Mashiko potteries

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:

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Map of places where you can try out pottery

interview bannar
interview bannar
interview bannar
interview bannar

The Mashiko Reference Collection Museum

The Mashiko Reference Collection Museum was established by Mr. Shoji Hamada, wishing to share the crafts he had collected and referred, with general people so that the collection would be good ‘reference’ for them.
Founded in 1974
Opened in 1977

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Shoji’s World---his eyes and hands

Mashiko Pottery is the origin of folk pottery.
Mashiko has known to the world since Shoji settled in this place.
Using Mashiko’s clay and glaze, he had made lots of pottery to express his ideal,
soul of ‘mingei’or folk crafts.
At the same time, Shoji collected lots of folk crafts from all over the world,
old and new alike and got inspiration from them and made use for his production.
At the museum, the collection is displayed together with the works of himself, and of his close friends, Barnard Leach and Kanjiro Kawai.
The large farmhouse with a thatched roof where he lived, the studio where he worked, the climbing kiln------they are open to the public and you can see and feel the spirit of the Folk Crafts Movement.

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Information

Hours Open 9:30 am ~5:00 pm ( entry by 4:30 pm)
holiday Monday(except holidays)
28 of December~4 of January
Early February(closed for one to two weeks due to change of exhibition)
Please be aware of temporary closing.
Adress 3388 Mashiko, Mashiko town,
Haga-gun, Tochigi-ken, 321-3388
TEL 0285-72-5300
FAX 0285-72-7533
Admission Fee Adults(individuals) \800 Adults(group for over 20 people) \700
Junior high school students(individuals) \400 
Junior high school students(group for over 20 people) \300
Children of elementary school and under are FREE.
Parking Free 30 cars
Official site Link to the Mashiko Reference Collection Museum>>

Photo gallery

List of potters and ceramic artists

Akiragama

Akiragama

明窯

Kanae Aizawa

Kanae Aizawa

相澤 かなえ

Akashishousaku

Akashishousaku

明石 庄作

Amamiyaseitou

Amamiyaseitou

雨宮製陶

Akio ikegami

Akio ikegami

池上 暁生

Kazuyuki itabashi

Kazuyuki itabashi

板橋 一幸

Inoueseitoujo

Inoueseitoujo

井上製陶所

Iwashitaseitou

Iwashitaseitou

岩下製陶

Taiko Iwabuchi

Taiko Iwabuchi

岩渕 泰子

Shinsuke Iwami

Shinsuke Iwami

岩見 晋介

Yoshikage Iwamura

Yoshikage Iwamura

岩村 吉景

Toshihusa Uchibori

Toshihusa Uchibori

内堀 敏房

Enokidagama

Enokidagama

えのきだ窯

Shizuka Oikawa

Shizuka Oikawa

及川 静香

Ohiwaseitou

Ohiwaseitou

大岩製陶

Haruo Ohshima

Haruo Ohshima

大島 晴男

Humiko Ohshima

Humiko Ohshima

大島 文子

Ohtakatoubou

Ohtakatoubou

おおたか陶房

Kenichi Ohtsuka

Kenichi Ohtsuka

大塚 健一

Ohtsukakounaishouten

Ohtsukakounaishouten

大塚幸内商店

Nobumichi Ohtsuka

Nobumichi Ohtsuka

大塚 信通

Ohtsukahaniwaten

Ohtsukahaniwaten

大塚はにわ店

Kaziuraseitoujo

Kaziuraseitoujo

鍛冶浦製陶所

Kashinokigama

Kashinokigama

かしの木窯

Katouseitoujo

Katouseitoujo

加藤製陶所

Tanakaseitoujo

Tanakaseitoujo

田中製陶所

Sakashiodagama

Sakashiodagama

酒塩田窯

Kamiyaseitoujo

Kamiyaseitoujo

神谷製陶所

Takuya Kawaziri

Takuya Kawaziri

川尻 琢也

Kimurakiyoshiseitoujo

Kimurakiyoshiseitoujo

木村清製陶所

Mitsuyoshi Kimura

Mitsuyoshi Kimura

木村 充良

Kiyoshigama

Kiyoshigama

清窯

Yonman Kin

Yonman Kin

金 溶萬

Gnehand Crafted

Gnehand Crafted

グネハンドクラフテッド

Kunitoshi Kurosaki

Kunitoshi Kurosaki

黒崎 邦敏

Kenmokutouen

Kenmokutouen

見目陶苑

Koubouiwata

Koubouiwata

工房いわもと

Koubouhukushima

Koubouhukushima

工房ふくしま

Ichiro Koguchi

Ichiro Koguchi

小口 一郎

Kokoro

Kokoro

壷々炉

Kotabeseitoujo

Kotabeseitoujo

小田部製陶所

Yoshikuni Goto

Yoshikuni Goto

後藤 義国

Shirobei Kobayashi

Shirobei Kobayashi

小林 白兵衛

Koubouhuwari

Koubouhuwari

工房風和里

Kominegama

Kominegama

小峰窯

Hideki Sakata

Hideki Sakata

坂田 秀喜

Sakumatoutarogama

Sakumatoutarogama

佐久間藤太郎窯

Shikitoubou

Shikitoubou

四季陶房

Shishikugama

Shishikugama

獅子吼窯

Ryuta Shimaoka

Ryuta Shimaoka

島岡 龍太

Hideki Shimizu

Hideki Shimizu

清水 秀輝

JAZZkoubou

JAZZkoubou

JAZZ工房

Chiaki Shoji

Chiaki Shoji

庄司 千晶

JOHNNY'S ART STUDIO(café & gallery)

