Japanese ceramics and pottery

Japanese Ceramics and Pottery

Alphabetical list

• Agano ware (上野焼) – Tea ceremony ware from Fukuoka Prefecture, introduced by Korean potters.
• Aka Raku (赤楽) – Red-glazed Raku ware used in tea ceremony.
• Aka Shino (赤志野) – Red Shino glaze variation from the Mino tradition.
• Akazu ware (赤津焼) – Aichi Prefecture; part of the Seto tradition with diverse glaze types.
• Arita ware (有田焼) – Saga Prefecture porcelain, Japan’s first domestic porcelain production.
• Banko ware (萬古焼) – Mie Prefecture; heat-resistant stoneware, famous for teapots.
• Bizen ware (備前焼) – Okayama Prefecture; unglazed stoneware, one of the Six Ancient Kilns.
• Echizen ware (越前焼) – Fukui Prefecture; sturdy, rustic ware, one of the Six Ancient Kilns.
• E-Shino (絵志野) – Shino ware decorated with painted iron-oxide designs.
• Export Satsuma – Decorative Satsuma ware made for export markets.
• Hagi ware (萩焼) – Yamaguchi Prefecture; soft-glazed stoneware, valued in tea ceremony.
• Hasami ware (波佐見焼) – Nagasaki Prefecture; porcelain for everyday use, linked with Arita.
• Hirado ware (平戸焼) – Nagasaki Prefecture; fine white porcelain with cobalt blue designs.
• Imari ware (伊万里焼) – Porcelain exported from Imari port, overlapping with Arita production.
• Izushi ware (出石焼) – Hyōgo Prefecture; high-quality white porcelain.
• Kakiemon ware (柿右衛門様式) – Arita ware with distinctive polychrome overglaze decoration.
• Karatsu ware (唐津焼) – Saga Prefecture; rustic stoneware with iron-oxide decoration.
• Kasama ware (笠間焼) – Ibaraki Prefecture; versatile folk pottery.
• Ki-Seto (黄瀬戸) – Yellow-glazed Seto ware style.
• Ko-Imari (古伊万里) – Early period Imari porcelain.
• Ko-Kutani (古九谷) – Early Kutani ware with bold polychrome designs.
• Kuro Satsuma – Black-glazed Satsuma ware.
• Kutani ware (九谷焼) – Ishikawa Prefecture; brightly colored overglaze enamels.
• Kyō ware (京焼) – Kyoto city pottery, also called Kiyomizu-yaki.
• Mashiko ware (益子焼) – Tochigi Prefecture; folk craft stoneware.
• Mikawa ware (三河焼) – Aichi Prefecture; rustic jars and hibachi braziers.
• Mino ware (美濃焼) – Gifu Prefecture; umbrella term for Shino, Oribe, and Seto styles.
• Muji Shino (無地志野) – Plain white Shino glaze style.
• Nezumi Shino (鼠志野) – Gray Shino glaze with iron brushwork.
• Ohi ware (大樋焼) – Kanazawa; hand-molded Raku-type pottery for tea ceremony.
• Onta ware (小鹿田焼) – Ōita Prefecture; folk pottery with slip decoration.
• Oribe ware (織部焼) – Mino tradition; green copper glaze and asymmetrical designs.
• Raku ware (楽焼) – Kyoto; hand-molded pottery for tea ceremony.
• Satsuma ware (薩摩焼) – Kagoshima Prefecture; glazed earthenware with intricate decoration.
• Seihakuji (青白磁) – Bluish-white porcelain, inspired by Chinese Qingbai ware.
• Seto ware (瀬戸焼) – Aichi Prefecture; one of the Six Ancient Kilns, wide variety of glazes.
• Shigaraki ware (信楽焼) – Shiga Prefecture; unglazed stoneware, one of the Six Ancient Kilns.
• Shido ware (志度焼) – Kagawa Prefecture; local folk pottery.
• Shidoro ware (志戸呂焼) – Shizuoka Prefecture; ash-glazed folk pottery.
• Shino ware (志野焼) – Mino tradition; white feldspathic glaze, sometimes with decoration.
• Shiro Satsuma – White-glazed Satsuma ware.
• Soma ware (相馬焼) – Fukushima Prefecture; crackle glaze and “running horse” motif.
• Takatori ware (高取焼) – Fukuoka Prefecture; refined tea ceremony ware.
• Tamba ware (丹波焼) – Hyōgo Prefecture; one of the Six Ancient Kilns, natural ash glazes.
• Tenmoku (天目) – Dark iron-glazed tea bowls, inspired by Chinese Jian ware.
• Tobe ware (砥部焼) – Ehime Prefecture; white porcelain with bold cobalt designs.
• Tsuboya ware (壺屋焼) – Okinawa; Ryukyuan tradition, often for large storage jars.
• Yohen Tenmoku (曜変天目) – Rare iridescent Tenmoku glaze effect.

