Japanese Pottery Articles
Regions and kilns, techniques, how to choose and care for your pieces. Articles to start your journey into Japanese pottery.
-
Hasami Ware: Everyday Japanese Porcelain from Nagasaki
Hasami ware from Nagasaki combines 400 years of porcelain craftsmanship with modern design. Originating as ...
-
Echizen Ware: The Plainest of the Six Ancient Kilns
Echizen ware from Fukui is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns with over 800 years of history. Defined by ungl...
-
Iga Ware: Fire, Ash and the Beauty of Rough Clay
Iga ware from Mie Prefecture is renowned for "Keshiki" (scenery), a poetic beauty crafted by fire and ash o...
-
Tamba Ware Guide: Japan's 800-Year Ash-Glazed Pottery
Tamba ware, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns with over 800 years of history, is celebrated for its rich, ir...
-
Kutani Ware: Japan's Boldest Ceramic Painting
Discover the captivating world of Kutani ware (Kutani-yaki), a traditional Japanese ceramic from Ishikawa P...
-
Hagi Ware: The Tea Bowl That Changes Colour as You Use It
Celebrated as a pinnacle of tea ceramics for 400 years, Hagi ware is defined by its soft, porous clay and m...
-
Bizen vs Hagi: Two Opposite Ideas of Wabi-Sabi
In the world of Japanese tea ceremony and craft, Hagi and Bizen wares represent two distinct, yet profoundl...
-
Arita Ware: Japan's First Porcelain, 400 Years On
Established in the early 17th century in Saga Prefecture, Arita ware marks the historic birth of Japanese p...
-
Mashiko Pottery: Where Japanese Folk Craft Still Lives
Originating as a rustic stoneware kiln in the 19th century, Mashiko ware was transformed into a globally re...
-
Tajimi: Where Contemporary Mino Ceramics Are Made
Situated at the heart of Japan's largest pottery-producing region, Mino ware, Tajimi boasts over a millenni...
-
Kyo Ware and Kiyomizu Ware: Kyoto's Refined Ceramics
Representing the court and tea cultures of the ancient capital, Kyoyaki and Kiyomizuyaki embody the Japanes...
-
How to Visit a Japanese Pottery Fair: 9 Regions Compared
This comprehensive guide explores the unique charm of Japanese pottery festivals (Toki-ichi), featuring key...
-
Japan's Six Ancient Kilns: All 6 Regions Compared
A special feature on Japan's six representative pottery producing areas (Seto, Tokoname, Bizen, Echizen, Ta...
-
A Short History of Japanese Ceramics, Jomon to Now
Japanese ceramics history spans over 10,000 years — from Jomon clay pots to Arita porcelain, tea ceremony a...
-
Shigaraki Ware: Why Its Clay Sparkles After 1,200 Years
Shigaraki ware, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, has been fired for over 1200 years in Shigaraki-cho, Koka...
-
Bizen Ware: Pottery With No Glaze at All
Bizen pottery uses no glaze, no paint — only clay and fire. One of Japan’s six ancient kilns, each piece de...
-
Japanese Pottery: The Complete Guide
From Arita porcelain to Bizen stoneware and Raku tea bowls — japanese ceramics carry over 10,000 years of c...
-
Tokoname Kyusu: Why Red Clay Makes Tea Taste Better
Tokoname-yaki teapots are representative Japanese teapots that have been made in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefe...
-
Kiln Regions of Japan: 10 Pottery Styles Compared
Why do each of the pottery production centers—Arita, Bizen, Shigaraki, Hagi, Kutani, and Mashiko—create suc...
-
Pottery Regions of Japan: A Buyer's Map
Bizen, Shigaraki, Arita, Hagi, Kutani, Mashiko — Japan’s kiln regions each produce a completely different s...
-
Pottery Classes in Japan: Where to Try the Wheel
This guide explores the joy of pottery making in Japan as the ultimate way to connect with Japanese ceramic...
-
Karatsu Ware: Kyushu's Rough, Tea-Loved Pottery
“First Raku, second Hagi, third Karatsu” — karatsu ware holds one of the highest rankings in Japanese tea c...
-
Japanese Sake Ware: Vessels That Change the Taste
The right sake set transforms every pour. Clay, glaze, and rim diameter all affect aroma and temperature — ...
-
Tobe Ware: Shikoku's Thick, Everyday Blue Porcelain
Tobe ware is Shikoku’s beloved Japanese porcelain — thick-walled for durability, hand-painted in rich cobal...
