Mashiko ware (artists from Mashiko, Tochigi)

Mashiko ware, which is made in the town of Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture, has been used to make daily utensils such as bowls and water jars since the end of the Edo period. Mashiko's pottery clay is coarse and has many air bubbles, and it is said that it is not necessarily good quality clay suitable for making pottery. Potter Shoji Hamada moved to Mashiko after spending three years working in England with fellow British potter Bernard Leach. After that, the current style of Mashiko ware was completed through repeated ingenuity with the people of Mashiko. There is also an environment that accepts young artists from other than Mashiko, and now there are many artists with free ideas who are not particular about Mashiko's clay and glaze. The Mashiko Pottery Market, which is held twice a year, is a successful event that attracts about 600,000 people from all over the country in spring and autumn.

We have collected artists who are making pottery in and around Mashiko, as well as artists participating in the Mashiko Pottery Fair. There are also one-of-a-kind items that can only be found in the pottery market, so please take a look! *Artists who do not make pottery in Tochigi are also included.

[Walking around the pottery production area]
Recommended shops and places in Mashiko (Mashiko Town, Tochigi Prefecture) Click here