Japanese pottery and porcelain

Kozan pottery 江山焼

Kozan ware is pottery made in Kaminada (currently Iyo City), Ukena District, Ehime Prefecture. It was founded by Maki Shikazo (pseudonym: Kozan). He lived in Tonomachi, Gunchu Minatomachi. From the Meiji era until the beginning of the Taisho era, he built a kiln in his garden and made pottery.The patterns the he paints on his works were influenced by artists and writers that he kept company with, such as the artist, Shimomura Izan. His works have a simple, elegant appearance similar to raku ware, and are valued by the people.It was named Kozan ware by Ito Hirobumi when he visited (more…)

Otaru pottery 小樽焼

Otaru ware is pottery made in Irifune, Otaru City, Hokkaido. The kiln that produces it was established in 1900, making it the oldest kiln in Hokkaido. Shirose Shinji, a potter from Shibata, Echigo, who worked at an official domain kiln, went to Otaru, Hokkaido and established a kiln in Hanazono Town. He mainly made unglazed pots and vases. It is said that this is the origin of Otaru ware. The second-generation head, Seizo, inherited the kiln and moved it to Irifune Town. He made flower vases and everyday items.In 1941, during the Second World War, the third-generation head, Shirose Eiichi (more…)

Naeshirogawa pottery 苗代川焼

In 1599, a potter called Boku Hei established the Kushikino kiln, and later immigrated to Naeshirogawa (currently Miyama, Higashiichiki Town, Hioki City). At the beginning, he mainly made Black Satsuma (Kuromon), and Hibakaride (kiln-only style) using white clay from Korea. However, in 1782, he started making White Satsuma (Shiromon) hinerimono handicrafts, and in 1844, he also started making nishikide (multi-color style) porcelain and Kinrande (gold-painted style) porcelain.Among the potters that were brought from Korea, about 40 landed on Shimabira, Kushikino. They opened a kiln there because the scenery was similar to that of their hometown. From when they landed until (more…)

Dai pottery 台焼

Dai ware is pottery and porcelain made in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. It is made near Dai hot spring and is part of the Hanamaki hot-spring village. It originated in 1895, when Sugimura Kanbei discovered potter’s clay in the area, and used the ruins of the kiln, where the Yunosawa ware (Ozegawa ware) used to be made, to make porcelain. He used the hot-spring water to precipitate the metals that are inside the clay, and succeeded in creating white porcelain that has no impurities.After that, Sugimura Kanbei sold the hot spring that he owned, and invested that money into learning (more…)

Shimoda porcelain 下田焼

Shimoda ware is semi-porcelain made in Shimoda (currently Konan City), Kosei Town, Shiga Prefecture. It is said that Shimoda ware originated around 1751–1764 in the mid-Edo period, when Kita Yasubei, a villager from Shimoda Village discovered high-quality white clay in Kagamiyama (currently Ryuo Town). He used this clay to produce everyday items, such as ceramic lamps and oilcans.It is said that in their heyday, from the end of the Edo period until the Early Meiji era, they had 3 shared climbing kilns and 10 potteries. After a while, they were overwhelmed by the cheap products manufactured nearby in Shigaraki, causing (more…)

Kikko pottery 吉向焼

Kikko ware is pottery inspired by raku ware made in Osaka Prefecture. It is made without using a potter’s wheel or a mold. After the hand-kneading process, where they knead the clay with their fingers, they bake it in a barrel kiln at a low temperature. Then, they fire each black raku tea bowl using bellows on charcoal.The founder of Kikko ware is Toda Jihei from Iyo Ozu. He learned pottery in Kyoto. At the beginning of the Kyowa era, he established a kiln in Juso Village, Osaka. He admired the old pine tree in the garden and the moon (more…)

