Tag: karatsu

Karatsu potter Mike Martino has always been good with his hands. He believes that this natural talent combined with his exposure at a young age to early native American ceramics helped to set him onto a path of becoming a potter.

Mike grew up in New Mexico, where he frequently visited a native North American pueblo settlement adjacent to his town dating back to the 17^th Century. “I remember going out with my parents hiking and coming home with pot shards, and walking home from school, stopping under a bridge to play with friends, and finding arrow heads,” he reminisces.

American potter Mike Martino working at his Gotanbayashi wood-firing kiln that he built in 2010
Photo courtesy of Mike Martino

Mike has been living in Japan for almost 25 years now after meeting his Japanese wife when they both studied at Kyushu University. He has been making functional pottery in the city of Taku, Saga Prefecture, for the past 15 years.

Mike creates work following the Karatsu pottery tradition produced in and around Karatsu that has a history of over 400 years. Historically, Karatsu Port was one of the most important ancient ports for trading with China and Korea. And Karatsu pottery has been directly influenced by Korea because many Korean potters settled in Karatsu after being taken captive following two attempted invasions of Korea by General Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1592 and 1598.

Mini e-karatsu rice bowl by Mike Martino.
So versatile yet humble, they are perfect for rice, tea, and even small salads as a side dish.

Karatsu pots are earthy, high-fire glazed stoneware boasting numerous styles such as picture Karatsu (e-karatsu), Korean style Karatsu (chosen karatsu), black Karatsu (kuro garatsu) mottled Karatsu (madara karatsu), and stamped inlay Karatsu (mishima karatsu), to name just a few. There are many more variants, and Mike avidly studies their history through old Karatsu pots and shards.

The most basic goal for Mike is to create something beautiful and useful. At first glance, his pots seem like traditional Karatsu ware, but upon closer inspection they carry distinct and sometimes playful flair that uniquely incorporates his American roots. I love that he experiments with traditional forms with a twist, like creating small rice bowls that are half way between a sake cup and a tea bowl. And his large and small pedestal cups (bajohai) with iron drawings are so unique and fun to use on the dining table.

Mike Martino’s stemmed cups. His work is highly functional and fun to use.

As an American, Mike is also not afraid to defy convention. He uses cheaper Douglas fir to fire his kiln while most Japanese potters only use red pine, which is very expensive. This is despite plenty of warnings from fellow potters that Douglas fir would ruin his work. Mike later found out the reason for these dire warnings. When Douglas fir were first shipped from North America to Japan decades ago, the trees spent a lot of time floating in the ocean and were sometimes even dragged behind ships on their oceanic passage. It was the salt contamination that gave the Douglas fir a bad reputation.

Mike Martino firing his wood-fired kiln with Douglas fir. He is helped by his mentor Tsuruta Yoshihisa
Photo courtesy of Mike Martino

When Mike creates his work, he pays most attention to using the material in a way that brings out the beauty of their unique characteristics. His view is that there is no such thing as ‘bad clay,’ just the limitations of the artist’s imagination and ability in its use. If you follow Mike’s blog, you will notice that in 90% of the posts, he talks about the clay, such as their body, texture, color, and behavior. He is a clay geek who is deeply and passionately devoted to its study and application.

The foot of a Karatsu tea bowl by Mike Martino. Mike creates the most beautiful wrinkles on the foot of his work as he trims. This is one of the most revered characteristic of Karatsu clay called chirimen jiwa. Mike calls this the ‘cookie dough’ effect.

Chirimen jiwa on the foot of an Izumiyama porcelain sake cup by Mike Martino. Porcelain cups are not usually known for this type of trim on the foot, but Mike loves this effect and when he discovered that Izumiyama porcelain can be trimmed like this, he was enticed to work with porcelain.

Mike’s curiosity of the history of Karatsu ceramics is also due in part to the influence of his mentor and teacher Tsuruta Yoshihisa, a well-known maker of ceramics for tea ceremonies and a leading expert of Japanese ceramics. The town of Taku where Mike resides is where Yi Sam-Pyeong (Ri Sampei in Japanese), the presumed father of Arita porcelain who came from Korea in the late 16^th century, is believed to have first settled to establish a kiln. Yi later moved to Arita in 1616 after the discovery of Izumiyama porcelain. “Nowadays people think Arita and Karatsu are completely separate traditions because they are such different styles of pottery, but they are all related,” according to Mike.

Sharing tea with Mike at his studio in Taku using his pots. Mike loves the ability of Karatsu ware to change and become more beautiful with use.

