Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory
Coporate Profille
Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory has its kilns in Saga, and is the birthplace of Arita ware. Known as the Yozan Kiln, its roots stretch back to the Ansei era during the Edo period. Founder Tsujiyo first built a kiln around 160 years ago in present-day Yoshida in Ureshino City. As one of the kilns forming part of the Arita ware production area centered in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture, Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory supplies dining ware to the rest of Japan. At the same time, Tsujiyo Cermics has also started a new line of products which is inspired by a reinterpretation of porcelain. As a center of production of ceramics, it has also put in much effort in establishing a more defined identity for Hizen-Yoshida ware, which falls into a narrower category of ceramics.
Story
Arita ware has a history that goes back 400 years, and is Japan’s oldest type of porcelain. It is also known as Imari ware, taking the name of the port where it was exported from. Highly regarded as a work of art for its style and glaze, Arita ware is used in both high-end restaurants as well as for daily life, and is well-loved by many. The production district of Arita ware can be divided into Naizan, Gaizan and Daigaizan areas. The whole area is interspersed with production sites that surpass present-day district divisions. Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory’s Hizen-Yoshida ware factory is located in the Daigaizan area, which is rich in regional resources such as the Ureshino Hot Springs and Ureshino Tea. It is in this historical and abundant environment that Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory continues to produce porcelain wares.
Interview
Arita ware is synonymous with its style. On the other hand, Hizen-Yoshida ware has no particular style, and in spite of its long history is little-known. However, its strength lies in its pure white colour, which then allows it to be branded in various ways. While Yozan Kiln continues to produce Arita wares, in February 2012 a new line, “224 porcelain” was started. Historically specializing in dining wares, it is only natural that we would want to create fun pieces that will be the talk of the table. We would like to establish our factory through a combination of traditional and modern technology and free, flexible ideas.
Recommendation
While Tsujiyo Ceramics Factory has been following the footsteps of Arita ware, producing dining wares to be used for gifts etc, we would like to expand our product range to include innovative dining wares for daily use and interior goods.
The new brand started by 7th generation company leader Mr. Tsujiyo was the result of cooperation between product designers Mabuchi Akira and Goto Fumiaki. Diamond-shaped carvings on white porcelain appear differently depending on the angle of viewing and the angle at which light hits them. CAD and numerical control (NC) cutting have enabled the formation of these intricate designs. We try hard to employ modern technologies in our traditional craft.
The “vestino” line of cups comes with a leather cover that becomes more seasoned with use. The cups were designed with functions in mind, and in addition to their appearance, are easy to carry and are able to keep their contents warm. Condiment bottles designed to look like the characters for numbers 1 to 7, as well as “onigiri”, a dish that is designed such that soy sauce poured into it resembles seaweed, are just some of the unique products that we believe will be good conversation pieces at the dining table.
Starting with interior shops in Japan, we hope to expand overseas in time to come.
