Arakawa Toyozo (1894-1985)

Around 1586, Shino ware suddenly appeared in records of tea ceremonies, being used as the
bowl The Shino ware was being used as the tea bowl in tea ceremonies. During the Keicho
period, problems with production efficiency and other issues caused a decline and eventually a
complete halt in production.

Arakawa Toyozo, after experiencing much difficulty, revived the tradition of Shino ware, which
became a success. He was eventually named a Living National Treasure and is regarded as one
of the finest potters in history.

Born on March 21st, 1894. Educated by Miyanaga Tozan, went to Kamakura and aided in the
making of pottery at Kitaoji Ronsanjin. In 1930, he discovered the process of using a kiln from
the Momoyama period at Ogaya in the Kani district of Gifu prefecture. Nearby, he began to
work, building a kiln and reproducing Shino, Yellow Seto (Kizeto), and Black Seto ware
(Setoguro). 30 years as a Living National Treasure and 46 years in the Order of Culture. Died
August 11th, 1985 at 91 years of age.

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Nishimura Hozen (Eiraku Zengoro XI) (1795－1854)

At first, he was a "kasshiki", an attendant charged with announcing mealtimes to the monks,
working under Daiko Sogen at Daitoku-ji Temple. However, with Daiko Sogen's help, he became
an adopted child of Ryozen when he was around 12 or 13 years of age. After that, he researched
the making of pottery, and in 1817 (14th year of the Bunka Era), he succeeded to the name of
Zengoro. Then, in 1827 (10th year of the Bunsei Era), he, along with his father Ryozen as well as
others such as Kyukosai Sosa and Raku Tannyu, were called upon by Lord Kishu-Tokugawa and
engaged in Kishu Oniwayaki pottery. He was bestowed the signatures of "Eiraku" and "Kahin
Shiryu" by Lord Harutomi, and since then he began to use "Eiraku" for his signatures, etc. In
1843 (14th year of the Tenpo Era), he left his business to his son Sentaro (who will later become
Wazen) and took on the name Zennichiro. However, he left behind many remarkable works
created even after this point in time. In 1846 (third year of the Koka Era), he was granted the
name and signature of "Tokinken" by Prince Takatsukasa. In his later years, he took on the name
of Hozen and proceeded to Edo. After that, he did not return to Kyoto and founded Konanyaki
pottery at Omi. At one point, he was summoned by Lord Nagai of Takatsuki and was active in
various regions in Takatsuki, making pottery such as blue and white sometsuke pottery. In terms
of style, he mainly produced items used for tea and daily necessities, using styles such as the
gold brocade kinrande style, blue and white sometsuke pottery, the Annan style, Cochi pottery
and the Shonzui style.

Eiraku Wazen (Eiraku Zengoro XII) (1823-1896)

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Eldest son of Hozen. He was very fond of Ninsei, and in 1852, he and his younger brother-in-
law, Munesaburo (Kaizen) opened the new Eiraku Omuro Kiln on the remains of the Ninsei
Kiln. Afterwards in the 14th year of the Tenpo Era (1843), he inherited the 12th generation name
of Eiraku due to his father Hozen's retirement.

After that, in the second year of the Keio Era (1866), he was invited by Maeda Toshinaka of the
domain of Daishoji in Kaga, and he opened the Kutani Eiraku Kiln with Munesaburo and his son
Tsunejiro (who would later become Tokuzen) in order to improve Kutani pottery. He engaged in
this for six years. He also experienced suffering and such due to the debts left behind by Hozen,
but he greatly endeavored even after this time.

After returning to Kyoto, he changed his surname in 1872 (fourth year of the Meiji Era) to
Eiraku (up until that point, his surname had been Nishimura and Eiraku was an alias) and two
years later, he was invited to Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture and opened a kiln there. He created a
wide range of pottery, mainly of the gold brocade kinrande style, the Nanking style, gosuakae red
pottery and others and Western tableware etc.