Not so long ago, the Japanese word “Karatsu” was used synonymously with “pottery” because so much stoneware was made and shipped from Karatsu Port. But the Japanese ceramics market has been in a slump for many years, and only recently has there been a surge of renewed interest in handcrafted tableware.

Mike says he has noticed many more young customers in the last 3 to 4 years who are interested in and recognize the value of quality handmade work. He says he hopes to continue to play a part in spreading the “Karatsu” name as a pottery destination not only for the Japanese public but also for foreigners through his work. When I asked him about this goal, he smiled and replied that “all the potters in the U.S. know Mashiko but not Karatsu, and I want to put Karatsu on the map.”

Kazu Oba’s Life on the Artistic Rim

February 24, 2017Ceramics Kazu Oba

Ceramics by Kazu Oba in our shop ->

Maybe it is because he lives life on the edge, but Kazu Oba has a thing about rims. This potter-cum-sculptor-cum-dancer-cum-cook-cum-guerilla pot thrower confesses that the most difficult aspect of creating pots is the making of their rims. Indeed, the exquisite and alluring rims are the hallmarks of this potter’s vessels.

A spouted bowl by Kazu Oba has an exquisite rim and mouth.

Kazu’s life on the razor’s edge began when he was just 17 years old when the lifelong Kobe resident was inspired to travel on his own and live in the U.S. after watching the American movie “Grease”.

An aspiring artist, Kazu studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder and had the opportunity to apprentice under Jerry Wingren, a sculptor in wood and stone who is based in Boulder.

Another key influence for Kazu has been his nearly 15 years working as a restaurant cook to support his livelihood as a student and apprentice. Kazu started paying attention to the vessels on which the food was served while working, and that was why he decided to became a potter.

Ceramic artist Kazu Oba working at his studio in Colorado (Photo courtesy of Kazu Oba)

After completing his apprenticeship with Jerry, Kazu traveled back to Japan to study under Nakazato Takashi, the master potter from Karatsu, Japan, whom he had met at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Kazu returned to Colorado in 2004 and eventually started his own studio creating ceramics and sculptures.

To ensure that he retains his creative edginess, Kazu occasionally takes his craft to the street as a ‘guerrilla pot thrower’ and makes pots on a portable kick wheel. The primary purpose of Kazu’s street pot theater is to advertise for his solo shows, which has taken place in numerous cities. “I want to show people how I make pots and, also get out of my comfort zone to test myself,” Kazu says.

Kazu Oba ‘guerrilla pot throwing’ on Kyoto’s popular Hanamikoji street. (Photo courtesy of Kazu Oba)

While Kazu is a bold adventurer, his artistic creations appear quiet and modest at first glance. But as soon as they are used, you will quickly recognize that they are carefully crafted to enhance the food that is placed in them. His pots are modern and clean, with beguiling rims. “I think all the world of lips”, Kazu explains.

Kazu uses a variety of clay and glazes so that the table has a mixture of colors and textures.

As a cook, Kazu makes wares that he wants to use on his dining table, and so he ponders most about his work when he eats. For example, he uses a variety of clay and glazes so that the table has a mixture of colors and textures instead of looking all dark or light. Whether it is the sharp attention to the textures of colors that becomes background to food, or perfectly executed rims that frame it, this unique perspective of an experienced cook makes Kazu’s work truly exceptional.

Small salads served on funagata side dishes by Kazu Oba

When I look at Kazu’s work, I cannot stop thinking about the things I will eat out of them. It maybe vivid green blanched vegetables on dark clay, or some bright coulis for that meat on porcelain. I am sure that the cook inside you will be intrigued too.

Visiting Hanako Nakazato in Karatsu

August 28, 2013Hanako Nakazato Ceramics Karatsu Travels

Ceramics by Hanako Nakazato in our shop ->

Japanese potter Hanako Nakazato is a tour de force of creativity and productivity. I had the privilege of glimpsing this at first hand when I visited her Japanese studio far away in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture in Kyushu this past spring. It took a long train ride to get there, but was a journey to savor and understand how a potter’s life requires not only talent but discipline, hard work, and –in Hanako’s case- a love of food and cooking.

Japanese potter Hanako Nakazato at her studio in Karatsu, Spring 2013

Following an early morning start in Kyoto and several changes on the way, the train finally pulled into JR Karatsu station shortly after lunch. After the long ride, I was delighted to be met by the familiar face of photographer-cum-writer Prairie Stuart-Wolff, Hanako’s partner and business manager for monohanako. The two travel between Maine and Kyushu every year.