JOHNNY'S ART STUDIO(café & gallery)

JOHNNY'S ART STUDIO(カフェ&ギャラリーむじなっぱら)

Shiretokogama Mashiko gallery

Shiretokogama Mashiko gallery

知床窯 益子ギャラリー

Suigetsugama

Suigetsugama

酔月窯

Susukidagama

Susukidagama

薄田窯

Zouganten

Zouganten

象嵌てん

Souhachigama

Souhachigama

宗八窯

Tatsuma Souma

Tatsuma Souma

相馬 達真

Daigenseitoujo

Daigenseitoujo

大源製陶所

Daizyukugama

Daizyukugama

大宿窯

Daiseigama

Daiseigama

大誠窯

Hirobumi Takeuchi

Hirobumi Takeuchi

竹内 宏文

Tarou Takenouchi

Tarou Takenouchi

竹之内 太郎

Seidoukama

Seidoukama

誠道窯

Gallery Tou Soruto

Gallery Tou Soruto

ギャラリー 陶 塑瑠土

Mieko Tanaka

Mieko Tanaka

田中 美枝子

Shunnji Chikaraishi

Shunnji Chikaraishi

力石 俊二

Chouhoutouen

Chouhoutouen

長豊陶苑

Tsukamoto

Tsukamoto

つかもと

Tenshoujikama

Tenshoujikama

天正寺窯

Tougei Kataoka

Tougei Kataoka

陶芸かたおか

Tougeinomori Hasegawatouen

Tougeinomori Hasegawatouen

陶芸の森 長谷川陶苑

Toukoubou Tanaka

Toukoubou Tanaka

陶工房タナカ

Toubou Kinukawa

Toubou Kinukawa

陶房 衣川

Toubou Nakamura

Toubou Nakamura

陶房なかむら

Toubou Nomura

Toubou Nomura

陶房のむら

Toubou Hasegawa

Toubou Hasegawa

(有)陶房はせがわ

Toubou Hinata

Toubou Hinata

陶房日向

Ayana Nariyoshi

Ayana Nariyoshi

ナリヨシアヤナ

Mitsuyoshi Nishimura

Mitsuyoshi Nishimura

西村 光世志

Negoyaseitou

Negoyaseitou

根古屋製陶

Midori Noto

Midori Noto

能登 実登利

Bakubakugama

Bakubakugama

BAKU2窯

Hagiwaraseitoujo

Hagiwaraseitoujo

萩原製陶所

Shuiti Hashimoto

Shuiti Hashimoto

橋本 秀一

Hamadaseitoujo

Hamadaseitoujo

浜田製陶所

Junko Hanzawa

Junko Hanzawa

半澤 淳子

Minokichi Ban

Minokichi Ban

伴 箕吉

Hijirigama

Hijirigama

聖窯

Hitoshigama

Hitoshigama

緋陶志窯

Ryoma Hiramatsu

Ryoma Hiramatsu

平松 龍馬

Kimi Hiwatashi

Kimi Hiwatashi

日渡 きみ

Fujitakama

Fujitakama

藤田窯

Ikuzou Fujiwara Toubou

Ikuzou Fujiwara Toubou

藤原郁三陶房

Horimizukama

Horimizukama

堀水窯

Mashikoyaki Soeya

Mashikoyaki Soeya

益子焼そえや

Ken Matsuzaki

Ken Matsuzaki

松崎 健

Michiko Matsuzaki

Michiko Matsuzaki

松崎 路子

Mastubaraseitoujo

Mastubaraseitoujo

松原製陶所

Kazumi Mita

Kazumi Mita

三田 和実

Hiroyuki Mita

Hiroyuki Mita

三田 広之

Masami Miyajima

Masami Miyajima

宮島 將實

Ryuji Miyata

Ryuji Miyata

宮田 竜司

Murasawatouen

Murasawatouen

村澤陶苑

Muratahiroshigama

Muratahiroshigama

村田浩窯

Akane Motoyama

Akane Motoyama

本山 あかね

Satoshi Yokoo

Satoshi Yokoo

横尾 聡

Hajime Yokomizo

Hajime Yokomizo

横溝 創

Emiko Yoshizawa

Emiko Yoshizawa

吉沢 恵美子

Kabushikigaisha lib company

Kabushikigaisha lib company

株式会社lib company