Kashiwa Kiln, established in 1965 in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
ABOUT US
About Kashiwa Kiln
CONCEPT
It's all different and that's what makes it interesting: kiln changes through reduction firing
In Kashiwa Kiln's manufacturing, it is of utmost importance that each and every object has its own unique expression.
Even if the pieces have the same shape and pattern, no two pieces will come out of the kiln the same.
It is the individual differences, such as unevenness in the finished product, subtle differences in color, and slight distortions in shape, that give Kashiwa Kiln's products their unique personality and great charm.
There is something interesting about each piece being different, and when you pick one up you develop a special attachment to it, as if it were a one-of-a-kind item.
Since its founding, Kashiwa Kiln has inherited and utilized the Gaba-casting method using red clay, its own developed glazes, and the firing techniques of reduction firing.
The clay is formed using a casting technique using soft red clay, and during the firing process, natural distortions slowly occur, giving the finished piece a warm texture reminiscent of hand-drawn lines. Furthermore, the glaze, which took approximately two years to develop, is formulated to intentionally create unevenness during firing, ensuring that even when fired in the same kiln, each piece will have a unique appearance depending on the flame, temperature, and humidity. The matte texture created by the compatibility of the red clay and glaze, combined with the soft neutral tones, creates a natural, warm appearance not found in industrially produced products. Rather than striving for uniformity like mass-produced pottery, this craftsmanship embraces chance and fluctuation, resulting in an irreplaceable, special presence.
For example, the animal-motif objects (figurines) made by Kashiwa Kiln bring a smile to your face when you make eye contact with them, and they evoke a worldview that soothes the soul. Their plump, rounded shapes and simple, warm textures will bring a sense of peace to your daily life, similar to that of taking a deep breath in the forest.
It is our hope that these vessels and objects, which exude a richness born from their irregularities, will gently become part of your daily life and become beloved for a long time to come.
HISTORY
The beginning of Kashiwa kiln
In the 1960s, influenced by the golden age of Scandinavian design, small workshops using the casting method sprang up one after another in Seto. Kashiwa Kiln's founder, Iwatsuki Hisayuki, was also strongly inspired by the Scandinavian style, including the works of Finnish designer Kaj Franck at the time, and opened his own kiln in Higashihoracho, Seto City in 1965. Iwatsuki Hisayuki aspired to create "enduring designs that can be produced forever." To realize this dream, he began manufacturing by creating the designs and prototypes himself and working on small-lot repeated production using the casting method.
At the time of its founding, white porcelain novelties (decorative ornaments) were in vogue in the Seto region. However, Kashiwa Kiln chose to use red clay and create animal-themed ornaments that took advantage of the subtle distortions of the clay and the glaze changes that occur during reduction firing. This unique style caught the eye of a trading company in Nagoya, and export orders to the US West Coast and Northern Europe surged, leading to OEM production with well-known companies. However, with the sudden appreciation of the yen following the Plaza Accord in 1985, the export industry fell into distress, forcing many Seto potteries to close. In the midst of this, Kashiwa Kiln shifted its focus to products for the domestic market using casting methods, and continued to operate. While working on OEM projects with young designers and leading companies both in Japan and abroad, Kashiwa Kiln maintains the same integrated production system with a small team that it has maintained since its founding, handling everything in-house, from design to prototype production, casting, glazing, firing, and packaging/shipping.
In 2006, the founder's son, Hisato Iwatsuki, took over as the second-generation owner, and while maintaining the techniques and spirit of the original blend of red clay and glaze, the casting method, and reduction firing that he inherited from the first generation, he is also focusing on developing new animal ornaments and flower vase designs. The intricate relief patterns that are Kashiwa Kiln's greatest feature have been passed down while being updated to suit modern sensibilities, and the company continues to quietly create timeless products.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Technology and Materials
"Meticulous calculations that produce distortion" - these words symbolize Kashiwa Kiln's craftsmanship (technology and materials). Utilizing hand-casting techniques, even the slightest distortions and irregularities that occur during the manufacturing process are taken into account as part of the piece's character. Mass production usually requires a uniform finish, but Kashiwa Kiln deliberately leaves fluctuations and distortions so that each piece has its own unique expression and warmth.
The casting process itself is a culmination of artisanal skill. A prototype is made from clay or plaster, and a plaster mold is then taken from that prototype to create the master mold. Plaster is then poured into a case (a mold for creating the working mold) that has been molded from the master mold, and the working mold for forming the product is finally complete. It is an extremely time-consuming and complex method that requires a total of three molding processes to create the mold for the product.
Kashiwa Kiln has also carefully passed down its commitment to materials, unchanged since its founding. Using clay from the local Seto region, the first generation created a soft red clay through repeated trial and error. This red clay has been passed down to the second generation, and gradually distorts before the pieces are fired. The subtle distortions that appear over time give the pieces a warmth that is reminiscent of lines drawn by hand.
Another unique feature of Kashiwa Kiln is the glaze, which was developed independently over a period of approximately two years. The kiln firing is done using a method called reduction firing, and the glaze is deliberately adjusted to create unevenness and burnt marks. Even when fired in the same kiln, the color development varies from piece to piece depending on the flame, temperature, humidity, and other conditions, and no two pieces are ever exactly the same. The unique texture created by the compatibility of the red clay and glaze, combined with the gentle colors created by the matte texture and neutral colors, creates a complex and profound expression that is not found in mass-produced items, as if the glaze is painting a picture.
Even in today's age where efficiency and precision are emphasized, Kashiwa Kiln values the warmth of handcrafted work above all else.
While we have a system in place that allows us to consistently create complex shapes using plaster molds, each piece is carefully crafted by hand from start to finish.
That is why each piece has a gentle expression and individuality, gently adding warmth to modern digital life.
LOCATION
The original scenery of the millennium pottery capital, Seto, Kiln fence path
Seto City in Aichi Prefecture is known as one of the "Six Ancient Kilns of Japan," six production areas where ceramics have been produced continuously from the Middle Ages to the present day. Seto ware boasts a history of over 1,000 years and has long been a driving force behind the domestic ceramics industry. The word "setomono," which refers to pottery in general, also originates from Seto, and the Seto ceramics industry remains renowned both domestically and internationally.
Horamachi, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, where the Kashiwa Kiln workshop is located, was once a bustling pottery town where many kilns gathered.
Nowadays, only a few houses remain, but the "Kamagaki no Komichi" (Kiln Wall Path) still quietly continues along the street.
Kama-gaki is a wall made by piling up used kiln tools. Stretching for about 400 meters, this beautiful geometric pattern is a sight unique to Seto.
Instead of throwing away old tools, they are used as part of the landscape - this idea embodies the thoughts of people who have always cherished things and their sustainable spirit.
The Kamagaki Path is an industrial heritage site that has been carefully preserved by local people as a landscape that conveys Seto's pottery culture to the present day. Just by walking along it, you can come into contact with the memories of the time that has nurtured this land.
Behind the workshop lies a grove of sawtooth oaks and konara oaks, and in autumn acorns fall to the ground, which children gather with smiles on their faces. The kiln was named "Kashiwa" after these nuts (acorns). Surrounded by natural trees and clay, the memories of the land over the millennium quietly live on in the daily work at Kashiwa Kiln, where pottery is still produced.