Overlooking Hanako Nakazato’s studio in Karatsu

Hanako’s studio in Karatsu stands on a lush green hillside in Mirukashi, about two miles from the train station. When I arrived at the studio, Hanako was working at her wheel making bowls. She got up to greet me, beaming with a friendly smile and gestured a “hug” from a few feet away saying “I have clay all over me”. I did not want to interrupt her work and at my request she went back on the wheel. I watched for a while as she whipped out bowl after bowl, amazed at how similar they are in shape and size, even though she never measured them.

Work by Hanako Nakazato displayed in her showroom in Karatsu.

As Hanako worked, I looked around the clean and spacious studio that was divided into three sections. There was a showroom for guests to view and purchase her work. A second section was the kiln and glazing room where bisque and glazed pieces are stored next to the gas kiln. The last section was the wheel room where she was busy throwing her pottery.

Hanako’s gas kiln filled to the brim with bisque fired pots

The sliding door to the wheel room had a large blackboard that was covered with diagrams, numbers, and glaze types. Hanako carefully keeps track of the progress in the production of her wares by charting them on this board. Its an ingenious way of visually managing the production schedule that enables this prolific potter to put together a solo show almost every month during her stay in Japan. I even managed to visit her annual solo show at Manyodo in Ginza, Tokyo in May.

Production schedule charted on the blackboard

Watching Hanako work on the wheel was meditative. When I commented that it must be enjoyable to be able to throw with such rhythmic flow, Hanako laughed and replied that, “People might think that it must be fun to become a potter and throw pots on the wheel, but this is not the whole story”.

She explained that less than 20 percent of her day is spent on the wheel and that the rest of her workday is spent cleaning the studio and work equipment, loading and unloading the kiln, mixing and testing glazes, and preparing the clay. Hanako said that a three-year apprenticeship under her father and internationally famous potter, Nakazato Takashi of Ryutagama Kiln, had instilled into her the important habit of waking up early everyday to work, clean, and carry out other chores. Maintaining this discipline was indispensable to the running of a successful pottery studio.

Hanako wedging clay. Much of a potter’s day is spent doing chores like cleaning the studio and preparing clay

Long and narrow boards on the racks in the studio were loaded with pots that were drying. These boards are easily over 5 feet long and they appear almost impossible to carry without dropping the pieces on top. Hanako said that it was just like the balancing pole that tightrope performers use to help them balance. She noted that, “the longer the board, the easier it is to balance on the shoulder with one hand”.

Bowls on a long drying board are placed into a pottery closet or muro. Freshly thrown pots are dried slowly in here to prevent them from warping and cracking.

On days when Hanako can work uninterrupted on her wheel, she can throw over a hundred pots in a day. On my visit, Hanako had to answer many phone calls, tend to visitors such as myself, and send a pugmill to repair. She finally wrapped up her work at 5 p.m. after throwing numerous bowls.

Hanako cooking dinner at her home above her studio in Karatsu

In the evening, Hanako and Prairie cooked a delicious 7-course meal using Karatsu’s seasonal ingredients, each served on monohanako tableware. They put great care into preparing each dish and it was clear that they enjoyed cooking. As the famous Japanese ceramist and gourmet Rosanjin once said, “tableware for cooking is the equivalent of clothing for people.” He meant that the vessels that the food is served on is as important as the clothes that people wear and that people that are interested in food are inevitably interested in the wares they are served on. Consequently, many potters –of which Hanako is definitely a prime example- are excellent cooks and it was a real treat to be a guest at their dinner table.

Salted sea urchin served on monohanako ware

Early next morning, Hanako was back in her studio finishing up the plates that she had thrown in the past few days on the wheel. She said she was in full work mode, firing work for shows that will be taking place after she was to depart for Maine in a few weeks time. I told her that her many fans in the U.S. were eagerly waiting her return. As we spoke, I realized that I was associating Hanako’s return with the changing of the seasons, just like a birder in anticipation of the annual migration.

Hanako finishing the edges of cut petal plates

Hanako worked until the late morning, and then we all left for a quick tour of Karatsu and lunch before I caught the bus to Hakata in the afternoon to start my long trek back to Tokyo. I was very pleased that I got to see a day in the life of this hard working potter, who is a rising star of the pottery scene in Japan and the U.S. While I discovered that being a potter might not be as idyllic and glamorous as it might appear, I am grateful that Hanako chose it as her profession. Her creativity has certainly brought style and beauty into our daily lives through the wares that we use to nourish our body and soul.