Shiraishi pottery 白石焼

Shiraishi ware is pottery made in the Sarayama area in Miyaki Town (formerly Kitashigeyasu Town), which is located in the eastern part of Saga Prefecture, and is adjacent to Fukuoka Prefecture. While Arita was known as “The Sarayama of West Saga,” Shiraishi was known as “The Sarayama of East Saga” because of the rich tradition they had.Long ago, Sue ware and roof tiles were produced in the Kishima area, where Kitashigeyasu Town was located. It is believed that Shiraishi ware originated in the Horeki era, when Masuya Kinuemon settled in that area, as suggested by Fukahori Tansaku, and started making (more…)

Mihama pottery 御浜焼

Mihama ware in pottery made in Konogi, Mihama Town, Minamimuro District, Mie Prefecture. In 1959, Kisei Ceramics founded the Mihama kiln. It was part of the development plan for south Nanki, in Mie prefecture, after discovering that the Mihama area was abundant in underground deposits of good quality pottery feldspar. It was used to maintain a continuous operation of porcelain production from scratch with modern equipment for the first time. Later on, in 1982, Mihama ware was sold to Mihama Kiln, Inc. and still exists until now. (more…)

Mushiake pottery 虫明焼

Mushiake ware is pottery made in Mushiake, Oku Town, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. It is said that it was first made in the Edo period in an oniwa kiln near the entrance of Mifune by the Igi Family, who lived there and served as the head of chief retainers of the Okayama Domain.This kiln had also been producing Bizen ware imitations since the Bunsei era in the late Edo period, which led a pottery in Inbe to sue them. Those in charge of the Mushiake kiln received a penalty, and the kiln was shut down in 1842.After that, in 1847, (more…)

Tsukiyono pottery 月夜野焼

Tsukiyono ware is pottery made in Minakami Town (formerly Tsukiyono town), Tone District, Gunma Prefecture. Its origin was a complete coincidence.In Gunma Prefecture, there were no places that produced pottery because there was no potter’s clay there to make pottery with. Second-generation head, Fukuda Yutaro grew up in Nagasaki Prefecture, where they produced Hasami ware. in January 1975, he was visiting his wife’s hometown, Tsukiyono, and he discovered that the mud discarded from the construction site of the Joetsu Shinkansen could be used in making pottery. After that, he discovered that Tsukiyono Town was abundant with potter’s clay. He decided (more…)

Miyakonojo pottery 都城焼

Miyakonojo ware is pottery made in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Its origin dates back to 1781, when a domain kiln was established and started producing Miyakonojo pottery.After transitioning from Miyamare ware and Komatsubara ware, Utsuno Shintaro opened the current Miyakonojo ware at full scale in 1974. Ever since, they have wanted to produce pottery while making the best use of the nature in Miyakonojo. So, they were very careful about choosing their materials, which drew attention to their pottery, locally and internationally. (Komatsubara ware were in Miyakonojo at first, but they have since moved to Miyazaki City.) (more…)

Tobe porcelain 砥部焼

They produce the largest quantity of ceramics in Shikoku area. Since producing whetstones had been a local specialty in the area, they originally used to grind the scraps of those whetstone with a water wheel, and make porcelain out of them.They mainly produce everyday items and tableware. They are well-known for being heavyweight and durable, making them popular as everyday-use tableware. Their Sanuki udon noodles bowls are especially used a lot.It is said that Tobe ware originated when Kato Yasutoki, the ninth feudal lord of the Ozu Domain, ordered Sugino Josuke to make porcelain using whetstone scraps in order to (more…)

Odo pottery 尾戸焼

Odo ware is pottery from Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. In 1653, in the era of Lord Yamauchi Tadayoshi, the second feudal lord of the Tosa Domain, a potter called Kuno Shohaku was invited from Osaka. They established an oniwa-ware kiln for the Yamauchi Domain, and made pottery. The kiln was located in Oda (currently Otsumachi), which was located to the north of Kochi Castle. In 1820, the kiln was moved to Nosayama. They produced porcelain for more than 50 years, from 1820 until the Meiji period. (more…)

