Mr. Eizan produces a wide variety of sophisticated and modern Matcha bowls while strictly adhering to traditional techniques. He has a perfect command of glaze, forming and firing by his outstanding skill and unique experience since he has been creating a wide range of traditional Matcha bowls. His diverse works are beyond the everyday norms. Such a potter as Mr. Eizan is very rare and special.

ANAGAMA pottery is the art of the combination of earth and fire. It fascinates the artisan and touches the heart. Mr. Eizan Okuda produced some very beautiful and unique pieces of ANAGAMA pottery. The kiln firing continued from September 4th to 8th.

Mr. Eizan produces a wide variety of ceramics, which are used for the tea ceremony, such as Matcha bowls, tea containers, flower vases, water pitchers, incense containers, and tea cups. He has a perfect command of forming, glazing, and firing by his outstanding and profound skills and unique experience creating a wide range of traditional Matcha bowls. His diverse works are beyond the everyday norms. Such a potter as Mr. Eizan is very rare and special. He is also one of the few potters who have the tea ceremony master name, even in Japan. After graduating from high school, he took lessons in tea ceremony of the Urasenke school, which is one of the three major schools of Japanese tea ceremony, while training in pottery making. And he was given the tea ceremony master name "Sohei" by the head of Urasenke in 1973. So, he focuses not only on the appearance of each piece but also its functionality.

He has researched numerous famous works of ceramic art, National treasures and important cultural properties, which were created around the 16th to the 18th centuries, with the goal of reproducing them. Through this research, he learned a variety of skills of the savviest master craftsmen of each era. He works closely with Urasenke. He was invited by Urasenke to create special pottery to celebrate the anniversary of the tea ceremony. This was a great honor and difficult work but this experience also deepened his skills. Surprisingly, even after passing the age of 75, and although he already has abundant knowledge and techniques, Mr. Eizan is still developing his skills without compromise every day. His gentle, tolerant, accepting and open-minded personality is adored by everyone.

Mr. Eizan’s Matcha bowls, backed by his skills, are magnificent. We sincerely hope our customers will appreciate his works. He is an expert in tea culture, so when he designs Matcha bowls, he focuses not only on the appearance but also its functionality. When you use his Matcha bowl, you can feel his attention to detail.

Mr. Eizan has two ANAGAMA kilns, gas kilns and a kiln for Rakuyaki. It is rare for potters to have a kiln specialized for Rakuyaki. He is an expert at using different firing methods depending on the Matcha bowls’ design. There are two different ways of firing: reduction firing and oxidation firing. Even if you use the same clay and glaze to create Matcha bowls, if you fire them by these different methods, they will have different colors. Controlling these firing methods is important. Mr. Eizan considers the best placement of the pottery inside the kiln and the climate (air pressure and humidity), and controls the amount of oxygen through the chimney of the kiln.

He also has a skill called KATAMI GAWARI. KATAMI means one side of the body and GAWARI means change. Pieces of pottery that feature this skill have two different aspects. One side features reduction firing, while the other side features oxidation firing. Each half of the pottery is fired to a different tone and it is said that this is one of the highest skills of firing. Although he is an expert potter, he said “I am still learning from every work and trying to improve.”

Today, there are many different types of glaze and artisans are able to create pottery in almost any color. However, the purpose of glazing is not only for decoration but also to help pottery to keep its strength. Glaze becomes glassy by firing, so the surface of the pottery is hardened, the durability is increased and water absorption is reduced. Thus, the pottery will last much longer than it would if it were to remain unglazed. It also makes the surface smooth and easy to use. Glaze was traditionally made from wood ash, straw ash and limestone. Types of glaze include transparent glaze, matte glaze, crystalline glaze and milky glaze.

Glazing is an important process in making pottery, along with preparing the clay, and shaping and firing each piece. When potters choose glaze, they consider the firing temperature and the type of clay. The color of the glaze is changed by a chemical reaction caused by heat. Sometimes, it is difficult even for experienced artisans to predict completely what color will be produced because various conditions such as heat and time are involved. It is certainly a challenge but also brings great pleasure to see how the pottery looks as it is brought out from the kiln after firing.

Mr. Eizan has the techniques and imagination to create a wide variety of patterns. He elaborately prepares the glaze after bisque firing. If he tools the Matcha bowls, first he cleans them because there are clay shavings. Shavings and dust become encumbrances to glazing. After that, he stirs the bucket of glaze and applies it to his Matcha bowls using his tools. It is very important to apply glaze uniformly. He applies more glaze to the lip of a Matcha bowl than to the bottom part because during firing in the kiln, the glaze melts and flows downward. When the glazing is done, the piece is left to dry on a wooden board before firing in the kiln.