In his later years, he moved near Kodai-ji temple in eastern Kyoto and opened the Kikutani Kiln.
It was from this point onward that he started to become hard of hearing, and he began to call
himself "Jiroken" which is a name that includes the words, "deaf ears."
His style has a wide breadth, including the Ninsei style, the gold brocade kinrande style, akae red
pottery, Cochi and celadon. He also created his own techniques, such as using gold leaf in the
gold brocade kinrande style, compared to Hozen, who instead used gold paint. He died on May
7th, at 74 years of age.

Fujimoto Yoshimichi (1919-1992)

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After graduating from art school ad being admitted to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science, and Technology’s industrial arts engineering training center, Fujimoto entered into an
apprenticeship under Kato Hajime, and began producing works alongside Tomimoto Kenkichi as
his pottery assistant in 1938.

Fujimoto won the Kofukaiten Kofukai Kogeisho Award in 1938, and after World War II
exhibited works primarily in the various exhibitions held by the Japan Ceramics Society.
Fujimoto won an award from the society as well as the silver prize from the International
Academy of Ceramics in Geneva in 1956.

Furthermore, though Fujimoto for a time was a member of the avant-garde Sodeisha Society
where he produced odjet d’art ceramics in addition to other kinds of pottery, from the mid 1960s
he returned to more traditional styles, immersing himself in research of painted porcelain.
Developing works that feature the motifs of flowers and birds, painted with such realism that’s
evocative power superseded that of Nihonga artists. In addition to this, he created unique
techniques such as that of Yubyokasai wherein images are added to works before firing via
colored glazes, and it was for these techniques that he was designated as a holder of the title
Nationally Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) in 1986.
In the interim however, after assuming a position as an instructor at the Kyoto City University of
Arts in 1956, he continued to dedicate himself to his own education and guidance of a new
generation of artists at the school in Kyoto as well as at Tokyo University of the Arts until 1990
(ending his tenure as dean of Tokyo University of the Arts), while also winning awards such as
the gold prize from the Japan Ceramics Society and a Medal of Honor from the Government of
Japan with a dark blue ribbon in the same year. For his seal, he is fond of suing the Kuma or bear
seal made by Kenkichi.

Fujiwara Kei (1899-1983)

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Starting out with a passion for literatary studies, Fujiwara began submitting haiku and poems
throughout his elementary and junior high school years to various publications and winning
awards for some of his submissions. Leaving for Tokyo at the age of 19, he began working as an
editor for Hakubunkan while also attending university and was producing poems under the pen
name Fujiwara Keiji. However, due to poor health, he abandoned his aspirations of becoming a
writer of literature and returned to his hometown in 1973.

After returning home, Fujiwara began to practice pottery at the suggestion of Manyoshu scholar
Masamune Atsuo, going on to become the apprentice of Bizen potter Mimura Umekage.
Getting his first kiln in 1939, Fujiwara then started out on his own, and thanks to the guidance of
Kanashige Toyo as well as deepening his understanding of the unique ko-bizen style of pottery,
he developed works in the solemn style of Momoyama and Kamamura period ceramics. After the
war he was recognized as a conservator of bizen ware techniques in 1948, was designated an
Important Intangible Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture in 1954, became a regular
member of the Japan Kogei Association in 1956, and in 1970 became the second person to be
designated a Living National Treasure for bizen ware pottery after Kanashige Toyo.
In addition to this, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun 4th Class in 1972, received the
Miki Memorial Award from Okayama Prefecture in 1973, and was also awarded the Order of the
Sacred Treasure 3rd Class on the day of his death in 1983.

Fujiwara Yu (1932-2001)

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Born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure for bizen ware Fujiwara Kei, after graduating
from university, Fujiwara worked for a time as a magazine editor, but was convinced by his
father and Oyama Fujio to return home where he began his tutelage in ceramics under his father.
After this, Fujiwara went on to produce work after work, presenting them in exhibitions by the
Nihon Kogeikai, the Gendai Nihon Togei, and the Issuikai, eventually becoming a member of the
latter in 1960, and becoming a regular member of the Nihon Kogei Association the following
year.

