We, Hibiki-an have collaborated with Kyoshitsu Sasaki at Kirai Kiln which produces avantgarde and traditional Raku-yaki. Raku-yaki is regarded as the most prestigious and highest ranked earthenware in the tea ceremony. From the ultimate style of Matcha bowl that Sen no Rikyu, influenced by the spirit of ZEN, has pursued all his life, to avant-garde Matcha bowls that showcase the new possibilities of RAKU YAKI, we have prepared six masterpieces. We also continue to sell the seven traditional styles of RAKU YAKI Matcha bowl that are already on sale.

Whether it is the avant-garde RAKU YAKI that may become the standard 100 years from now, or the ultimate RAKU YAKI that Rikyu pursued all his life, both are masterpieces that will revolutionize your green moment.

Raku-yaki is one of the most famous types of earthenware in Japan. ICHI-RAKU, NI-HAGI, SAN-KARATSU has been said since many years ago, which means that Raku-yaki is first, Hagi-yaki is second, and Karatsu-yaki is third of all earthenware in Japan. In short, Raku-yaki is regarded as the most prestigious and highest ranked earthenware in the tea ceremony.

Raku-yaki has a long history and is thought to have been first made about 450 years ago by Chohjiroh, who is the founder of the Raku family. It is said that Sen no Rikyuh, who is the famous tea master in the 16th century and inventor of Wabi-cha, which became the origin of the modern tea ceremony, had Chohjiroh make Raku-yaki to create the most suitable Matcha bowl for the Wabi-cha tea ceremony.

Raku-yaki is a soft-type glazed ceramic ware and it is divided largely into two types: Kuro-raku is black Raku-yaki, and Aka-raku is red Raku-yaki. Kuro-raku is the earthenware which is changed to a black color in a kiln heated at over 1000C (1832F) since the color of the iron glaze changes by reduction firing. Aka-raku is the earthenware which is changed to a red color in a kiln heated at approximately 800C (1472F) since Aka-raku is made from the clay containing ocher which is changed to red color by reduction firing.

Raku-yaki is lighter in weight than it looks due to low density. Thermal conductivity is not so high and the hand feel and texture is very comfortable and soft. Its form and size also fit perfectly into both hands when drinking Matcha. For these reasons, Raku-yaki is very suitable for drinking Matcha and tea ceremony use.

Raku-yaki is also characterized by its forming method. Raku-yaki is formed only by hand and spatula with the clay on a pallet, while most earthenware is made using an electric potter's wheel or kicking potter's wheel. There is a limit to the depth that can be produced by hand (the hollow of the hand). You will be attracted to the originality and uniqueness of works produced in this limited cubic volume.

In the 16th century, Cha-no-yu traditional tea ceremony was regarded as a status symbol and as a way to enhance a sense of presence as an upper-class cultural value. Sen no Rikyuh, who was an attendant of the ruling class in Japan, asked Chohjiroh, a tile-maker at that time, to produce Raku-yaki to create the most suitable Matcha bowl for tea ceremony. Raku-yaki was born specifically to serve Matcha and aesthetically designed to embody Wabi-cha, which is the style of tea associated with the aesthetic sense of rustic simplicity, perfected by Sen no Rikyuh.

Raku-yaki was initially called Ima-yaki, which means "now ware" in Japanese since it was quite avant-garde and novel at that time. Raku-yaki was subsequently renamed Juraku-yaki due to the fact that the Raku home was nearby the Jurakudai palace and also Sen no Rikyuh lived inside the premises of the palace. Juraku-yaki was eventually abbreviated as Raku-yaki.

Since the age of Chohjiroh, the founder of Raku-yaki, the tradition of Raku-yaki has been handed down across successive generations to the present head, 15th generation Kichizaemon. For more than 450 years, successive generations have passed down the technique and tradition of Raku-yaki without any modification. The methods have remained the same since the birth of Raku-yaki. However, it is thought that the tradition is not only to follow in the footsteps of predecessors, but to build upon the history of the Raku family and to innovate. Each generation’s goal was to produce avant-garde and novel works to surpass their predecessors. Therefore, excellent and remarkable works were successively produced and the great tradition remains.

