialized in crafts that were rare in Karatsu, and also produced giant statues of 1 m or more etc. He also presented his work to Emperor Meiji. Later, the kiln was inherited by his eldest son, Tochi, and his second son, the 2nd generation Geirin, opened one independently in Hagi. (more…)

Naruse Seishi 成瀬誠志

1845-1923maletokyo-satsuma potteryBorn as the second son to father Shusuke, a carpenter, after training in pottery with Shinohara Riheiji at the age of 13, he opened an independent kiln in 1866 at the age of 21. However, in 1871, he closed the kiln, moved to Tokyo, and settled into a park residence around Shiba, Tokyo, where he worked with several potters to produce works by painting Uwa-e on unglazed pottery sent from Satsuma, which they then did all the processing for, making them the representative potters of ‘Tokyo Satsuma’. In 1866, he returned to Nasubigawa in search of a more serious (more…)

Nakashima Hitoshi 中島均

1937-1981male An older brother of the living national treasure Nakashima Hiroshi. While working for his father at Nakashima Ceramics, he was a prizewinner for the first time at Nitten at the age of 21.He then continued to make pottery, but died due to illness at the age of 43. (more…)

Nakamura Shosen 中村昇仙

1918-?maleiga potteryAfter graduating from the Department of Ispania (Spanish) at Tenri University, he worked as a public school teacher, whilst at the same time devoting himself to the study of ancient pottery focusing mainly on Koiga. Built climbing kilns in 1975, and subsequently built cellar kilns. Also, with the aim of making pottery, he exhibited at creative art exhibitions and various exhibitions open to the public such as the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition, Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition, Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and the Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. He was a repeated prizewinner and received the members’ award at the creative (more…)

Nakamura Kosetsu 中村幸節

1911-?malekyo potteryHe graduated from the Ceramics Department of the Kyoto Municipal Second Institute of Technology in 1929, and studied under the first generation Tetsuka Gyokudo, Sawada Sozan, Kawamura Seizan, and the fifth Kiyomizu Rokubey etc.He was a prizewinner at the Imperial Art Institute Exhibition in 1930, and the Ministry of Education Sponsored Exhibition to Support Temples in 1940. In addition, he also piled up many awards and prizes at other exhibitions including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Sponsored Craft Exhibition, Kyoto Prefectural Crafts and Art Exhibition, Kyoto City Art Exhibition, All Japan Ceramics Lacquer Exhibition, and the Kansai Art (more…)

Nakamura Shunho 3rd 三代 中村秋峰

1947-malekyo potteryHe received the Kyoto Ceramics Association Chairman’s Award at the Kyoto Uwa-e tea bowl Exhibition in 1966. He exhibited at the contemporary Kyo-ware/Kiyomizu-ware Paris exhibition in 1993, and was certified as a Kiyomizu-ware traditional craftsman in 1994.He specializes in color paintings in the style of Ninsei and Kenzan, and has masterpiece tea bowls that include tea cups, incense burners and water jugs. He is the representative of Nakamura Tosaien. (more…)

Nakata Kingyoku 2nd 二代 仲田錦玉

1945-2015malekutani porcelainBorn as the child of the first generation Nakata Kingyoku, after graduating from high school, he became a pupil of Asami Gorosuke, a master of Kyo-ware in Gojozaka, Kyoto, and learned the basics of pottery. After returning to his hometown, he studied Kutani-ware Uwa-e painting under his father, and moreover, learned each of the techniques of aka-e fine writing from Kitamura Unpei at Daisho-ji Temple, and gold glazing and rich coloring from Yoshizaki Tozan in Kanazawa. He finally created an area of work with his own original blue grain style technique under guidance at the kilns of Hasegawa Sojin (more…)

Nakamura Suiran 2nd 二代 中村翠嵐

1942-maleAfter graduating from high school, he devoted himself to practice under his father, the first generation Nakamura Suiran, and in 1972 he succeeded to the name of 2nd generation Suiran.He participated in the formation of the Seijukai centered around young potters in 1974, and since then, has held group exhibitions at Tokyo Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi every year for eight years until the association ended. He received such prizes as the Kyoto Prefectural Governor’s Award at the 1982 Uwa-e Ceramics Exhibition, the Grand Prize at the Kyo-ware Kiyomizu-ware Exhibition in 1984, and in the same year, the NHK Chairman’s Award at the (more…)

Nakagawa Isaku 中川伊作

1899-2000maleGraduated from Kyoto City University of Arts in 1921.Since then, he has produced works as a printmaker, and in 1931, exhibited his works at the Japan Print Roadshow organized by the Ministry of Education, and displayed his works at such art museums as the Louvre, and those in Madrid, London, and New York.He is also known as a collector of Nanban-ware, and in 1938 he exhibited 100 collections at the Kyoto National Museum, which caught the eye of Yanagi Soetsu, who was promoting folk art, and led to Hamada Shoji and others to visit Okinawa. After returning from the United (more…)

Nagaoka Kusho (Nagaoka Sumiemon 10th) 長岡空處 (十代 長岡住右衛門)

1898-1961malerakuzan potteryBorn as the child of Rakuzan-ware’s 9th generation Nagaoka Kumi’s elder sister, he was later adopted by Kumi and learned to make pottery while assisting him. Later, he started making pottery in full swing, focusing mainly on tea bowls.In 1960, with the death of Kumi, he succeeded to the the name of 10th generation Rakuzan-ware and 6th generation Nagaoka Sumiemon, but died suddenly at the age of 63 the following year. (more…)

Nakajima Juko 中島珠光

1911-2000malekutani porcelainHe received consecutive prizes from the Ishikawa Crafts Association and the Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. He received a certificate of merit from the Minister of Commerce and Industry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Crafts Exhibition, and was a consecutive prizewinner from the 1st Nitten Exhibition to the 5th Exhibition.In 1947, he was in charge of production in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor when he did his tour of Hokuriku. His works were purchased by Asaka Palace, Kitashirakawa Palace, and Higashikuni Palace, and by the Soviet Ministry of Culture. In 1968, he received the Teraimachi (more…)

Nakazato Tarouemon 14th 十四代 中里太郎右衛門

1957-malekaratsu potteryHis real name is Nakazato Tadahiro. Born as the eldest son of the 13th generation Nakazato Tarouemon, he has been in close contact with pottery since he was a child, and after graduating from graduate school, he devoted himself to studying glaze and modeling at the Tajimi City Pottery Design And Technical Center and the National Nagoya Industrial Technology Research Institute. In 1958, he returned to his hometown of Saga and started making pottery at Tarouemon’s workshop. The production office developed Objet d’art and abstract pottery, placing emphasis on the modeling side of things. He was a prizewinner, winning (more…)