Fujiwara won the grand prix prize in the Barcelona International Pottery Exhibit, which then
gained him attention in the United States, Canada, Spain and various other countries in 1964
when he was asked to instruct in pottery around the world as a visiting lecturer.
Fujiwara opened his own workshop in Honami, Bizen in 1967, and after starting to work
independently, won the Nihon Toji Kyokaisho award, thereupon going on to win the Kanashige
Toyo award in 1973 and being recognised as an Important Intangible Cultural Property by
Okayama Prefecture in 1978. In 1984, he won the Sanyo Shimbunsha Award, was awarded the
Medal of Honor with a dark blue ribbon by the Japanese Government and won the Okayama-ken
Bunkasho Award both in 1985, the Chugoku Bunkasho Award in 1986, the Okanichi Geijutsu
Bunka Korosho Award in 1987, and the Geijutsu Sensho Monbu Taijinsho Award in 1990. With
such a prestigious history of awards behind him, Fujiwara became the 4th person to be
designated a Living National Treasure for bizen ware in 1996 after Toyo, Kei, and Yamamoto
Toshu, and was also awarded the Medal of Honor with purple ribbon by the Government of
Japan in 1998.

Striving to create ceramics that placed an importance of usability that would be suitable as both
tea bowls and for dining while also working to bring out the uniquely quiet and subdued
simplicity of the works of bizen ware to the utmost, Fujiwara’s works serve as the basis of
modern bizen wares that place an emphasis on both usability and beauty.

Hamada Shinsaku (1929- )

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Born as the second son of Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji, Shinsaku moved with his
family to Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture when he was only several months old. It was here that he
developed an interest in pottery, and it was in junior high school that he committed himself to
carrying on his father’s legacy by becoming a pottery.

Around 1950, at the same time as when he graduated from university, Hamada began his own
training in pottery in his father’s workshop. In 1963, he served as an assistant to his father and
Bernard Leach as they toured America giving lectures in ceramics. After this, he exhibited his
own pieces in his father’s private exhibitions as well as in Kokugakai exhibitions. He became a
member of the Kokugakai in 1978, and though he did produce work while a member, he
eventually resigned from the organization in 1992 and now puts on his own private exhibitions in
department stores and galleries in various locations as an independent artist. In addition to this,
he was awarded the grand prize at the Salon de Paris in 1987, and is now a member of the
society.

Taking on the simpler aspects of folk ceramics such as using iron, ash, persimmon, and salt
glaze, he also serves as an official expert on his father Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach’s works.

Hamada Shoji (1894-1978)

Hamada Shoji was a renowned craftsman and representative figure in modern Japanese pottery.
Born in Tokyo in 1894, he resolved to become a potter while still a student at Furitsuicchu (the
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Tokyo First Prefectural Jr. High School, Hibiya high school at present). After studying ceramics
at the Tokyo Higher Technical School (present-day Tokyo Institute of Technology), Hamada
joined the Kyoto Municipal Ceramic Laboratory, where he would meet his lifelong friend, Kawai
Kanjiro. As Hamada later summarized the narrative arc of his career, “I found the path in Kyoto,
began my journey in England, studied in Okinawa, and developed in Mashiko.” In 1920, he
accompanied Bernard Leach to England where he began his practice as a potter. When the time
came to return home to Japan, he sought a quiet life in the countryside, and situated himself in
the town of Mashiko in 1924. During this period, he also made an extended sojourn in Okinawa,
which became the inspiration for a large number of works. In 1930, he relocated the building
which would later become the main residence of his compound (later donated to the Ceramic Art
Messe Mashiko), and in the years up until 1942, transplanted many traditional old houses onto
the premises to create a workshop and residence. It was from this base that he founded the
Mingei folk-art movement along with cohorts Yanagi Soetsu and Kawai Kanjiro, which was to
have a significant impact on the Japanese craft world. In 1955, Hamada was recognized along
with Tomimoto Kenkichi et. Al. as an inaugural recipient of the Japanese government’s
“Preserver of Important Intangible Cultural Properties” (Living National Treasure) designation,
and in 1968, became the third potter to be awarded the prestigious Order of Culture.

