Kōshin-gama

Agano Village, Fukuoka

3-Generation Family Shop

Kōshin-gama was founded in 1971 when Chizan Kōzuru began construction of a woodfired kiln in the backyard of his home in the small village of Agano.  He started production the following year and ultimately brought both his son, Kyōichi, and grandson, Yūta, into the business as artisans.  Together, the family has built the shop into one of the leading makers of Agano-ware in western Japan.

The Kōzuru pottery roots go back over a hundred years to the Meiji era, when Chizan’s uncle, Mankichi Kōzuru, and a group of fellow revivalists first restored one of Agano’s ancient kilns.  Today, Kōshin-gama is one of only a handful of active producers in Fukuoka fighting to keep the Agano-ware tradition alive.

YURAI BOWL

$250

SHINKA BOWL

$250

AGANO-WARE

Agano-ware was born in 1602 when a prominent Korean potter named Sonkai was invited to western Japan by Tadaoki Hosokawa, daimyo of the domain of Kokura in present-day Fukuoka Prefecture, to produce ceramics.

Hosokawa was not only a renowned samurai warrior and feudal lord, he was also an avid practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony who had studied under Sen-no-Rikyū, the country’s greatest tea master.  He was determined to make use of the fine-grained clay found in abundance in the hills surrounding the village of Agano for teaware, so he brought Sonkai to Kokura to build a kiln and oversee ceramics production.

Marshalling the talent of region’s numerous Korean artisans, Sonkai succeeded in creating a style of pottery that quickly gained popularity throughout Edo-period Japan.  The colorful pieces he produced from the high-quality Agano clay were lightweight and delicate, characteristics that perfectly complemented the artistry, grace, and formality of the tea ceremony.

Sonkai’s Agano-ware was soon listed as one of the seven preferred teaware styles by Kobori Enshū, another of Japan’s great tea masters and a principal figure in the Tokugawa shogunate.

Today’s Agano-ware retains the refinement and elegance of its predecessors.  The signature glaze is a bright verdigris made using oxidized copper, which gives a spectacular deep green finish.  Agano pieces are also known for their striking variation in colors and patterns, a result achieved by baking for over twenty-four hours at 1,200 degrees Celsius in woodfired kilns.

The effects of this intense process can be unpredictable, but each piece is guaranteed to have its own unique and distinctive character.