Mr. Eizan’s glazing skill makes it possible to create a wide variety of sophisticated and modern Matcha bowls. He uses different tools depending on the design of the bowls. Sometimes he just grabs the bowl and puts it in the bucket of glaze, but we saw he was using his handmade tool like a wire to put glaze on one of our Matcha bowls. You can see one of his handmade tools at the pictures below. He hangs the wire to the lip of a bowl and turns it back. He grabs the foot of the bowl with his thumb and middle finger and fixes the wire with his index finger and ring finger and soaks it into the bucket. Mr. Eizan did this without any difficulties, but holding the bowl like this is really difficult.

There are many different glazing methods. An artisan can paint by brush, spray, soak, pour the glaze by ladle, or apply the glaze while rotating the piece on the pottery wheel. An artisan can use a tool similar to a syringe to draw a straight line. They can also layer different glazes depending on the design. Mr. Eizan is an expert at using different glazing methods depending on the Matcha bowls’ design.

He showed us how to make wave patterns using glaze and it was amazing. He placed glaze outside of a Matcha bowl, using a ladle, and then clapped his hands gently holding the Matcha bowl. The shock produced wave patterns beautifully. The water contents of the glaze were also important to create this pattern. It looked easy to make wave patterns but high skill was required.

Mr. Eizan used IRABO glaze on this day. He said that the color of the bowl changed depending on the quantity of AKAIRABO glaze applied to the bowl. If he thinly applies the glaze, the bowl will be reddish brown and if he applies the glaze thickly the color will be green. Considering the form, design and image of the finished piece, the artisan can choose the best way of glazing. Glazing is certainly an important part of creating Matcha bowls and it expands the range of design.

Mr. Eizan’s Matcha bowls, backed by his skills, are magnificent. We sincerely hope our customers will appreciate his works.

Mr. Eizan’s forming skill makes it possible to create a wide variety of sophisticated and modern Matcha bowls. He is an expert at using different forming methods depending on the Matcha bowls’ design. Potters usually are skillful at producing one specific form, yet Mr. Eizan has the techniques and imagination to create a wide variety of patterns. While imagining the completed form, he elaborately creates Matcha bowls by using the potter's wheel and trimming tools. His abundance of technical skills and artistic vision make it possible to bring forth excellent works. He has an extraordinary ability to embody his vision in each Matcha bowl he creates.

After first forming by potter's wheel, he also shapes and characterizes his bowls by trimming using specialized tools, considering the usability, thickness of the glaze and so on. Since he also holds the tea ceremony master name of Urasenke tea school, his works are not only sophisticated but functional.

When he creates Matcha bowls, he always keeps in mind that the bowl should fit his hands when he holds it, and whether the form evokes a feeling of tension, elegance and dignity. He always pursues this endless ambition.

Mr. Eizan Okuda was born in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture in 1944. He studied under his father, who is also a potter from his earlier years, and enhanced his techniques.

He has had a brilliant career. In 1987, he studied under Kohsyoh Shimizu, who is the elder of Todai-ji Temple, which is certified as a World Heritage Site. He was also registered as a traditional craftsman of Shigaraki Yaki ware in 1992 and he was awarded as a traditional crafts industry contributor in 2007. He holds private exhibitions all over Japan and provides guidance to artisans around the world.

Mr. Eizan produces a wide variety of sophisticated and modern Matcha bowls while strictly adhering to traditional techniques. He has a perfect command of glaze, forming and firing by his outstanding skill and unique experience since he has been creating a wide range of traditional Matcha bowls. Therefore, he also has a deep and wide range of skills. Almost all potters specialize in certain techniques or the pottery-making knowledge rooted in a specific region, such as Kyo-Yaki or Shigaraki-Yaki. On the other hand, Mr. Eizan's diverse works are beyond the everyday norms. Such a potter as Mr. Eizan is very rare and special.

He is also one of the few potters who have the tea ceremony master name, even in Japan. After graduating from high school, he took lessons in tea ceremony of the Urasenke school, which is one of the three major schools of Japanese tea ceremony, while training in pottery-making. And he was given the tea ceremony master name "Sohei" by the head of Urasenke in 1973. So, he focuses not only on the appearance of each piece but also its functionality. You can feel his attention to detail.

Eizan Okuda is truly one of the representative potters of Japan. We highly recommend that you try Eizan Okuda’s work once and experience his unique perspective!