A Tour of the Pottery Towns of Southern Japan: Part I: Karatsu

April 23, 2013Ceramics Karatsu Travels

Karatsuware in our shop ->

As the cherry blossom season beckoned in Japan this spring, I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to Southern Japan to be the interpreter for a tour of classic pottery towns organized by renowned American potters Bill Geisinger and Ben Horiuchi. It was a fascinating 10 day journey that covered a lot of ground and allowed the tour participants to meet and see the activities and lives of potters from all walks of life in Southern Japan. I will be sharing my observations of these towns and the accomplished potters that have made this part of Japan a vibrant and dynamic center of pottery creativity in this blog in the coming weeks.

Cherry blossoms at Nakazato Tarouemon Studio in Karatsu, Saga, Japan

The first stop of the tour was Karatsu in Saga prefecture. Karatsu is one of the most famous pottery towns in Japan and its name literally means “port to Tang (China)”. This is fitting, as the town has been a major trading port to Korea, China, and the rest of Japan.

The development of Karatsu-ware began more than 400 years ago. A key reason for this was the arrival of craftsmen from Korea brought by Japanese warlords following two invasions of Korea in the 16^th Century. These potters produced ware for tea ceremonies that were very popular among the Japanese elites during this period.

An example of “Korean style karatsu” or “chosen karatsu” vase welcomed us at the Nakazato Tarouemon studio.

The Korean craftsmen brought with them two technologies that revolutionized Japanese pottery making: the kick-wheel, and the multi-chambered climbing kiln. These technologies allowed for faster and larger scale pottery production in comparison to the hand-wheel and Anagama kiln that was used in Japan prior to this technological revolution.

The multi-chambered climbing kiln of Nakazato Tarouemon pottery built in 1734. This kiln was in use until the early 1900s.
(Photo courtesy of Beorn Johnson)

Karatsu-ware or Karatsuyaki, is made of clay high in iron content that fires to a reddish-gray color and encompasses many styles. The styles that I am most familiar with are ‘picture karatsu’ or ‘e-karatsu’, which have simple drawings of plants and birds, and Korean style karatsu or ‘chosen karatsu’ that has a black glaze with runny white ash glaze over it.

Many Japanese, including myself, find that simplicity is more appealing than glitter and complexity, because one can only understand the beauty of simplicity through experience and the steady accumulation of knowledge. It is a very personal appeal that is nurtured and intensified over time and repeated use. It is similar to the sentiment you will have towards your favorite t-shirt or tea mug that is so comfortable because you have used it over the years.

Karatsu-ware today is sought-after by avid collectors and formal tea drinkers for their simple and rustic elegance. Although I am not very familiar with the formal way of Japanese tea ceremonies, even I know the Japanese saying, “Raku first, Hagi second, Karatsu third”, which denotes the rank order of the three preferred types of pottery used in Japanese tea ceremonies. But some of my Japanese friends who are knowledgeable about tea ceremonies say that they are most drawn to Karatsu-ware.

Paddle tools used to slap the coil built vessel walls at the Nakazato Tarouemon studio. This clay forming method is called “tataki giho”, a traditional method that was lost but revived by the late living national treasure, Nakazato Tarouemon XII.

In Karatsu, I was especially excited to visit the Nakazato family kilns. The Nakazato name should be well known to anyone who regularly visits the Studio Kotokoto website because of Hanako Nakazato, who is one of our most talented artists. The Nakazato family has resided in Karatsu for the past four centuries and they include famous potters such as Nakazato Tarouemon, Nakazato Takashi and Nakazato Shigetoshi who are all relatives of Hanako. It was my private mission to get a glimpse of where Hanako came from to gain an appreciation of the traditions and lifestyle that have shaped her and her style of pottery.

“Petal-edged” or “rinka” plates at Nakazato Shigetoshi’s Sangengama.

The sturdy, unpretentious beauty of Karatsu-ware profoundly moved me. I felt very familiar with their time-tested and functional forms because I have witnessed their essence in Hanako’s work.

Bob Okasaki’s beautiful studio was built in the traditional Japanese style without nails

Another potter we visited in Karatsu was Bob Okasaki, who is a native of California but is now settled in Karatsu. Bob opened his own kiln called Tourigama after many years of apprenticeships under Fujiwara Yu, a famous potter in Bizen, followed by Nakazato Takashi, Hanako’s father, and Nakazato Tarouemon XII, who was a living national treasure.

I love what Bob does because he has so many beautiful works adorned with drawings of animals and plants. Bob and the Nakazato family are very close because he married Keiko, a daughter of Nakazato Tarouemon XII. Hanako, who was busy loading a kiln for a show in Tokyo, stopped by at Bob’s studio and I was happy that I got to meet her to say hello.

Baby boar plate by Bob Okazaki.

