Japanese Pottery Articles
Regions and kilns, techniques, how to choose and care for your pieces. Articles to start your journey into Japanese pottery.
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Arita vs Hasami Porcelain: Why the Same White Porcelain Took Two Paths
Arita in Saga and Hasami in Nagasaki are neighbouring porcelain towns across a prefectural border. They use...
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Kasama Ware: Japan's Most Free-Spirited Pottery Town
Focusing on Kasama ware, known for its artistic freedom, this summary introduces the region's innovative po...
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How Japanese Pottery Is Shaped: Five Forming Methods
Japanese ceramics vary greatly in appearance and texture depending on the shaping technique used. Based on ...
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Japanese Pottery Glazes: The Main Types Explained
Japanese ceramics may share the same shape, yet each piece possesses a unique color and texture. This artic...
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Mino Ware Guide: Oribe, Shino and Japan's Biggest Kiln
Accounting for approximately 50% of Japan’s domestic ceramic production, Mino ware from Gifu Prefecture is ...
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Seto Ware: The Kiln Town That Named Japanese Pottery
Seto ware, originating from Seto City in Aichi Prefecture, is the ultimate namesake for Japanese ceramics (...
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Raku Ware: The Hand-Formed Tea Bowl, 15 Generations On
Raku ware is an iconic style of Japanese tea ceramics created in the late 16th century by master Chojiro un...
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Satsuma Ware: The Gold-Painted Porcelain That Wowed Paris
Satsuma ware refers to ceramics from present-day Kagoshima, dating back 400 years. "Shiro-Satsuma" (White S...
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Hasami Ware: Everyday Japanese Porcelain from Nagasaki
Hasami ware from Nagasaki combines 400 years of porcelain craftsmanship with modern design. Originating as ...
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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...
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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...
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Kutani Ware: Japan's Boldest Ceramic Painting
Discover the captivating world of Kutani ware (Kutani-yaki), a traditional Japanese ceramic from Ishikawa P...
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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...
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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...
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Yōhen (kiln transformation)
Yohen is the dramatic transformation of glaze colour caused by the chemistry of flame, atmosphere, and temp...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Japanese Pottery Patterns: What the Motifs Actually Mean
Etsuke (ceramic painting) elevates Japanese pottery into functional fine art through exquisite line work an...
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Keshiki: How to Read the 'Landscape' on a Pot
"Keshiki" — the surface “landscape” of Japanese pottery — includes glaze drips, flame marks, ash deposits, ...
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Japanese Ceramic Mugs: Why Handmade Changes Your Coffee
Your morning mug is held in your hands every day — so weight, rim, and texture matter. This guide to japane...
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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...
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Anagama vs Noborigama: Japanese Wood Kilns Compared
Unlike modern electric kilns, "Noborigama" (climbing kilns) utilize natural wood-firing to create unpredict...
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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...