Chohjiroh founded Raku-yaki under the guidance of Sen no Rikyuh, who established Wabi-cha. His unique works reflect most directly the ideals of WABI SABI affected by Sen no Rikyuh. His works are quite simple, since he negated movement, decoration and variation of form and individuality. However, his works have intense presence.

After the death of Chohjiroh, he directed the Raku workshop and founded the base of the Raku-yaki continuing until today. Since the age of Johkei, each generation has succeeded to the name "Kichizaemon". His work has more movement and variation of form, which was never found in the works of Chohjiroh.

Born the eldest son of Johkei, he is also known as Dohnyu and considered as the most skillful potter of the Raku family. He was in close friendship with Kohetsu Honami and it is said that his novel works were affected by Kohetsu. He introduced the decorativeness and spontaneous individuality into the tradition of Chohjiroh that eliminated decoration especially by the application of white or transparent glazes on top of the black glaze.

Kohetsu Honami was born into a prominent merchant family in Kyoto professionally engaged in the forging and connoisseurship of swords. He was a typical man of culture of his period, developing various cultural activities. In 1615, Kohetsu started making Raku-yaki assisted by Johkei and Nonkoh. His works are known for their spontaneity absent of restriction.

He was adopted into the Raku family as son-in-law and succeeded as the 11th generation in 1845. The period he lived through was an age of transition from feudalism to the modernization introducing the modern cultural prospects from the West, as traditions like tea culture steadily declined. Under such unfavorable circumstances, Keinyuh vigorously made a variety of works which are supported by high quality of artifice as well as a poetic sensibility.

After he graduated from the Sculptural Department at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts in 1973, he went to Italy for further studies. He succeeded as the 15th generation Kichizaemon in 1981. He stepped further forward in the modern interpretation of Raku-yaki, though keeping the fundamentals of the tradition. His avant-garde style is characterized by the sculptural modeling achieved by bold trimming.

Sen no Rikyu (1522 - 1591) is known as the founder of the CHANOYU tea ceremony. Born into an influential merchant family, he became familiar with the tea ceremony from a young age, and his talent blossomed. He pursued the spirit of ZEN throughout his life. WABI SABI in the spirit of ZEN is a philosophy that emphasizes that the ultimate beauty is what remains at the end of the pursuit of the minimum necessary, after eliminating all falsehoods.

Known for introducing the culture of tea to Japan, EISAI (1141 - 1215) was at the same time helping to spread the spirit of ZEN. The depth of ZEN is immeasurable, but one of its core principles is the idea of deep introspection of oneself. In understanding WABI SABI, which is said to have been influenced by the philosophy of ZEN, there are seven principles of beauty. These are very important to understand what kind of aesthetic sense Sen no Rikyu pursued.

The Seven Elements of ZEN

FUKANZEN (imperfection):
In ZEN, perfection has an end and imperfection has permanence. Beauty resides in such imperfection.

KANSO (simplicity):
ZEN does not favor complexity. ZEN emphasizes that life itself is simple.

KOKOH (inner nobility):
In the world of ZEN, we find value in beauty that is not apparent; for example, nobility that is not conceited, like that of a dead tree.

SHIZEN (naturalness):
Innocence and purity are important elements in ZEN, hence the emphasis on being natural.

YUGEN (lasting impression):
Contemplating the depths of things that do not appear on the outside. For example, when we look at a blooming flower, we not only admire the beauty that we see there, but we also find beauty in thinking about how it came to be and its fate as it fades away.

DATSUZOKU (free from worldliness):
To leave behind worldly cares and focus on one's own mind.

SEIJAKU (silence):
In Zen, it is believed that a quiet, passive mind is necessary to accept all things.

These aesthetics can be seen everywhere in Rikyu's beloved tea rooms, Matcha bowls, and in every aspect of tea ceremony style, but also in historic descriptions of Rikyu's conduct and mindset during his lifetime.

