This web magazine proposes new ways to enjoy kogei.
Through interviews with creators, artists and people who live in Hokuriku,
discover the allure of Kogei from various angles.
With sleeves rolled up and arms smeared, I sink my hands into a mound of soft, grey clay spinning on the wheel before me – and the uneven form of something that may (or may not) end up resembling a cup slowly comes into focus.
Opposite me, my patient craftsman sensei, in denim apron and headscarf, smiles and nods encouragingly in between emergency interventions to prevent its imminent collapse.
The experience is messily relaxing and deeply enjoyable while the clay is startlingly soft – which perhaps offers a telltale clue into my location: I am trying my (unsteady) hand at making Kutani ceramics in Komatsu city, Ishikawa Prefecture.
More precisely, it unfolds in Cerabo Kutani, an airy space with clean, minimalist lines of angled wood and textured clay walls designed by architect Kengo Kuma – in short, a modern temple to all things related to Kutani ceramics.
Long celebrated for their vibrant tones, bold motifs and exquisitely painted overglazed surfaces, Kutani porcelain – known as Kutani–yaki in Japan – is among a string of rich crafts for which the Hokuriku region has long been renowned, from lacquerware and metalwork to intricately dyed silk.
Like many of these art forms, Kutani-yaki’s roots invariably meander back to one powerful family: the Maeda clan who ruled the region, then known as Kaga, from the 17th century and laid down the foundations for its rich crafts heritage.
According to local legend, the first Lord Toshiharu Maeda sent a retainer far south to learn about ceramics in Arita – widely regarded as the birthplace of Japan’s porcelain-ware – following the discovery of mineral-rich rocks in Kaga’s mountains, before he returned and set up the first kiln.
This marked the beginning of Kutani-yaki: artisans subsequently developed a distinct porcelain aesthetic, defined by its bold colour palette, classically consisting of five shades known as gosai-de: green, blue, yellow, red and purple.
The motifs were no less vibrant. Widely interpreted as a creative response to the harshly bleak snow-filled winters that swept the region, the motifs layered in paint on porcelain surfaces captured a vivacious spectrum of subjects, from local landscapes to flying birds.
Despite its acclaim, Kutani ceramic production came to an abrupt halt in the 1730s when the kilns were unexpectedly closed, a move that still puzzles many historians – before the art form was revived less than a century later, with earlier works then differentiated by the name Ko Kutani.
But it was the jubilant reception to its presentation at the 1873 World Fair in Vienna that confirmed its fame as a globally treasured Japanese craft, marking the start of exports to the Western world.
Today, Kutani ceramics remain deeply appreciated alongside many regional Hokuriku crafts – albeit as many new generation artists push the craft into more modern realms.
Examples of Kutani-yaki pop up in a range of places. There is Natadera Temple in Ishikawa Prefecture, where the finest traditional craftsmanship collides serenely with the primal beauty of ancient rock cliffs, seasonal trees and expanses of water.
A stone‐paved path, flanked by boulders and flowering trees, leads to theKondo Keo-den (Central Worship Pavilion), its structure cocooned in a natural cave, inside which is enshrined the sacred Eleven-Headed, Thousand-Handed Kannon. And a glance to the lower left of the statue reveals a gloriously bright sweep of panels depicting red, yellow and purple flowers alongside forest green foliage and a black bird – all crafted in Kutani-yaki.
Testimony to its timelessness? Kutani ceramics can also be spotted in more contemporary settings, including the sleek confines of the new Hyatt Centric Kanazawa Hotel, which opened opposite Kanazawa Station last year.
The new hotel is home to countless elegantly curated examples of contemporary Kanazawa craftsmanship – and a walk along the corridors reveals room signs in the form of Kutani ceramic plates, each emblazoned with a bold motif in signature colour tones.
Not to forget the work of Kengo Kuma. The architect, famed for fusing a sensitive application of Japan’s craftsmanship heritage to minimalist and contemporary forms using natural materials, is also something of a fan.
“I use Kutani ware often myself,” he says. “I especially like the warmth that Kutani ceramics create.”
There are perhaps few better examples of Kuma’s enthusiasm for the art form than Cerabo Kutani, also known as Kutani Ceramic Laboratory – home to a museum showcasing the porcelain-making process, plus an experiential workshop space for visitors to try their hand at making ceramics.
A contemporary architectural ode to the world of Kutani ceramics, the building is eye-catching from arrival. A puzzle-like series of sharply tilted triangular roofs – one covered in jewel-green grass, others in Kuma’s signature latticed wood – crown the space, creating intimate interiors, with angled windows allowing natural light to flood the space.
Its warmly-toned natural materials pay tribute to Kutani–yaki: both inner and outer walls are crafted from organic expanses of clay, created from the rocks of Hanasaka Mountain, a short drive away. Contemporary touches are sharpened into focus inside – as reflected in swathes of interior walls embodying a mix of past and future, via a traditional tearoom construction method using the ultra-modern material carbon fire.
