Born in Arita, Saga Prefecture — the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. I have been shaping clay for thirty-seven years, following a tradition that has run through my family for five generations. Each piece is thrown on a wheel that belonged to my great-grandfather, fired in a kiln fueled by pine from the surrounding mountains, and glazed with ash collected from our hearth.
I believe pottery is not about making objects, but about listening — to the clay, to the fire, to the silence between breaths. My work is minimal because the space around a thing defines it as much as the thing itself.
clay between my hands —
the mountain breathes in the kiln,
a cup holds the sky
Wedging the clay to remove air pockets, folding it like dough until the texture is silent and smooth.
Centering on the wheel. The hands find the center, and the center finds the form.
Shaping the foot and refining the silhouette with precise, unhurried cuts.
Pine-fired at 1280°C for three days. The ash melts into natural glaze. No two pieces emerge the same.
For commissions, exhibition inquiries, or to visit the studio.
Arita-shi, Saga-ken, Japan.