Pottery called ”Tokoname-yaki”
The history of ”Tokoname-yaki” is very old, and can be traced back to the late Heian period. In Tokoname, large jars and pots, which could not be made with conventional ash glazed pottery, were made from early in history, and became the basis for prosperity.
In late Edo period, a new smaller type of Tokoname-yaki was introduced. Tokoname-yaki is often associated with teapots, but teapots in fact were not made until this period. It wasn’t until around the Meiji period that the unique crimson colored tea pots began to appear.
Handed down from generation to generation
When Tokoname teapots were first produced, there appeared a master craftsman named Jozan Yamada. His works had delicate shapes and beautiful colors, which were said to be incomparable. We interviewed Jozan Yamada, the 4th generation of master craftsman who inherited the name from his father in 2006. His father, the 3rd generation, is a Living National Treasure, and made the name Jozan Yamada immortal. He added modern taste to the noble style established by his forefathers, also keeping the original tradition of Tokoname-yaki before the time of teapots. The teapots he created express strength in sereneness. It was in 1998 that he was designated a Living National Treasure for Tokoname-yaki (teapots). His son, the present Jozan Yamamoto studied under his father, and is now devoted to the creation of pottery, inheriting the traditional teapot making of his forefathers. Currently, his son, So Yamada is also making pottery at the workshop. The tradition is continuously handed down from father to son.