Sen no Rikyu created a tea house called TAIAN to express his own style of CHANOYU. Although now a national treasure, this tea room is only two tatami mats in size (about 39.26 sq. ft.), and the interior is extremely plain. Until then, it was considered common practice to adorn the tea ceremony room with lavish tea ceremony utensils and décor from mainland China, but Rikyu casually hung a simple KAKEJIKU scroll and arranged simple flowers in a bamboo vase. His attitude of eliminating superfluous embellishment and pursuing the minimum necessary can be seen in this work. In addition, to enter this tea room, it was necessary to pass through a small entrance called NIJIRIGUCHI, approximately 60 × 60 cm in size. To pass through this small entrance, even a person of the highest status must bow his head. Rikyu's style, in which he believed that one should shed one's worldly status and cares, and conduct the tea ceremony as an individual, is also expressed here.

He also left behind a famous phrase, ICHIGO ICHIE, to describe the mindset during tea ceremonies. At a tea ceremony held in the age of war, that tea ceremony could be the first and last chance to spend time with the guests. ICHIGO ICHIE means “treasure each encounter, for it may never reoccur.” In such situations, he expressed his mind to cherish the meeting at this moment and to entertain the guests as best he could. This mindset is characteristic of the WABI SABI style pursued by Sen no Rikyu in the spirit of ZEN.

Rikyu established the CHANOYU tea ceremony style based on the spirit of Zen, pursuing the ultimate beauty and state of mind. The WABI SABI style he arrived at is also called WABICHA, and is still respected by people as the ideal form of the tea ceremony.

There are mainly five important processes of Raku-yaki: pugging, forming, trimming, glazing and firing. Each process is a skilled technique for trained craftsmen, as detailed below.

The clay of Raku-yaki is produced by mixing clay with materials such as silica sand and the mineral petalite, which will not break in the high temperature kiln.
Raku-yaki was born in the city center of Kyoto. General earthenware, on the other hand, was born in the region which produced clay suitable for earthenware. Raku-yaki is produced only for Cha-no-yu traditional tea ceremony, unlike general earthenware, which developed as an industry. For this reason, it can be said that Raku-yaki is a highly cultural art.
Clay is ordinarily mixed by machines, however to create excellent works like one-of-a-kind Raku-yaki, the clay is mixed by hand to avoid fluctuation in quality. Even skilled craftsman can produce only about 8kg of mixed clay by hand. The machines, on the other hand, can produce about 200kg of it at the same time.
It is said that it takes more than three years to acquire pugging skill. The clay is allowed to rest for about one week after mixing.

Raku-yaki is formed by hand without using the potter's wheel. The forming method is called TEDUKUNE. The earthenware created by TEDUKUNE is not seen in representative Japanese earthenware except for Raku-yaki. Skilled craftsmen can determine the weight of one piece only by hand, not using a scale.
Unlike ceramics mass produced by industrial machines, craftsmen following the TEDUKUNE method can ensure that each piece has a desirable hand feel and texture as they create each work individually by hand. This makes it possible to create the excellent Matcha bowl which is most suitable for tea ceremony. Since there is a limit to the depth that can be produced by hand (the hollow of the hand), to express originality and uniqueness in the limited cubic volume is the main attraction and aesthetic of Raku-yaki. Raku-yaki is also ordinarily formed asymmetrically and the rim is also not flat but uneven due to TEDUKUNE forming. The unique shape clearly indicates the characteristics of genuine Raku-yaki. It is thought that the characteristics are the foundation of the Cha-no-yu tea ceremony and reflect the Japanese aesthetic.

After drying for about three days, the base called KOHDAI is attached to the bottom of the bowl by using adhesive clay. This is a very difficult and delicate process even for skilled craftsmen since the KOHDAI can easily separate from the bowl during firing in the kiln if it is insufficiently attached. Next, the bowl is trimmed, after drying about three days to one week.

