The Edo Period: Two Hit Products That Made Hasami "Number One in Japan"

The history of Hasami ware dates back to around 1598, near the end of the 16th century. Its origins are traced to Omura Yoshiaki, the lord of the local Omura Domain, who brought potters from the Korean Peninsula following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea. He had them establish kilns in the land of Hasami. Archaeological surveys confirm that the earliest products were glazed pottery. Later, the Hasami ceramics industry hit a major turning point when porcelain stone, the raw material for porcelain, was discovered within the village, shifting the focus of production from earthenware to porcelain. This transition was greatly accelerated by the discovery of a large-scale quarry at Mitsumata Toishigawa in the 1630s. The quarry has since been designated a National Historic Site, highlighting its immense importance to the region's history.

Entering the Edo period, the Omura Domain positioned porcelain as a specialty product, throwing its full support behind the ceramics industry. In 1666, it established an administrative body called the "Sarayama Yakusho" (Plate Mountain Office), which managed and fostered production for over 200 years as part of a deliberate policy of industrial promotion. With the domain's backing, two key products emerged that would define the history of Hasami ware.

The first was the "Kurawanka-wan" bowl, aimed at the domestic mass market. These thick, durable, and affordable bowls featured simple designs, like arabesque patterns, quickly painted with a blue pigment called gosu. The name is said to originate from the boatmen on Osaka's Yodo River who used them while selling food and drinks, calling out, "Sake kurawanka, mochi kurawanka?" ("Won't you have some sake, won't you have some mochi?"). These bowls played a crucial role in making porcelain, once a luxury item, accessible to the common people for everyday use, thus supporting the foundation of Japanese food culture. Hasami became a massive production hub for Kurawanka-wan, and by the late Edo period, it had grown to boast the largest production volume of blue-and-white porcelain in Japan.

The second hit product was the "Komapura-bin" bottle, created for the overseas market. In the mid-17th century, as political instability in mainland China disrupted porcelain exports, Japanese porcelain suddenly gained attention as an alternative. Seizing this opportunity, the Komapura-bin was developed specifically for exporting Japanese soy sauce and sake. The name comes from the "comprador" merchants who brokered trade at Dejima in Nagasaki. The design was tailored to the demands of its export destinations, even featuring Dutch text like "JAPANSCH ZOYA" (Japanese Soy Sauce). It was also characterized by a sturdy, squat shape designed for stability on ships. These bottles were exported to Southeast Asia and Europe via the Dutch East India Company. This production system, which catered to two distinct markets—one for the masses in Japan and another for export abroad—became the powerful engine that drove Hasami's growth throughout the Edo period.

Meiji to Showa: The Trials of Modernization and the Shadow of "Arita Ware"

The Hasami ceramics industry had been developing smoothly, but the Meiji Restoration hit it with a major challenge. With the closure of the Sarayama regional office in 1870, the industry lost the patronage of the domain, and producers had no choice but to shift to small-scale private operations. The key to overcoming this crisis for the region was the introduction of new technologies like stencil printing (katagami-zuri) and copperplate transfer printing. These techniques, which further boosted the efficiency of mass production, helped ensure the region's survival. The push for modernization continued into the Showa period, as fuel shifted from firewood to coal and then to gas kilns. The range of products also diversified to include Western-style tableware and even non-tableware items like hand grenades during World War II.

However, during this modernization process, Hasami ware lost its chance to forge its own identity as a unique brand. Being geographically next door to Arita ware from Saga Prefecture, it had an extremely close relationship, sharing raw materials, workshops, and production processes. In particular, Hasami's mass-production capabilities meant it largely served as a subcontractor, propping up Arita's output.

As a result, for most of the 20th century, products made in Hasami were typically sold under the more famous "Arita ware" name. While this relationship supported the region's economy, it also hindered public recognition of the "Hasami ware" name.

21st Century: The Mislabeling Crisis That Birthed the "Hasami Ware" Brand

What finally shook up this long-standing situation was the food origin mislabeling scandal that sent shockwaves across Japan in the 2000s. This scandal sparked a surge in consumer interest in food safety and product origins, leading to stricter enforcement of origin labeling under laws like the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. This trend extended to the ceramics industry, making it impossible to continue the practice of selling pottery made in Hasami as "Arita ware."

For the production area, this was a crisis that threatened its very survival. For businesses that depended heavily on the "Arita ware" brand for sales, losing that name was a direct threat to their livelihood. However, this massive crisis became the ultimate catalyst for Hasami to establish its own distinct brand. Although designated a national traditional craft in 1978, the true journey of building the "Hasami ware" brand began with this 21st-century challenge.

Facing this crisis, the region took a hard look at its own identity. What it discovered was a paradoxical strength: its "lack of a signature style," a quality dating back to the Edo period. Because it didn't have a distinct "face" like the opulent, decorative style of Arita ware, Hasami ware was unbound by past conventions and could freely embrace new designs that suited modern lifestyles.

This "blank slate" became a strategic advantage, enabling producers to swiftly respond to market trends with everything from minimalist designs to Scandinavian-inspired motifs. While staying true to its ethos from the Edo period—durable, user-friendly, and affordable—it added a design sensibility that resonated with modern life, winning over a new generation of fans.

As a result of this transformation, Hasami ware shed its old image as a plain, mass-produced item and was reborn as a contemporary and stylish brand.