The Mingei Movement

The Mingei (folk-art) movement was initiated by Yanagi Soetsu, Kawai Kanjiro, and Hamada
Shoji in 1926 (Taisho 15) as an approbation of functional craftwork used by the masses in the
course of daily life. At the time, the craft world was dominated by decorative pieces prized for
their aesthetic value. In response, Yanagi and cohorts promoted the quotidian lifestyle
implements handmade by anonymous craftsmen as mingei (“craft of the common folk”), arguing
that such works have a beauty that rivals fine art, for beauty can be found in the everyday. A
further pillar of the movement introduced a “new way of looking at beauty” and “aesthetic
values” via the notion that crafts born from the local practices and rooted in the rhythms of the
rural regions of Japan embody a utilitarian, “healthy beauty.” Their ideology was, in many ways,
related to the era, marked as it was by the advance of industrialization and tandem gradual influx
of mass produced products into the sanctum of daily life. Troubled by the loss of “handicraft”
across Japan, the Mingei movement warned against the easy progression of
modernization/Westernization. In this way, the Mingei movement served as a vehicle for the
artists to pursue the question of what constituted a good life, rather than simply a life rich in
material wealth.

Mongama

A kiln of Mashiko-ware pottery headed by Hamada Shoji. Since establishing the kiln in 1931,
Hamada and his disciples have presented many works in succession using Mashiko traditions

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and materials. Mashiko's recent rise to prosperity as a major production area for folk-craft
ceramics has been greatly influenced by the ceramic-making activities of this site. Hamada's
achievements were recognized in 1955, when he was designated as the first individual holder of
Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). Following his death, Hamada's son
Shinsaku took over the kiln and has been teaching highly reputed potters.

Hara Kiyoshi (1936–)

An aspiring potter, Hara Kiyoshi became an apprentice of Ishiguro Munemaro in 1954, later
studying under Munemaro's top disciple Shimizu Uichi.

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He opened his own kiln in Setagaya, Tokyo in 1965, after previously participating in the Japan
Traditional Kogei Exhibition for the first time in 1958 and becoing a regular member of the
Japan Kogei Association in 1961.

After opening his own kiln, he was conferred the Chairman's Award at the Japan Traditional
Kogei Exhibition in 1969, the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1976, and the Tokyo Governor's
Award at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 1997.

He was also very active arranging solo exhibitions at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi and elsewhere as
well as producing a broad range of works for exhibitions at home and abroad that he was invited
to.

From the beginning, Kiyoshi experimented with iron glazes, underglazing plants, birds, and
animals in iron on dark-brown glaze to create elegant and strikingly unique works. From the
1980s, he began making blue-glazed pieces characterized by their lucid blue color. He was a
special invitee to the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 2001 and was recognized as a Holder
of National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage (Living National Treasure) in 2005 for his
glazed porcelain.

Hirasawa Kuro (1772-1840）

Samurai and ceramic artist during the late Edo Era.

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Born in 1772, he was a member of the Owari Nagoya Clan. Hirasawa enjoyed the tea ceremony,
and made teaware in the koseto and karatsu styles in his free time. His creations had a unique
quality and were known as Kuroyaki. He died at the age of 69 on June 23, 1840. His name was
Kazusada. His alias was Seikuro. Also Konjyakuan

Inoue Manji (1929- )

Born into an old potter family, he trained next door at the Kakiemon Workshop. After beginning
an independent career, he earned awards, starting in 1958 at the Saga Prefectural Exhibit, the
Seibu Crafts Exhibit, the Issuikai Exhibit, and the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibit. In 1987,
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he was awarded the Minister of Education, Science and Culture Award at the Japanese
Traditional Crafts Exhibit.

