News

The Noto Coastline: Driving the Okunoto Salt Road

To truly understand Suzu-yaki pottery, one must understand the landscape from which it is born. The Noto Peninsula, jutting out into the turbulent Sea of Japan, is a place of stark contrasts. I...

Suzu-yaki and Food Pairing: What to Serve in Each Vessel

In Japanese culinary tradition, the vessel is not merely a container; it is an integral part of the meal itself. A famous saying by the legendary potter and restaurateur Rosanjin Kitaoji states, "...

The Philosophy of Ma: Negative Space in Japanese Craft

In Western art and design, empty space is often seen as something to be filled—a blank canvas waiting for color, a silent room waiting for sound. However, in traditional Japanese aesthetics, em...

Shiroyone Senmaida: The Thousand Rice Paddies of Noto

Nestled on the steep northern coast of the Noto Peninsula, overlooking the vast expanse of the Sea of Japan, lies one of the country's most breathtaking agricultural landscapes: Shiroyone Senma...

The Noto Peninsula Earthquake: How the Craft World Is Responding

On January 1, 2024, the Oku-Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture was struck by a devastating magnitude 7.6 earthquake. The disaster fundamentally altered the landscape of the Noto Peninsula, a re...

Wakura Onsen: The Sea Hot Spring of the Noto Peninsula

Nestled along the calm shores of Nanao Bay on the Noto Peninsula, Wakura Onsen (和倉温泉) is a hot spring resort unlike any other in Japan. While most of the country’s famous hot springs bubble up ...

Rikkoku Gomi: The Six Woods and Five Tastes of Japanese Incense

THE AROMATIC VOCABULARY OF KŌDŌ In the world of Kōdō (the Japanese Way of Incense), the appreciation of fragrant woods is elevated to a high art form. Practitioners do not merely "smell" the ...

Wajima Lacquerware: The Other Masterpiece of the Noto Peninsula

Explore Wajima lacquerware, the Noto Peninsula’s luminous counterpart to Suzu-yaki, and learn how jinoko, lacquer, wood, maki-e, and chinkin create one of Japan’s most durable craft traditions.

Kintsugi: The Art of Repairing with Gold

Discover kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with lacquer and gold, and its connection to wabi-sabi, tea culture, and Suzu-yaki.

Reading the Clay: How to Identify Authentic Suzu-yaki

A collector’s guide to recognizing authentic Suzu-yaki through iron-rich clay, reduction firing, natural ash effects, texture, forming marks, and provenance.