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Iwakurasan Kichibei 岩倉山吉兵衛

Late Edo ear – Early Meiji Eramaleiwakura potteryA potter from a family that had been making ceramics for generations in Awataguchi, Kyoto who became a commissioned teacup maker for the Tokugawa clan together with Kinkozan Sobei in 1756. Although he continued in this position until around the Bakumatsu, many details, such as when the 1st generation lived and how many generations there were, are unclear. It is presumed that his ancestors were Iwakura ware potters in Rakuhoku. (more…)

Idaka Kizan 1st 初代 井高帰山

1881-1967maleFound employment as an engineer at Izushi Ceramic Experimental Institute and later became acquainted with Makuzu ware from Yokohama and Mikasa ware from Karuizawa. Became independent after training and started the Awama ware kiln.Mainly excelled at tea sets for green tea and also produced celadon and Dehua porcelain. However, there are hardly any remaining works, as he created all of his works by himself without using any assistants. (more…)

Okada Kakei 岡田華渓

1921–?femalekyo potteryShe is a female ceramicist from the Okada family who have been making pottery at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu since the Edo period. She learned Japanese painting from Inoue Masaharu and mainly makes tea ware at Kyoto’s Higashiyama under the brand “Akane Kiln”.She is one of the few artists certified by the Senke school. (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 7th 七代 大樋長左衛門

1834–1894maleohi potteryBorn as the 4th son of Chozaemon the 5th, he is also the younger brother of Chozaemon the 6th.From the Tokugawa Shogunate–Meiji era, the social upheavals and abolition of the feudal domain system caused pottery kilns all over the country to lose their feudal patrons, and Chozaemon also went out of business temporarily.However, in 1884, he moved to the neighboring city, Kasuga and established a kiln there and helped revive Ohi ware. (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 6th 六代 大樋長左衛門

1829-1856maleohi potteryBorn as the eldest son of Chozaemon the 5th, he mainly assisted his father’s pottery making and did official work for the Kaga Clan.As he departed early at 28 years old together with his father in 1856, his surviving works did not seem to show that he has developed any unique style and they are very similar to the works of Chozaemon the 5th. (more…)

Ogawa Takeo 小川武雄

1924–maleHe joined the Kyoto Ceramicists Club in 1949 and presented his wares at the Kyoto Exhibition, Club Exhibition, and Nitten, and he also won many awards, such as the Governor’s Award (1954) and the Mayor’s Award (1955) at the Club Exhibition; the Mayor’s Award (1956), Club Award (1957), and NHK Kyoto Director Award (1968) at the Kyoto Exhibition; and his wares were bought by the Soviet Leningrad National Museum during the Japan-Soviet Exhibition in 1958. However, after 1970, he stopped presenting his wares at exhibitions and left the Ceramicists Club in 1975. His works comprise of flower vessels and incense (more…)

Oda Seizan 小田清山

1874–1960malekutani porcelainAfter learning ceramics decorating under Higuchi Somatsu in the beginning, he went independent and in 1894 started to use slender brushes to write Chinese poems in fine prints on teacups and later further learned under Nomura Zenkichi to elevate his trade.Using his own unique cursives, he was a master at making highly aesthetic wares that include not only tea cups but also incense holders, tea bowls, and pots inscribed with Hyakunin Isshu poems and new and old Japanese poems.Among many of his successful apprentices is Tamura Kinsei. (more…)

Ogawa Choraku 3rd 三代 小川長楽

1947–maleraku potteryOgawa Yukio. Born as the eldest son of Choraku, he trained under his father, learned glaze combinations and clay firing techniques at the Kyoto Municipal Pottery Research Studio and took over as Choraku the 3rd in 1992.During that time, he was invited to present his wares at the Vallauris Pottery Exhibition in France in 1974, and he also held his first individual exhibition on the same year at Nihonbashi’s Mitsukoshi. After that, he held countless individual exhibitions at Ikebukuro’s Seibu, Yokohama’s Takashimaya etc., and a parent and child exhibition at Numazu’s Seibu in 1980, and was awarded with the (more…)

Oae Jindo 2nd 二代 大饗仁堂

1913–1982malebizen potteryBorn as the eldest son of the original Jindo, he decided to succeed his father at around the age of 20.After that, he trained under his father to learn his amazing chiseling and hand molding skills as well as becoming an apprentice of Mimura Tokei.While also creating works that his father excelled at, especially ornaments of people, flowers, and birds, he also adapted to the taste of the ages by depicting traditional craft art on the tea pots to set himself apart and create wares that were more creative than his father’s.His son-in-low, Omori Teruhiko inherited the Jindo Kiln. (more…)

Oae Jindo 1st 初代 大饗仁堂

1890–1954malebizen potteryCreated carvings or sculptures in the form of ornaments and tea pots without handles, modelled based on flowers, birds, and people.He excelled at making tea pots with handles resembling dragons, lotus, gavels, and rats. He is also highly skilled at making frog sculptures and is often called “Frog Jindo” to reflect this, and has been designated as Okayama’s Important Intangible Cultural Property.His eldest son, Yutaka has taken over him as Jindo the 2nd and inherits his art. (more…)

Nakamura Suiko 中村翠恒

1903-1985malekutani porcelainSecond son of Nakamura Shunto I. From Kaga City. Graduated from Ishikawa Prefecture Industrial High. Won second place in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Exhibition in 1927; his works were procured by the Department of the Imperial Household. Specially selected for the JFAE, won the Asakura Prize, the Education Minister’s Prize, and participated. Ishikawa Prefecture intangible cultural asset. Focuses on colored glazed ceramics and engraving. (more…)

