about

I create pottery in a small studio nestled in a quiet residential area of Ōnojō City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, this is a place where daily life and nature exist in harmony. Here, my wife and I live a peaceful life while devoting ourselves to making ceramics.

After working for 15 years as a company employee, I returned to school to study ceramics and began my journey as a potter. To support our livelihood, I started teaching pottery classes, and for about 20 years, I enjoyed learning and growing alongside my students.

In later years, I focused on offering classes at senior care facilities. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I made the difficult decision to close the studio's teaching program.

Stepping away from teaching gave me more time to reflect deeply on my inner self. I began to feel a strong desire to discover a form of expression that was truly my own, rooted in the techniques I had cultivated over the years. That journey led me to the *neriage* technique, which I now use to create original flower vases.

What defines my work is the mysterious texture of the *neriage* patterns and the unique forms I shape to match them—each piece imagined individually. Rarely do things go exactly as planned, but it is precisely in those unpredictable changes during the making process that I feel most inspired.

The finished pieces often resemble planets, geological strata, or ancient tree rings. Each vessel has a distinct presence—enigmatic and timeless—inviting you to gaze upon it endlessly.

I currently share my work through social media, and have received many orders from overseas, including the United States and Singapore. Although each piece takes time to create and I cannot produce in large quantities, I strive to make them available at accessible prices through my online shop.


About the Name "Hasemushi"

*Hasemushi* is an old place name from the southwestern part of Ōnojō City. This area has a deep historical connection to pottery and is home to one of the largest groups of Sue ware kiln ruins in Kyushu. These kilns operated for about 400 years, from the 6th to the 9th century, and more than 200 kiln sites have been excavated to date.

Among them is the *Hasemushi Kiln Site Group*, which flourished during the 8th century, when the second phase of the Dazaifu Government Office was active. It is believed that these kilns played a crucial role as government-operated facilities, producing a large quantity of Sue ware to meet the demands of Dazaifu.

With a sense of romance—wondering if perhaps my own ancestors were once potters here—and deep respect for this land and its history, I named my studio *Hasemushi Kiln*.

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Hasemushi Kiln
2-13-13 Yokomine, Ōnojō City, Fukuoka 816-0973, Japan
[email protected]