Noketsu pottery 能穴焼

Noketsu ware is pottery made in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It is said that it originated long ago in the Tensho era as the oniwa ware of the feudal lord of Takeda. The kiln was located at the foot of Nomi Castle, which is located to the north of Shinpu castle, at a place called Anayama, which is related to Anayama Baisetsu, hence the name Noketsu.The current Noketsu ware was restored by the founder, Hayashi ShigematsuIn 1935, the founder, Hayashi Shigematsu, whose family had been roof tilers for generations, worked hard on pottery in Yamanashi. His pottery was well-received as (more…)

Naraoka pottery 楢岡焼

Naraoka ware is pottery made in Nangai District (formerly Nangai Village), Daisen City, Akita Prefecture. In 1863, Komatsu Seiji (founder of the Kakuemon kiln) from Minami Naraoka Osugi (formerly Nangai Village), summoned craftsmen from the Terauchi Seto guild (Akita City) and established a kiln. It is said that it was previously called Osugi Seto.After the second-generation head succeeded the kiln, it was moved to its current location in Takano in 1907, and has been named Naraoka ware ever since.Naraoka ware is best known for their namako glaze yakishime technique, which is firing sea cucumber glaze at high temperature, then charcoal (more…)

Suzu pottery 珠洲焼

Suzu ware is pottery made in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It carries on the simplicity of the Sue ware style, which was introduced by potters in the continent in the mid-Kofun era.The old Suzu kiln carried on the Sue ware style. Suzu ware was produced in Suzu, which is located on the edge of the Noto Peninsula, for about 400 years, from the end of the Heian era through the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period. Suzu ware pieces were used as everyday items by the common people in a large area in the north of Kansai. It was produced (more…)

Kokuji pottery 小久慈焼

Kokuji ware is pottery made in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. Kokuji ware started in 1818–1829 in the Edo period, when the founder, Kumagai Jin’emon, trained under Kazo, a potter from Soma. After that, Jin’emon acquired his mentor’s techniques. He discovered clay in the area, created his own glaze, and made tea utensils.In the Meiji era, He was acknowledged by Yanagi Muneyoshi, but his performance gradually declined. In 1953, with the efforts of Kuji City, they merged the three kilns that were barely managing, and established the Kokuji ware pottery workshop, represented by Shimodake Takeshi. The place was restored and still (more…)

Kumano pottery 熊野焼

Kumano ware is pottery made in the Kumano Ware Kado Kiln in Kumano Town, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.Originally, Kumano Town had ruins of old earthenware kilns. So, it seems that the area has had potter’s clay since long ago.In 1946, Saragai Kazuji (Zenzaemon) from Kumano Town, discovered that this area had potter’s clay, so he built a kiln. He called it Kado ware and produced everyday tea utensils.In May 1954, ever since the chief priest at Kasuga Taisha, Tadamaro Miyagawa (Fumimaro Konoe’s younger brother), visited the place and made pottery, the name of the kiln changed to Kumano ware. Before (more…)

Akazu pottery 赤津焼

Akazu ware is a type of Seto ware that is made in Akazu District, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture.Seto ware is known as one of Japan’s six oldest kilns. It has 1300 years of pottery-making history. In the Edo period, Akazu District, which lies between the eastern mountains, was known to have the official kiln of the Owari Tokugawa family. They mainly produced tea bowls. They combined their techniques with the local materials and traditions to create their pottery, and the kiln was passed down.Akazu ware produced pottery coated with their traditional “seven glazes,” such as Ofuke. These works were designated (more…)

Etchu-seto pottery 越中瀬戸焼

Etchu Seto ware is pottery made in Seto District, Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture. It is said that Etchu Seto ware began in April 1594 when the second feudal lord of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshinaga, invited Hikoemon, a potter from Seto, Owari Province, and had him make pottery. The kiln flourished as the domain’s kiln, and became famous as the best in porcelain production in the Etchu province. It is said that in their heyday, they had about 120 kilns. The entire area was named Seto after the area that produced porcelain in Owari porcelain, Seto.However, in the early modern (more…)