“The theme of this project was to highlight the clay of Kutani which is produced locally,” explains Kuma. “We aimed to design an architecture that would merge into the clay of Kutani.
“Japan’s Hokuriku region is known for its harsh and snowy weather in winter. I think that has nurtured the depth and uniqueness of its local culture, which you may not find on the Pacific side of Japan. We wanted to emphasise this character with this building.”
Arriving recently at Cerabo Kutani – a white porcelain maneki neko lucky cat at the threshold – the charismatic Yasuhiro Ogata steps forward in greeting (he is something of a ceramics celebrity in Japan, with a popular You Tube channel) to show me around.
As snow alternates with sunshine through the angled windows and wood eaves (typically capricious winter weather), we start in the Factory area. Here, the industrial process behind the creation of Kutani clay is revealed in easy steps, with full-scale equipment at various key stages showcased behind a large wall of glass.
First, I’m able to touch the material from which all Kutani-yaki is born: white and chalky, a tumble of rocks sit in a wire-framed container, sourced from Hanasaka Mountain, one of the few remaining sources of ceramic stone in Japan.
Photo by Nik van der Giesen
“Hanasaka is only about ten minutes from here,” explains Ogata. “The particles are very, very tiny. This makes the clay soft and malleable – and also very strong. It needs to be strong as it’s fired many times when it’s painted.”
The rocks are processed through crushing and stamping, before being submerged in water in order to separate the heavier sinking stones from the lighter powdery particles – with the latter then compressed into circular clay discs, ready to be moulded into artworks.
Photo by Nik van der Giesen
In a modern touch, Ogata explains that the larger discarded rocks are now recycled for use in a glaze – as used by the contemporary ceramic tableware brand called Hanasaka (sold in its on-site shop), its minimal lines softened by a creamy off-white glaze.
Photo by Nik van der Giesen
Back in the factory, Ogata continues to share a font of knowledge behind the creation of Kutani ceramics – from moulding techniques on a wheel to the delicate art of firing in the kiln, which results in shrinkages of between 13 to 20 per cent in size.
A distinctive highlight of Kutani ceramics is undoubtedly the decorative element. Ogata showcases a number of examples, including a breakdown of the main traditional colours and how they are expertly layered on porcelain.
“There are five basic shades, but each factory mixes their own colours, so there are many variations,” he explains. “The temperature is different for firing each different colour too. We might fire a piece five to ten times.”
The space also showcases another unique Kutani feature: its minute displays of hand-painted calligraphic known as saiji, using ultra-fine horsehair brushes – a centuries-old technique, typically consisting of tiny lines of classical poems.
Photo by Nik van der Giesen
My visit culminates with a hands-on session in the main workshop, another airy space filled with wide wood tables, electric wheels and shelves of ceramics drying out before being fired.
Donning an apron, I sit down opposite my sensei, the ever-smiling Michihiro Muramatsu, who positions a lump of clay on the wheel, before I wet my hands and he guides me through the creation of a small cup – and the overall sensation is one of deliciously surprising softness (local porcelain clearly has a different texture from clays elsewhere in Japan).
As I attempt to create a useable vessel, Muramatsu explains the reason behind the joyful spark in his eyes. “I used to work for the central government in Tokyo, in the tax office, for about 18 years,” he laughs. “But I moved here ten years ago to focus on my hobby pottery. Life is so different now – I enjoy it much more.”
He adds: “My grandfather was a shokunin craftsman, he used to paint Kutani ceramics. He died before I was born, but I grew up surrounded by ceramics. My favourite part is also the painting. I love mixing colours myself and making glazes – that’s the most exciting part for me.”
Muramatsu is not alone in his modern-day appreciation of Kutani ceramics. Leading modern lights of the 21st century Kutani world include Keigo Kamide, a sixth generation ceramic artist at Kutani Choemon, a kiln which has produced Kutani-yaki for over a century, with his vivid works regularly exhibited at contemporary galleries.
The popularity of the art form has been fuelled further by KUTANism, a contemporary festival launched in 2019 that celebrates the world of Kutani ceramics and its makers, with exhibitions, talks, guided tours and workshops.
It’s a welcome boost to one of Japan’s most treasured kogei crafts – as Kuma himself explains: “Getting young people involved is key for all kinds of craftsmanship to be kept alive and to flourish in the future. Let them experience the process of creation –that’s what this facility Cerabo Kutani offers.”
Danielle Demetriou（Writer, Editor）
Danielle Demetriou is a British writer and editor based in Tokyo. She moved to Japan in 2007 after years working on national newspapers in London. She is a Japan correspondent for the UK Daily Telegraph and also writes design, lifestyle and travel stories for international magazines (Wallpaper*, Conde Nast Traveller, Architectural Review, Design Anthology etc). Passionate about Japanese design, architecture and craftmanship, she has reported widely on these subjects across Japan, from the islands of Okinawa to northernmost Hokkaido (plus many other places in between) and her secret hobby is being a (very novice) potter.