Table representation

Ware	Main Period(s)	Location (Prefecture/Region)
Agano ware	Early Edo period (17th century)	Fukuoka Prefecture (Tagawa)
Aka Raku	Momoyama – Edo period	Kyoto
Aka Shino	Momoyama period (late 16th century)	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Akazu ware	Kamakura period onward; flourished in Muromachi – Edo	Aichi Prefecture (Seto)
Arita ware	Early Edo period (from 1616)	Saga Prefecture (Arita)
Banko ware	Edo period (18th century); revived Meiji period	Mie Prefecture (Yokkaichi)
Bizen ware	Heian origins; peak in Kamakura – Muromachi; Edo continuation	Okayama Prefecture (Bizen)
Echizen ware	Late Heian – Kamakura period; one of the Six Ancient Kilns	Fukui Prefecture (Echizen)
E-Shino	Momoyama period	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Export Satsuma	Meiji period (19th century, export boom)	Kagoshima & Kyoto workshops
Hagi ware	Early Edo period (from 1604)	Yamaguchi Prefecture (Hagi)
Hasami ware	Early Edo period (from 1599)	Nagasaki Prefecture (Hasami)
Hirado ware	Edo period (especially 18th century)	Nagasaki Prefecture (Hirado)
Imari ware	Edo period (17th–19th centuries)	Saga Prefecture (exported from Imari port)
Izushi ware	Edo period (18th century onward)	Hyōgo Prefecture (Izushi)
Kakiemon ware	Early Edo period (mid-17th century)	Saga Prefecture (Arita)
Karatsu ware	Momoyama origins; flourished in Edo	Saga Prefecture (Karatsu)
Kasama ware	Edo period (late 18th century)	Ibaraki Prefecture (Kasama)
Ki-Seto	Momoyama period	Aichi/Gifu Prefecture (Seto–Mino)
Ko-Imari	Early Edo period (17th century)	Saga Prefecture (Arita/Imari)
Ko-Kutani	Early Edo period (mid-17th century)	Ishikawa Prefecture (Kutani)
Kuro Satsuma	Edo – Meiji period	Kagoshima Prefecture (Satsuma)
Kutani ware	Edo period (from 1655); revivals in Edo & Meiji	Ishikawa Prefecture (Kutani)
Kyō ware (Kiyomizu-yaki)	Momoyama – Edo period	Kyoto
Mashiko ware	Edo period (19th century); developed further in Meiji	Tochigi Prefecture (Mashiko)
Mikawa ware	Edo period	Aichi Prefecture (Mikawa)
Mino ware	Momoyama period (Shino, Oribe, Seto styles); continues in Edo	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Muji Shino	Momoyama period	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Nezumi Shino	Momoyama period	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Ohi ware	Edo period (from 1666)	Ishikawa Prefecture (Kanazawa)
Onta ware	Edo period (18th century); still produced	Ōita Prefecture (Hita)
Oribe ware	Momoyama period	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Raku ware	Momoyama period (from 1580s) – Edo and beyond	Kyoto
Satsuma ware	Late 16th century origins; expanded Edo – Meiji	Kagoshima Prefecture (Satsuma)
Seihakuji	Edo period	Various kilns (influenced by Seto & Arita)
Seto ware	Heian origins; Kamakura – Muromachi; flourished Edo	Aichi Prefecture (Seto)
Shigaraki ware	Kamakura origins; one of the Six Ancient Kilns	Shiga Prefecture (Shigaraki)
Shido ware	Edo period	Kagawa Prefecture (Shido)
Shidoro ware	Muromachi – Edo period	Shizuoka Prefecture (Shidoro)
Shino ware	Momoyama period	Gifu Prefecture (Mino)
Shiro Satsuma	Edo – Meiji period	Kagoshima Prefecture (Satsuma)
Soma ware	Edo period (late 17th century)	Fukushima Prefecture (Sōma)
Takatori ware	Momoyama period (late 16th century); flourished Edo	Fukuoka Prefecture (Takatori)
Tamba ware	Heian origins; Kamakura – Muromachi; flourished Edo	Hyōgo Prefecture (Tamba-Sasayama)
Tenmoku	Kamakura – Muromachi (tea culture)	Originally imported from China; Japanese production in Seto/Mino
Tobe ware	Edo period (18th century)	Ehime Prefecture (Tobe)
Tsuboya ware	Edo period (17th century, Ryukyu Kingdom)	Okinawa Prefecture (Naha)
Yohen Tenmoku	Kamakura period (imported Chinese examples; extremely rare in Japan)	Chinese origin; preserved in Japan (Kyoto temples)