In the meantime, he was appointed a professor at the Saga Prefectural Ceramics University and
applied his energy to teaching young potters as well. In 1986, he received the Saga Prefecture
Traditional Culture Distinguished Service Award, in 1990 he was recognized as a holder of Saga
Prefecture's Important Intangible Cultural Property, and in 1995 he earned the honor of being a
holder of National Important Intangible Cultural Property (National Treasure).
His style is based on white porcelain and displays exceptional craftsmanship with the warmth of
flower-patterned engravings and blue glaze. He is highly esteemed as one of the standout
porcelain potters.

Pots with a blue-and-white glazed "Manji" signature are produced by his workshop, while those
inscribed with "Manji" without a glaze are recognized as his original works.

Imaizumi Imaemon XIII (1926–2001)

The eldest son of Imaemon XII, Imaemon XIII studied at Arita Technical School and Tokyo Schhol of
Fine Arts before returning to his hometown to study pottery under his father.
In 1975, his father passed away and he became the 13th Imaemon. (During this time, he participated in
exhibitions such as the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition and the Issui Society Exhibition, was
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conferred the Issui Society Chairman's Award and the Japan Kogei Association Chairman's Award, as well
as was nominated for member and regular member of both exhibitions.)

After his succession, Imaemon XIII arranged solo exhibitions in various locations to commemorate the
occasion, and in 1976 he established the Ironabeshima Technique Preservation Society (Important
Intangible Cultural Heritage) together with highly skilled potters in his studio.

Subsequently, he continued to preserve tradition while also incorporating new techniques in his constant
quest for modernistic pottery. He participated in traditional arts exhibitions and other public exhibitions as
well as contributed to the development of local society and the training of a new generation. Throughout
the years, he was conferred numerous awards and commendations, such as the Japan Ceramic Society
Award in 1976; the Saga Arts and Culture Award in 1979; the West Japan Culture Award in 1984; the
Medal with Purple Ribbon, the Saga Award for Distinguished Service, and the Saga Newspaper Culture
Award in 1986; as well as the Mainichi Arts Awards and the 1st MOA Okada Mokichi Grand Award in
1988. He was also recognized as a National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage (Living National
Treasure) in 1989, received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in that same year, and was conferred
the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class in 1999.

Imaemon XIII held solo exhibitions not only in Japan but also in Spain, Portugal, and Paris, where he was
very well received. In 1995, he received the Commendation Award of the Japanese Foreign Minister for
his contributions to international cultural exchange.

He inherited the traditional Ironabeshima technique, but from the beginning his aim was to achieve a
modern style of pottery. Based on the "fukizumi" technique of spraying a gosu-blue glaze, he developed
the "usuzumi" and "fukigasane" techniques, new to the Imaemon tradition. It is this expressiveness that
has earned the modern Imaemon his high praise.

Isezaki Jun (1936-)

Born the second son of famous craftsman, Isezaki Yōzan, Isezaki Jun learned pottery from his
father at a young age alongside his older brother Misturu, and began making pottery in earnest
after graduating from university.

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In 1961, he was selected for a prize in the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition for the first
time, and after continuing to be selected since then, was inaugurated as a full member of the
Japan Art Crafts Association in 1966.

In 1967, he built a kiln and became an independent craftsman. In 1977, he traveled to the United
States and broadened his horizons to making sculpted pottery as well, represented by his display
of an ambitious stance towards contemporary objet d'art pottery, such as taking charge of the
Bizen ware relief mural decorations in the main entrances of buildings including the Prime
Minister's residence, Bizen City Office, Kurashiki Notre Dame Memorial Museum etc. While he
was regarded highly since long before for his yohen firing techniques, such as the hidasuki
pattern, in recent years he has developed pieces that are clearly different from existing Bizen
ware, such as works of sculpted pottery that mixes the yohen firing effects unique to Bizen ware
with black glaze. In 2004, he was appointed the fifth National Important Intangible Cultural
Property (Living National Treasure) of Bizen ware.

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