Make good things, and people will take notice

Yokkaichi is known for its sprawling petrochemical complex. As we drove up the hills west from the industrial road along the coast, Ise Bay began to appear beyond the rows of factories.

The area where Suigetsu Touen is located was once a place for villas, and it still carries a lingering trace of the scenic Yokkaichi of the past, before the coast was reclaimed for an industrial zone.

Suigetsu Touen was founded in 1900. It was established by the first-generation Suigetsu, Kozaburo (born in 1869), and the current master, Hiroshi, is the third generation. The founder reportedly served as the local postmaster before getting into pottery.

"During the Edo period, my family served as magistrates for the Kuwana domain."

Our conversation with the third-generation master began in his workshop, located past the studio's garden, as he kneaded a piece of clay.

"I never met him (my grandfather), but my father (the second-generation Suigetsu) used to say he loved sake so much he drank away his fortune. I guess he started pottery as a side job. I enjoy a drink myself, you know (laughs). He also wrote haiku, and his pen name was Suigetsu."

The first-generation Suigetsu's pottery was "Kata-Banko," using wooden molds to create items like kyusu teapots. Kata-Banko is a technique developed by the brothers Yusei and Senshu Mori, who revived Banko-yaki after it had died out following Rozan Nunami's time. However, as the times changed, Kata-Banko declined, and shaping on a potter's wheel became the norm. Suigetsu Touen also switched to using a wheel from the second generation onward.

"My father made 100% kyusu teapots from the start. Nowadays, pottery artisans are sometimes called 'sensei' (master/teacher), but back then, they weren't considered artists or anything of the sort. They were just craftsmen, you know? That's how they made a living. There was no 'artistic activity,' and we didn't find any glamour in it. It was just a different era."

Hiroshi initially considered a path separate from the family business. He enrolled in the mechanical engineering department—the most popular at the time—rather than the ceramics department at his high school. However, a piece he submitted to the Mie Prefectural Art Exhibition during his high school years sparked a change of heart.

"When I was a kid, my father often took me to see public pottery exhibitions. I'm sure he had to drag me along. It couldn't have been much fun for a child, I imagine."

The third-generation master continues his story, weaving in jokes here and there.

"I saw the works at those exhibitions and thought, 'What's this? I could make something like that.' So in high school, I tried the potter's wheel, made a plate, and it was accepted into a show. I realized that if you create something good, people will notice and appreciate it. The feedback comes back to you so quickly, it's a rush. I found that really appealing and thought, 'This is an interesting world.'"

After graduating from high school, he naturally began to work as an apprentice under his father.

My ultimate goal? I can't quite see it.

The first and second generations made kyusu teapots as everyday household items. The third generation, on the other hand, creates kyusu teapots and other pieces that, while still functional daily items, possess an added artistic quality.

"I think I was 24 when I first submitted a piece to the Nitten Exhibition and it was accepted. That was my starting point. I was aiming to create something special with pottery. However, the pieces for Nitten were contemporary works, not kyusu teapots. I wanted to present my work as Banko-yaki, making the most of this distinctive Banko clay, so it didn't feel quite right. Since then, I've been consistently submitting my work to the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition."

A signature piece from the third-generation master is a teapot finished with a unique blast-processing technique. He incorporated technology from the automotive and shipbuilding industries, sandblasting the surface of the teapot with an abrasive at high pressure to create a striking matte finish.

"Banko clay contains iron. When you fire it, it gets really hard, like a lump of iron. An art teacher asked me, 'Can't you find a way to create a softer expression?' so I tried blasting it. It turned out to be a completely new technique, even for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition."

His teapot using this blasting technique was also selected for the 2024 Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition. This marks the 35th time that Hiroshi himself has been selected.

"What am I aiming for? I can't see it. It'd be easier if I knew what would be considered 'good' in 10 years' time. The foundation of my work is trial and error, hoping people will then buy the result. I guess my stance is to continue making things that are so appealing people will want to buy them, even if they're expensive. Traditional crafts are often stuck with an old-fashioned image. We have to break free from that through design or other means."

What a rewarding profession

After we toured the pottery-making process, he guided us to the sales area where his works are displayed. While Tokoname ware, from across Ise Bay, is known for its red shudei clay, Yokkaichi Banko-yaki is characterized by its purple shidei clay. To this, the third-generation master adds his own chic, stylish flair.

"Adding brilliant gold or platinum makes the pieces popular with people from overseas, and following that trend, Japanese customers have started buying them more, too. This is a collaboration with the Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller. We handled all the design; they just provided the data for the numbers."

His global connections aren't limited to collaborations. He says many customers—from Europe, the Americas, and Asia—come directly to Suigetsu Toen to seek out his pottery. One recent visitor from Taiwan flew into Chubu Centrair International Airport on a private jet and then chartered a bus to Yokkaichi.

"The visitors from Taiwan came with a personal shopper from a department store. Besides, you can look up anything on the internet these days. Even if you don't speak the language, you can manage everything with this (a smartphone), and payments are handled by a machine. The times have really changed, haven't they?"

As he continues to speak, on a shelf behind him are the '萬古盛絵酒盃' (Banko Mori-e Sake Cups), which feature motifs of cherry blossoms and pine trees. These very pieces were used at events like the state dinner during the 2016 G7 Ise-Shima Summit.

"Honestly, to be able to work at my age without any health issues, and to have so many people take an interest in what I do... I think to myself, 'Ah, this is a great line of work.' I was born into a Banko family, raised in the land of Banko, and I create Banko ware. I am Banko. I suppose you could say it's my life's calling."