Japanese pottery has a long history, dating back to the Jomon period, about 16,000 years ago. From the 3rd century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., Yayoi earthenware, earthenware and haniwa (clay figurines) were produced in Japan, but they were fired at low temperatures below 900 degrees Celsius, so to speak, and were called “unglazed” pottery. They were not made in kilns with ceilings, as is the case today. Later, between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D., during the Kofun period, Sue ware was born. These were fired in ascending-flame kilns with cellars drilled into the slopes at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. In the early Edo period (1603-1867), in the late 16th century, climbing kilns were introduced and the modern era of mass production began, with many items being exported to Europe.
The history of Japanese pottery dates back over 16,000 years, beginning with the Jomon pottery. During the period from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD, Japanese pottery such as Yayoi pottery, Haji ware, and Haniwa were born. These were essentially unglazed pieces, fired at temperatures below 900°C, using a method called "open-air firing" or "field firing." They were not created in kilns with roofs as we have today.
Later, from the 5th to the 7th centuries, the Kofun period began, during which Sue ware was introduced. This pottery was fired at temperatures exceeding 1,000°C in a sloped kiln with a sunken flame, known as a "nobori kiln" (climbing kiln).
In the Edo period, the introduction of climbing kilns in the late 16th century marked the beginning of modern mass production, and many pieces were exported to Europe.
Today, most of the energy sources have changed to electricity, gas, oil, etc. instead of wood-fired kilns, but technically, nothing has changed. I have been a potter using these two classic kilns, the cellar kiln and the climbing kiln, and my work is rooted in the “spirit of Jomon,” the origin of pottery, and the concept of bricolage as described by the French social anthropologist Flotte Lévistrouse. In other words, there is the idea of structuralism, which means that rather than creating each piece individually, I fuse the power of the clay material's original composition with the power of the kiln's firing conditions, and the result is a structure that draws out the ability of each force to weave together, and I simply add my hand to it, with the feeling that it is the only way to bring out the individuality of the piece. I am just putting my hand on it and putting emphasis on bringing out the individuality of the piece itself. Perhaps that is why I continue to make pottery, because I find it so interesting.
料理を引き立てる器
自家製の茶蕎麦をいただく
Vessels that complement the food Enjoying homemade tea soba noodles
Seasonal vegetables home-grown and freshly boiled buckwheat noodles are served in a bowl and freshly boiled soba noodles served in dishes that the chef himself created. Each dishware is full of individuality, and it enhances the dishes even more. Both the food and the dishes overflow with heart. The eater cannot help but feel a sense of hospitality. The simple, yet delicious cuisine of Hokkaido really sinks in.
蕎麦粉と抹茶をブレンドした自家製蕎麦
自分で焼いた器が料理を際立たせる
旬の北海道食材を味わう
洞爺の自家製野菜たち
生活と一体化した焼き物 日常の中の自然の姿が心地よい
Pottery as an integral part of daily life Comfortable with the appearance of nature in daily life
Pottery scattered throughout the everyday living space. Their value radiates from their deep sense of taste and ease of use. It is the very essence of life itself, natural and inevitable. It is proof of a living form.
野に咲く花と手水
味わい深い 手水
取手も個性的
造形が生み出される環境 力強いオブジェクト
The environment in which form is created Powerful Objects
生家を活かしたこの工房には、先代が残したものたちが新たに再生されている。馬小屋が窖窯へ、農業倉庫が工房やギャラリーに変わったりと、時代とともに生き抜いて来た家族の証でもある場所だ。そこで生み出される造形物もまた後世に伝える物であることを願う。そこは志事を成し遂げ、語り伝える場所なのだから。 In this workshop, which makes use of the family home, the items left behind by the previous generation have been newly restored. The stable was converted into a cellar kiln, and an agricultural warehouse into a workshop and gallery. We hope that the artworks created there will also be handed down to future generations. It is a place to accomplish and pass down the story of one's ambitions.
今にも動き出しそうなオブジェ
農業倉庫を活かしたギャラリー
登窯
作品づくりの轆轤
生誕の地 大自然の中で育まれた北の大地
Birthplace Northern land nurtured by Mother Nature
みは、まさに造形に映し出す鏡なのかもしれない。 Yotei in the distance, winters in this area can be harsh. However, wild flowers bloom in front of the potter's eyes with dignity as the seasons change. The heart of the potter, who enjoys ikebana, feels the workings of the natural world and is inspired by the living creatures that are the inheritors of life. The life that lives in the present from far away may be a mirror reflected in the modeling.
1942 Graduated from Date High School, Date, Japan. 1943 Joined Juzawa Design Institute, Uji, Natofu, Japan. 1945 Started his career as a kimono maker at Sumiyama Kogei Zai, Uji, Natofu, Japan. 1946 Studied under Oka Shinichi, Otsu, Shiga, Japan. 1949 Built a climbing kiln in Ohara, Toya, Hokkaido, named Naokai Kiln. 1960 Built an anagama in “Fureru-mori” (forest), Ariake, Sapporo, Japan, at the request of Sapporo City. 1949 Built a climbing kiln in Ohara, Toya Village and named it Niwazumi Kiln. 60 Built anagama kiln in Fureai no Mori (Ariake, Sapporo) at the request of Sapporo City. 62 Studied at various kilns in China under the overseas exchange program of the Hokkaido government. 1989 Invited Mr. Liu Zhiguo, an old porcelain research engineer of the Zizhou Kiln, as a part of the overseas exchange program by the Hokkaido government, 4. Built anagama kiln, internal dimensions: middle 2m, length 10m, height 1.4m 5. Published “Ceramics” Vol. 63, Katsutaro Kikuchi, from Kyoto Shoin in 1975. Started firing with water, 13. At the request of the International W t an anagama in “Fureru-mori” (forest), Ariake, Sapporo, Japan, at the request of Sapporo City. 1949 Built a climbing kiln in Ohara, Toya Village and named it Niwazumi Kiln. 60 Built anagama kiln in Fureai no Mori (Ariake, Sapporo) at the request of Sapporo City. 62 Studied at various kilns in China under the overseas exchange program of the Hokkaido government. 1989 Invited Mr. Liu Zhiguo, an old porcelain research engineer of the Zizhou Kiln, as a part of the overseas exchange program by the Hokkaido government, 4. Built anagama kiln, internal dimensions: middle 2m, length 10m, height 1.4m 5. Published “Ceramics” Vol. 63, Katsutaro Kikuchi, from Kyoto Shoin in 1975. Started firing with water