About OUJIGAMA — A Seto Ware Pottery Studio Since the Mid-Edo Period

INTRODUCTION

OUJIGAMA is a pottery studio in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Founded in the mid-Edo period, it has continued the tradition of hongyo-yaki — the stoneware of Seto — making suribachi mortars, jars and other tools for daily life.

Today we work mainly with Shino glaze, making suribachi, tableware and flower vases: ceramics that belong in everyday life.

ORIGIN — The beginnings of OUJIGAMA

OUJIGAMA was founded in Seto in the mid-Edo period, in the eighteenth century. Seto at that time was a stoneware town, and OUJIGAMA fired its suribachi and jars in a wood-fuelled climbing kiln (noborigama).

The original climbing kiln had thirteen chambers, reduced to eleven after the war.

About hongyo-yaki →　Our kilns and history →

MORO — The workshop, passed down

The moro is our workshop building, built in 1900 (Meiji 33). It houses the clay store and the wheel room, and has almost no windows, to keep the clay from drying. A single motor still drives several wheels and the clay mixer — a mechanism typical of early modern workshops in Seto, preserved here in working order.

For this reason the building is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by the City of Seto. It remains our working studio today.

The moro in earlier days, with craftsmen at the wheels — The moro in earlier days, craftsmen at the wheels

The moro today: the clay store and wheel room — The moro today, still our working studio

More about the OUJIGAMA moro, a Seto City Tangible Cultural Property ↗ (external site, opens in a new tab)

1968 — The last firing of the climbing kiln

At eight in the morning on 3 May 1968, the climbing kiln was fired for the last time. The filmmaker Masami Kato of Seto recorded that final firing; his documentary Oujigama was selected at the Cannes Film Festival the same year and won the Grand Prix at an international competition in Canada.

The last firing of the climbing kiln, smoke rising, onlookers watching (1968) — 3 May 1968: the last firing of the climbing kiln

Craftsmen with mortars fresh from the kiln

1969 — Firing with the heavy-oil kiln

In 1969 OUJIGAMA moved to a new kiln, fired with heavy oil. From wood to oil: the handling of the fire changed, but the work of making suribachi carried on as before, and our Shino-glazed suribachi date from around this time.

For more than half a century since, that kiln fired the ceramics of OUJIGAMA, and it still stands inside the workshop today. Under its rows of brick arches, the marks of the fire remain as they were.

Mortars stacked before the kiln (historical photograph) — Suribachi stacked before the heavy-oil kiln, awaiting firing

The kiln under its roof — The heavy-oil kiln, still standing in the workshop

Inside the kiln: brick arches — Inside the kiln: rows of brick arches

SURIBACHI

The suribachi is our principal work. We make them from the small san-sun (about 11 cm) to the large shaku-hachi (about 54 cm) used in restaurant kitchens, and in every glaze we use — not only Shino, but ash, black and amber glazes as well.

The grooves inside each mortar are cut by hand, one piece at a time.

White Shino suribachi, nested set — Nested white Shino suribachi

About OUJIGAMA suribachi →

EVERYDAY LIFE

Grind, mix, crush, pound, grate. A suribachi is a cooking tool and, at the same time, a bowl that goes straight to the table. Grate ginger, grind yam, dress spinach with sesame, and serve — one bowl connects the kitchen and the table.

Grating ginger in a Shino suribachi (5–6 sun) — Grate — ginger

Dressing shredded carrot by hand in a Shino suribachi (5–6 sun) — Dress — carrot

Mashing potatoes in a Shino suribachi (5–7 sun) — Mash — potato

Pesto pasta tossed and served in a large Shino suribachi (8–9 sun) — Straight to the table — pasta

More ways to use a suribachi →

GENERATIONS

Asao Kato, 11th generation — Asao Kato (11th generation)

Kanji Kato, 12th generation — Kanji Kato (12th generation)

Toshimichi Kato, 13th generation — Toshimichi Kato (13th generation) →　InstagramInstagram (external site, opens in a new tab)

Soya Kato, the present generation, at work in the studio — Soya Kato (present generation)

OUJIGAMA TODAY

We value the history of OUJIGAMA and the foundations of craft that have been handed down to us, and on that basis we work towards a way of making that is true to OUJIGAMA today.

GALLERY & WORKSHOP VISITS

In the gallery beside the workshop you can see our work in person, and purchase it directly. If you would like to see the workshop itself, please contact us in advance.

Inside the OUJIGAMA gallery, with ceramics laid out on wooden tables — The gallery beside the workshop

Visiting the gallery and workshop →　Contact us about a visit →