Japanese potters

Yotsumoto Tetsuo 四本哲男

1952-maleBorn in Oyama, Tochigi prefecture. Began his training in Mashiko in 1972. Built a kiln and went independent in 1975. Selected for the New Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Musashino Exhibition, North Kanto Art Exhibition. Primarily focused on white slip ware. (more…)

Yoshimoto Tadashi 吉本正

1943-malebizen pottery 1943 Born in Shizutani, Bizen City. Real name Masashi. 1964 Became an apprentice to Kei Fujiwara (Living National Treasure)1975 Built a kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City. Selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition1976 First solo exhibition at Okayama Tenmaya. Selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition1977 Inspection trip to Europe1980 Selected for the China-Japan International Ceramic Art Exhibition. Won the Tenmaya Prize at the Tōshinkai Exhibition1981 Selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition. Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Won the Prefectural Exhibition Prize at the Prefectural Exhibition1982 Selected for the China-Japan International Ceramic (more…)

Yoshimoto Shuho 好本宗峯

1938-?malebizen potteryReal name Toshikatsu. Graduated from Bizen High School. Began learning his trade from his cousin Fujita Yoshiro starting in 1965. Built a semi-underground cellar kiln in 1972 and went independent. Built a new cellar kiln to make Sue-ware in 1981. Recipient of the Kaneshige Toyo Award, other honors. Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Chunichi International Exhibition, Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. Solo exhibitions held at Seibu Ikebukuro, Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Tenmaya Okayama, other venues. Member of the Japan Kogei Association. (more…)

Yoshimura Masaya 吉村昌也

1938-malekasama potteryBorn in Osaka, raised in Tokyo. After graduating from Oizumi High School, he learned pottery techniques at the Japan Ceramics Club. Built a toen-shiki firewood kiln in Kasama, Ibaraki prefecture in 1974. Primarily focused on using rubber tree ash and persimmon ash with white slip ware and high-fired unglazed ceramics. (more…)

Yoshimura Shogen 吉村松玄

1935-?malesatsuma potteryBorn in Kagoshima. Decided to become a ceramics artist starting in 1963. Selected for the first time at the 54th Nitten Exhibition, after which many other selections followed. Selected for the Japan New Crafts Exhibition. Focused on traditional tataki (tapping) techniques. (more…)

Yoshinobu Bizan 吉延美山

1946-malebizen potteryReal name Michitoshi. Studied under his father Eishu. Graduated from Osaka Miyakojima Technical High School. After working in a design company, he helped to popularize and sell his father’s Bizen-ware and to lead a pottery class affiliated with the Kansai Ceramics Club. Primarily focused on celadon, Hagi-ware, Shino-ware, and Oribe-ware. Returned to his hometown in 1978, working mainly with the potter’s wheel at the Maruyama kiln. Participant and award-winner at the All-Kansai Exhibition, Okayama prefectural exhibitions, and the Daisan Bunmei Exhibition. (more…)

Yoshinobu Eishu 吉延英秀

1923-?malebizen potteryReal name Hideo. Born in Higashi-Katakami, Bizen. Initially worked in the transportation industry in Osaka. Aimed to popularize Bizen-ware in Osaka starting in 1966, which led him to establish the Kansai Ceramics Club in 1970. Also trained in Hagi. Selected for the Okayama Prefecture Exhibition. Primarily focused on casting and molding as well as handicrafts. (more…)

Yoshinobu Eizan 吉信栄山

1938-?malebizen potteryReal name Isamu. Born in Irinaka. First worked in the construction industry before aspiring to make ceramics. Established a kiln in 1984 and went independent. Primarily focused on vases and urns. (more…)

Yoshino Toshimichi 吉野俊通

1940-maleBorn into a family with an ayu fish restaurant on the banks of the Ibo River, he grew up intimately familiar with tableware. As his original aim in life was to become a chef, he studied kaiseki cuisine at Nunobiki in Kobe and trained in Kitcho cuisine at the predecessor of Osaka Namba Monzo. Inspired to pursue ceramics by the work of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Studied pottery under Kimura Munetoki and Miyashita Zenji. Built a noborigama (climbing kiln) in 1975 at the foot of a mountain near the ruins of an old Edo-period kiln. Recipient of the Tatsuno City Exhibition Mayor’s (more…)

Yoshino Kogaku 2nd 二代 吉野香岳

1944-?maleetchu-seto potteryReal name is Yoshino Yasuhiro. Made ceramics based on the traditions of the Senju kiln in Etchu Seto. Studied under his father Kogaku. Selected on many occasions for exhibitions in Toyama prefecture. Recipient of the Nifu Exhibition New Artist’s Award, Honorable Mention, other honors. Executive member of the Nifu Exhibition. (more…)