Nakamura Seiroku 中村清六

1916-2011malearita porcelainFrom Hasami, Nagasaki Prefecture. Real name is Kiyomi. Accumulated training on the potter’s wheel and built a kiln independently in 1965. Trained the next generation of potters for a period of time from before to after the war at Arita Industrial High School and the Saga Ceramics Guidance Center. Won first place in the Prefectural Skills Competition. Won the President’s Prize in the Kyushu Yamaguchi Exhibition. Won the Governor’s Prize in the Prefectural Exhibition, and is a member and judge. Won the Education Committee Award at the Modern Craft Kyushu Exhibition. Won the Asahi Newspaper Award at the Japan (more…)

Nakada Kazuo 中田一於

1949-malekutani porcelainFrom Ishikawa Prefecture. Graduated from Komatsu Industrial High School. Completed training in prefectural specialty industries. Later inherited his family business and trained at Nishikiengama Kiln. Studied under Asakura Isokichi and Yuwama Yoshifumi. Won the Prefectural Craft and Design Association President’s Prize. Selected and won awards at the Issui-kai Exhibition, and is a member. Received the Honorable Mention at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, was selected, and won the Honorable Mention in the Craft Association Branch Exhibition. Won the Honorable Mention for Prefectural Traditional Industries and Skills. Selected for the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition and Chunichi International Exhibition. Held a solo (more…)

Nakashima Masao 中島正雄

　1921-?malemino potteryActive as a craft designer. Focuses on Shino ware, Setoguro (black Seto) ware, overglaze enamels, and Goryeo-style celadon porcelain. (more…)

Okada Kyuta 岡田久太

?-1832malesakuraisato pottery The founder, Okada Kyuta (birthdate unknown–1832) also worked under the pen name Sakura Kyuta, and is said to have originated from Kaga, but this is currently unclear, and there are records of him working as a master ceramicist for Aoki Mokubei in Kyoto, earning him the title of Master of the Potter’s Wheel, and he mostly made thin teapots from white mud. Additionally, together with Ogata Shuhei, he also worked at the Sakuraisato ware kiln in Settsu. He passed away on 20 August.The name of Kyuta the 2nd (birthdate unknown–1877) was Kyubei and he inherited the founder’s potter’s (more…)

Ogawa Choraku 2nd 二代 小川長楽

1912–1991maleraku potteryThe eldest son of the first Ogawa (Choyuken) Choraku. Born in Kyoto. Graduated from the Department of Ceramics, Kyoto Municipal Second Technical School. Awarded a prize at the Kyoto Exposition of Arts and Crafts, France and Paris.With the passing of his father, the founder of Choraku, in 1936, he became Choraku the 2nd.He maintained the family business well, and mainly made tea bowls in the Raku ware style, being particular skillful at Red Raku and Black Raku ware, and also gained the trust of the Senke school. In 1939, after the founder’s passing, he was bestowed the pen name (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 5th 五代 大樋長左衛門

1781 (or 1799)-1856maleohi potteryBorn as the eldest son of Chozaemon the 4th (Doan), he studied his father’s techniques and inherited the family business as Chozaemon the 5th in 1824.Patronized by the 13th Lord of the Kaga domain Maeda Narinaga, he presented the Opuku Tea Bowl to the court as is customary, and in 1850 demonstrated his skills in front of the 11th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, at his main residence in Edo, maintaining his family’s legacy.Additionally, he was particularly good at making black tea bowls which use cut-out decorations and molds, and was said to be only second to the (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 4th 四代 大樋長左衛門

1758–1839maleohi potteryBorn as the 3rd son of Chozaemon the 3rd, he inherited the family business and was well-known as a master artisan surpassing his predecessors, researching and developing the Ohi ware standard that include Ohi’s traditional candy glaze and Raku ware that used brown sugar glaze and white glaze. He made his mark with brilliantly made tea ware as well as artistic ornaments.In the year 1824, he retired and took on the name Doan. (more…)

Ogawa Hansuke 小川半助

meiji periodmalebanko potteryHe was a master ceramicist of Banko ware in the Meiji period and beyond, and is known as one of the “3 Keepers” of Banko ware.In the beginning, he ran a tobacco store, but as his hands were dexterous, he started making hand molded tea sets and changed the store’s name to “Ensousha”, a wordplay on the Japanese word for tobacco.The clay he used was rough and more similar in texture to Bizen’s rather than Banko, and his strength when shaping left his fingerprints on them, and as the shape looked particularly like “a raccoon hitting its belly (more…)

Ono Don’a 大野鈍阿

1885–1951maleWhen he first moved to Tokyo in 1909, he made household goods like stoves and pots, but in 1913, he was scouted by the refined tea ceremony master, Masuda Don’nou, and influenced by the fine articles owned by Don’nou, he proceeded to make pottery for him at Mt. Gotenyama, taking the character “Don” from Don’nou’s name and used the name “Don’a” to brand his work.After that, he moved his kiln to Kami-Meguro in 1917, and Todoroki in 1934.As Don’a uses Don’nou’s fine articles as inspiration, his works are very diverse, using techniques that replicate unglazed ware, Raku, Hagi, Karattsu, and (more…)