The tour group had a wonderful time in Karatsu, a town in a remote corner of Japan but with a very open and international feel to it. This undoubtedly stems from the town’s proximity to Korea and China, which makes it an important regional cultural gateway.

In my next tour blog, I will talk about our visit to Onta, a pottery village hidden in the deep mountains of Oita.

New Works by Hanako Nakazato

January 22, 2013Hanako Nakazato Ceramics

Studio Kotokoto first featured Hanako Nakazato in September last year. Since then, her elegantly crafted pottery have taken pride of place in my kitchen and are constantly being used.

Washed teacups by Hanako Nakazato drying on linen

As Hanako was about to depart for her annual six-month pilgrimage back to Japan and her studio in Karatsu in Kyushu, We were fortunate to get our hands on another collection of her new porcelain works.

Before coming across Hanako’s porcelain, I had always preferred to use stoneware on my dining table. This is because while porcelain is prized for its hardness and pristine beauty, it can seem cold, overly formal, and a little intimidating for use by a casual cook like me.

Fruit served in Hanako Nakazato’s oval bowl trio

So using Hanako’s creations for the first time was a revelation. Contrary to preconceived notions, her porcelain work is unpretentious and full of warmth and elegance. It is also easy to glimpse the depth of her skill from the suggestion of fluent speed and rhythm that are left in the grooves of her wares. There is no hesitation in the strokes, just simple grace.

Fluent and rhythmical finger grooves on spouted bowl by Hanako Nakazato

Whenever I use Hanako’s wares, I am always impressed that they do not discriminate what they are being used to serve. Even a piece of cut fruit is inviting in her oval bowl. With any type of food looking so appealing on her wares, it is little wonder that she has become a firm favorite in my kitchen.

Orange segments in Hanako Nakazato’s chocolate oval bowl

As we at Studio Kotokoto and her growing legions of admirers await her return to the U.S. this summer, we will be following her blog to catch a glimpse of her life in the idyllic pottery town of Karatsu. Her blogs are often funny and accompanied by beautiful photographs. If you have the time, I highly recommend that you visit her website too.

Hanako Nakazato: Expressing the Natural Beauty of Clay

August 14, 2012Hanako Nakazato Ceramics

Ceramics by Hanako Nakazato in our shop ->

A bowl made by Hanako Nakazato is so succulent that the clay seems as though it is still pliable.

Hat Bowl by Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

“I try to bring out the natural beauty of the clay and glaze”, says Hanako. She finds that the beauty of clay is in its unique plasticity, receptive to the slightest pressure from the fingertips. That characteristic of clay is masterfully brought out in her works. It is hard to resist the urge to pick it up and hold it in your hands.

Production at Monohanako by Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

And pick it up you should because Hanako creates wares that are intended for regular use. “A ware’s significance is only complete when it is used” she explains. “The same ware will manifest different expressions depending on the food it carries. I want people to enjoy that variation.”

Katakuchi by Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

Among the assortment of plates and bowls in the cabinet at home, a select handful keep getting used over and over to serve different kinds of foods. They are chosen because the cook can visualize how well the food fits with the vessel. Hanako’s creations easily trigger such visualizations. The Shinogi sobachoko, for example, is ideal for serving appetizers, soups, ice cream, and many more dishes.

Shinogi-Sobachoko by Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

Hanako wants her wares to be used often and for many years by their owners. She explains that the key to making such wares is to keep a neutral mind and to “go with the flow” during the production process. Too much planning, eagerness, and intent by the potter will result in works that suffocate and bore people over time. Hanako never measures her wares as she throws.

Production at Monohanako by Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

Hanako can only pull off such a feat because she is an extremely skilled potter. She is from the Nakazato lineage of potters that have been throwing pottery for 14 generations in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Japan. Refined expertise can only come through rigorous study and learning from the best, and Hanako went through many years of tough apprenticeships under her father, renowned potter Takashi Nakazato, and also Malcolm Wright in Vermont, a student of Tarouemon Nakazato XII, Hanako’s grandfather who was designated as a living national treasure by the Japanese government in 1976.

Monohanako Studio
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

Hanako’s unique approach is also shaped by the way that she is able to harmonize and find balance between the dual worlds that she inhabits. Born and brought up in Japan, Hanako went to high school in Florida and subsequently studied Art at Smith College in Massachusetts before returning to Japan to apprentice with her father.

Hanako Nakazato
Photo Courtesy of Monohanako

This bicultural potter has expertly synthesized the deep traditions of the Nakazato heritage with her own modern American interpretations and experiences. Hanako now spends half of her time in Japan and the other half in her studio in Union, Maine.

Select wares made by Hanako Nakazato and Monohanako West is available at our shop.