Yoshino Kogaku 1st 初代 吉野香岳

1903-1999maleetchu-seto potteryIn 1915, he studied at the Kyoto Pottery Training Institute, and later trained at the Kyoto, Kutani, Owari, and Kamakura Rosanjin kilns. After working at the Takaoka Industrial Research Institute, he established Senju Kiln in Etchu Seto and became independent. He received the Toyama Prefecture Excellent Technical Award. Awarded the Toyama Branch of the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Cultural Merit Award from the prefectural governor. Kitanihon Newspaper Cultural Merit Award. (more…)

Yoshitoshi Hiroyuki 吉利博行

1950-maleyakushima potteryBorn in Tokyo. Moved to Yakushima and began working in ceramics in 1972. Built a new Yano kiln in the midst of the island’s primeval natural setting, covered with dense virgin forest including 7000-year-old Yakusugi cedar trees. Selected for the New Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Musashino Exhibition, New Japanese Crafts Exhibition, other exhibitions. Solo exhibitions held at Yokohama Togei G, Shinjuku Isetan, and Roppongi Salon-do. Focused on producing high-fired unglazed ceramics, ash covered ceramics, white slip ware, and coral-glazed ceramics (which change color when fired in the kiln) using a range of different firewood. (more…)

Yoshitake Hiroshi 吉竹弘

1938-2010maleBorn in Kyoto. Studied under Yagi Kazuo before moving on to make pottery in Otsu, Shiga. Member of Sodeisha. Exhibited at Sodeisha’s Overseas Exhibitions and other events. Primarily focused on 3-D modeling. (more…)

Yoshida Ryusuke 吉田隆介

1949-maleBorn in Kashiwazaki, Niigata prefecture. Studied under Morino Yoshimitsu in Kyoto beginning in 1950. Built a kiln in Miyagawa, Kashiwazaki in 1973 and went independent. First selected for the Nitten Exhibition, followed by selections for the New Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. Solo and group exhibitions held at Toyama Shinsakuramachi G, Niigata, Nagaoka, Joetsu Yamato, and Roppongi Inui G. Primarily focused on vases and tableware in white porcelain, silver-glazed white porcelain, and celadon. (more…)

Yoshida Yoshihiko 吉田喜彦

1936-?maleshino potteryBorn in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture. Trained as an apprentice of Arakawa Toyozo starting in 1956. Went independent in 1969. Solo exhibitions held at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Nagoya Maruei, Yokohama Takashimaya, other venues. Focused primarily on white slip ware and Shino-ware. (more…)

Yoshida Yuho 吉田雄峰

1933-maletokoname potteryReal name Yuji. Began working in ceramics with the potter’s wheel in 1949. Participant and award-winner at the Japan External Trade Organization Exhibition, Japan New Craft Exhibition, Japan Ceramic Design Competition, other exhibitions. Presided over the Tokoname Teaware Youth Association. Certified a traditional craftsman by the Minister of International Trade and Industry. (more…)

Yoshida Matsuo 吉田松雄

1919-?malekoda potteryBorn in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture. Produced ceramics inspired by the Koda-ware of the Kojo kiln and ran a ceramics shop following the war, before building a kiln in 1973 with the aim of making his own pottery. Recipient of the Yashiro Bikyo Exhibition Honorable Mention, Japan Artists Association Series Exhibition Standard of Excellence Award, Living Crafts Exhibition Honorable Mention. Selected for the Kumamoto General Art Exhibition, Japan Bikyo Ren Exhibition, other exhibitions. Member of the Yatsushiro Art Association. (more…)

Yoshida Hiromitsu 吉田浩通

1937-maleBorn in Kitakyushu. Inspired to make pottery by old-takatori and tenmoku ceramics of Song dynasty China. Helped form the Chikutokai in 1980. Participated in research into ancient Korean kilns. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, other exhibitions. Solo exhibitions held at Minami Aoyama Green G, Shinjuku Keio, other venues. Primary focus on iron, ash and ameyu glaze. (more…)

Yoshida Hiroko 吉田ひろこ

1949-femaleBorn in Miyazaki prefecture. Began training under Saga Arita and learned how to use the potter’s wheel from Inoue Manji. After making ceramics at a local pottery factory, she opened an o-yashiki kiln alongside her husband Akira in Hachioji, Tokyo. Solo exhibitions held at Shinjuku Kakito, other venues. Primarily blue-white ceramics. (more…)

Yoshida Tomio 吉田富夫

1950-maleBorn in the Tamura district of Fukushima prefecture. Trained at the Yakushima-ware kiln in 1972. Selected for the Kagoshima Ceramics Exhibition. Returned home in 1976 to open the Kakinoki kiln. Selected for the New Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Musashino Exhibition. Recipient of the Fukushima Prefecture Exhibition Honorable Mention, other honors. Solo exhibitions held at Iwaki Daikokuya, Roppongi Salon-do, Koriyama G Kan, other venues. Primary focus on white slip ware and iron-glazed ceramics. (more…)