Trimming is one of the most important processes to determine the quality of works. It is said that it takes more than ten years to learn to produce even a practice Matcha bowl, not for tea ceremony. Each craftsman owns several original trimming tools like a metal spatula and trims the works using the optimal one. Not only the surface but also the inside of the bowl is trimmed and each hollow called CHAKIN-ZURE, CHASEN-ZURE and CHA-DAMARI* is formed by trimming. These are features of traditional Raku-yaki. While considering the usability and thickness of the glaze, the craftsmen carefully scrape. This is also a difficult and delicate process since the bowl can easily break if an area was milled too much. Craftsmen shape the works imagining the final form.

(*) CHAKIN-ZURE means the point where cloth used in the tea ceremony rubs, CHASEN-ZURE means the point CHASEN Bamboo Whisk rubs, and CHA-DAMARI means tea pool in Japanese. CHAKIN-ZURE is the curved place near the rim, CHASEN-ZURE is the curve inside the bottom of the bowl, and CHA-DAMARI is the bottom point in which CHA tea gathers.

KAMOGAWA stones, which are mined at the upper courses of the KAMO river, a famous river in Kyoto, are used for the glaze of traditional Kuro-raku black Raku-yaki. KAMOGAWA stones contain iron and the iron creates the beautiful and unique black color characteristic of Kuro-raku, which appears during reduction firing. When fired by low melting, calm and faded color appears. The color is found predominantly in the works of Chohjiroh, the founder of the Raku family. When fired by high melting, on the other hand, glossy and lustrous color appears. Craftsmen use different melting points depending on their intention.
Earthenware is not glazed only one time but overglazed four to five times over a period of days. This process creates the ideal surface texture and produces elegant and graceful works.
Transparent glaze is used for Aka-raku red Raku-yaki unlike Kuro-raku, since the red color of Aka-raku appears from the clay, which contains ocher, itself. Thus, to enjoy the noble and excellent red color becomes possible.

Kuro-raku is created by firing in a kiln heated to about 1200C (2192F) to melt the glaze completely. It takes about five hours to raise the temperature of the kiln.
After about one minute, which is required to melt the glaze, Kuro-raku which is red hot due to high temperature is taken out from the kiln. The glaze sets at the moment it is taken out from the kiln, and the track of the tongs used to remove the hot Raku from the kiln, called YATTOKO-ATO, remains on the inside and outside of the bowl. This is proof of genuine Raku-yaki produced by traditional Raku-yaki methods. Kuro-raku is commonly fired in the gas kiln, which is burning since it is colored by reduction firing.
Aka-raku, on the other hand, is created by firing in a kiln heated to about 800C (1472F). Aka-raku is commonly fired in an electric kiln which is not burning since it is colored by oxidation firing. Thus, noble and excellent red color is created from the clay itself.
KANNYU, cracking patterns on the surface, is one of the main features of Aka-raku. The KANNYU cracks form a lattice, the size and spacing of which are determined by the timing of cooling in water. If the bowl is quickly imbibed in water just after removal from the kiln, the size of the KANNYU lattice is finer than one cooled slowly. A skillful craftsman will judge the right timing for the work by only the sound of cracking.

In 1995, Teruo Sasaki, who was the third potter of Shouraku Kiln, opened a kiln under the name of "Kirai" and the name of "Kyoshitsu" which was given by the fourteenth chief administrator of Daitokuji temple*, Settei Fukutomi Roushi master.

The Sasaki family is well-known for their traditional Raku-yaki at Shouraku Kiln. Shouraku Kiln opened in 1903, and is one of the most traditional Raku-yaki kilns in Kyoto. Yamato Sasaki, who is the son of Teruo Sasaki and the fourth head of Shouraku Kiln, succeeded to Kyoshitsu the second in 2011.

Kirai Kiln produces avant-garde and novel works which are not restricted by traditional style, while still adhering to traditional Raku-yaki techniques. Shouraku Kiln, on the other hand, strictly follows the footsteps and traditional methods of Raku-yaki.

(*) Daitokuji temple was erected in 1325. The temple has had a great influence on Japanese culture and Cha-no-yu traditional tea ceremony, since the spirit of Cha-no-yu is based in Zen philosophy. It is also said that Juko Murata or Sen no Rikyuh, who is the famous tea master and pioneer of the tea ceremony, maintained close relations with Daitokuji temple.