Overlooking Lake Biwa, beside an old road,
we work with the materials of this land.
About the studio
工房について
01 — The road
Along a road of history
There is a road once known as the Imamichi-goe — an old road to Kyoto, dotted with the ruins of Sufuku-ji Temple and the Great Buddha of Shiga. Once walked by people heading to Mount Hiei, it is now a well-loved walking trail.
Along this road stands the house where the brother and sister grew up, more than a hundred years old. The main house and the separate wheel workshop on the same grounds are where they work today.
02 — Materials
With the materials of this land
Our clay is from Shigaraki. For our ash glaze, we burn hardwood from a firewood shop in Ikadachi in our wood stove, then refine the ash ourselves by elutriation (suihi).
Ash born from daily life becomes the color of our pottery. We are searching for colors that only the materials of this land can give.
03 — Glaze tests
Searching for color
You never know the color of a glaze until you open the kiln. The amount of iron, the proportion of ash, the air inside the kiln — the slightest difference turns it into an entirely different color.
We fire test pieces, changing the recipe little by little, and record each result one by one. Every time we open the kiln, we find the next thing to try.
04 — Two workplaces
Two workplaces
Our kiln is in Shigasato, Otsu. We also keep a small workshop and office in Higashiyama-Sanjo, Kyoto.
Shigasato, Otsu
Studio & kiln
Higashiyama-Sanjo, Kyoto
Workshop & office
Member of the Kyoto Prefecture Ceramics Cooperative Association
The wheel workshop in Shigasato, Otsu