Unglazed(Yakishime) stoneware

Yakishime (焼き締め) is a firing technique in which no glaze (the glass-like surface coating) is applied to the piece at all, and the clay itself is fired at high temperature — approximately 1,200–1,300°C — over an extended period.

Most japanese pottery is coated with glaze to seal the clay body against water. In yakishime, that waterproofing is achieved entirely differently: by firing the clay to its absolute limit, the clay particles are compacted into a dense, vitrified mass, producing a robust piece that is impermeable to water without any glaze at all. Bizen ware (備前焼, Okayama Prefecture), Shigaraki ware (信楽焼, Shiga Prefecture), and Iga ware (伊賀焼, Mie Prefecture)  are the kiln regions internationally recognised as the most representative producers of Unglazed(Yakishime) stoneware.