Mashiko ware is ceramic ware made in the town of Mashiko in Tochigi Prefecture. Historically speaking, the first pottery was made in Mashiko from the end of the Edo era (around the 1860s), when the potter Keizaburo Otsuka, who had been working in the famous pottery area of Kasama in neighbouring Ibaraki Prefecture, discovered suitable clay for pottery in Mashiko Town and started operating there. The main objects produced were everyday items like pots and vessels of various kinds. As it was close to the Greater Tokyo area, the items sold well and the town prospered.

When the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1924 destroyed huge amounts of pottery, Mashiko ware sold in great quantities again. It was at this time that the potter Shoji Hamada moved to Mashiko, and raised Mashiko ware from the level of everyday items, to art. During the Pacific War (1941-45), when the Japanese state requisitioned its citizen’s metal objects in order to make weapons, people turned again to ceramics.

Mashiko ware, with its plump appearance, remains popular for its suitability in all kinds of cooking.

Many hundreds of ceramic artists, Japanese and foreign alike, move to Mashiko to create pottery. While Japanese people are often shy and reticent in front of strangers, Mashiko people readily accept newcomers and soon make friends with them. If you come to visit, stay a few days, and talk to the locals, you’ll feel just like you live in Japan.

Reservations for ceramics activities can be made at the Masahiko Tourism Association.
TEL: 0285-70-1120 (from 8:30am though 7pm)
International: ⁺81-285-70-1120
E-mail: