Create One-of-a-Kind Shigaraki Pottery from 4-Million-Year-Old Ancient Lake Clay

Nurtured by Ancient Soil: The World of Shigaraki Pottery

Located in southern Shiga Prefecture, Shigaraki is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns where pottery production first began in the 1300s, initially centered on jars and agricultural storage vessels. In the 16th century, Shigaraki pottery started to become recognized by tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu who saw it as an expression of wabi-sabi, the philosophical concept of finding beauty in imperfections and impermanence. Since then, Shigaraki became a center for tea ceramics.

During the Edo Period (1603–1868), Shigaraki’s climbing kilns produced everyday wares like braziers, and from the following Meiji Period (1868–1912) onward, production expanded to ceramic bathtubs and tiles.

After the war, during Emperor Showa’s visit to the town, locals lined the roads with statues of tanuki raccoon dogs holding Japanese flags. The emperor later composed a poem about this experience, bringing national attention to this part of Shiga. Today, Shigaraki’s tanuki have become symbols of the town.

At the heart of this local craftsmanship lies the legacy of Ancient Lake Biwa (Kobiwako in Japanese), which formed 4 million years ago. The lake is believed to have originated near present-day Iga in Mie Prefecture, gradually shifting over thousands of millennia before settling in its current location 400,000 years ago. The sedimentary layer it left behind forms the Kobiwako Formation where you can find clay that is highly plastic and heat-resistant. It continues to be sought after by ceramic artists across Japan to this day.

Shigaraki pottery is formed from high-quality clay and powerful kiln flames. The end-result balances unadorned simplicity with a warmth that is very pleasant to the touch. Besides visiting the kilns and artists’ studios scattered throughout the town, you can witness how materials formed over millennia meet contemporary sensibilities to create something brand new.

The Miharu Kiln, a fourth-generation Shigaraki pottery studio

The Miharu Kiln is a fourth-generation pottery studio in Shigaraki. Founded in 1949, shortly after the war, its history began with the construction of a climbing kiln at the current site. The first and second generations primarily produced large traditional wares such as braziers and planters. In the 1980s, third-generation potter Tsuguharu Kanzaki trained in Tajimi and shifted focus to tableware. At the same time, the kiln embraced a more artistic direction, evolving into a studio known for its distinctive style.

In addition to Mr. Tsuguharu, two other ceramic artists work at Miharu: the 4th-generation potter Shusaku and his wife Keiko Masumoto, each one crafting works that reflect their individual personalities.

The studio grounds include a preserved climbing kiln once used at this very site. In 2017, it was reborn as an exhibition space where works are displayed inside the normally inaccessible firing chambers, allowing visitors to feel the walls marked by flame and the texture of the clay in a one-of-a-kind setting. By turning a historic kiln into a new cultural venue, the Miharu Kiln has given visitors a chance to gain a deeper understanding of Shigaraki pottery.

Three Ceramic Artists Who Work with Shigaraki Clay

Depending on their schedule, one of Miharu’s three Shigaraki pottery artists (the 3rd-generation Tsuguharu Kanzaki, 4th-generation Shusaku Kanzaki, or Keiko Masumoto) will serve as your instructor during this experience. All three are based in Shigaraki and have developed their own distinct styles. A key appeal of this experience is learning not only clay-handling techniques but also the “philosophy of ceramics” directly from experienced experts.

Third-generation ceramic artist Tsuguharu Kanzaki is recognized by Koka City as a keeper of the intangible cultural property of Shigaraki pottery techniques, carrying on the traditional craft into modern times. As a regular member of the Japan Kogei Association and chairman of the Shigaraki Artists Association, he also contributes to the development of local ceramic culture.

His works, which utilize Shigaraki clay and wood-fired kilns, have received high praise at numerous showcases including the Japan Traditional Kogei Kinki Exhibition. Drawing on many years of experience, Mr. Tsuguharu also teaches the basics of pottery that make use of the unique properties of clay.

Fourth-generation ceramic artist Shusaku Kanzaki was born in Shigaraki in 1983. He trained at the Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Technical School and has established a style that embraces both tradition and modern sensibilities. He has been repeatedly selected for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition and the Japan Traditional Kogei Kinki Exhibition, receiving the rookie award at the Kinki Exhibition in 2015 and the Shumei Culture Foundation Award in 2016.

In 2022, he was granted the ceremonial tea name “Soshu” by the head of the Urasenke school and has expanded his work as their certified instructor. His works have been noted for taking Shigaraki clay, which exudes strength and power, and turning it into refined and delicate works of practical art.

Keiko Masumoto is a ceramic artist from Hyogo Prefecture. Her impressive international career includes residencies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Victoria & Albert Museum in the UK. She is the recipient of major awards such as the Tokyo Wonder Wall Grand Prize in the 3D/Installation category, and the Hyogo Prefecture Art Encouragement Prize.

Recently she once again entered the global spotlight for her collaborative works with Pokémon. Her ceramic work includes both vessels and ornaments, and breaks from convention with its distinct, original look. Keiko Masumoto continues to astound global audiences by showing them all the things they didn’t know pottery was capable of.

Visit the Miharu Kiln Where Flames and Ash Paint Sceneries Upon Vessels

The experience begins with a tour of the kiln area located right next to the studio. Guests visit both the climbing kiln gallery, which once produced many fantastic ceramics, and the still-active anagama kiln. Through this, you gain insight into the distinctive firing process of Shigaraki pottery. Normally off-limits, the interior of the rare climbing kiln reveals a quiet, ordered space lined with finished pieces. In contrast, the anagama, which is fired only once a year, is where each work is brought to life through powerful flames.

The annual firing of the anagama kiln consumes around 200 bundles of red pine. Vessel placement is carefully determined by calculating interior temperature variations and anticipating the path of the flames. Once firing begins, the artists work in shifts over four days and nights, constantly tending the fire to maintain the required heat. However, the flames cannot be fully controlled. That’s why it remains customary to offer sacred sake and rice to the deity of fire and pray for a successful outcome before firing.

One of the most spellbinding characteristics of Shigaraki pottery is its distinctive surface “scenery” created by high-temperature unglazed firing. Examples include “hiiro,” a reddish-brown tone produced as iron in the clay oxidizes, “haikaburi,” where falling ash fuses to the surface of a vessel, and “vidro,” formed when ash components react with silica in the clay and melt into a natural glassy glaze under intense heat.

Most of the ash generated from four non-stop days of firing adheres to the surfaces of the pieces, leaving less than a bucket’s worth of waste after the kiln cools down. This is another fascinating characteristic of Shigaraki pottery that is both beautiful and efficient, utilizing as much of the natural ash as a decorative though ultimately uncontrollable element. That’s why works created during the experience are wholly one-of-a-kind creations.

Immerse Yourself in the World of Shigaraki Clay

After touring the kiln, the hands-on pottery experience will begin. During this plan, you’ll be using a manual pottery wheel, allowing you to shape the clay gradually with your hands as it rotates. Unlike an electric wheel, this process lets you feel the weight and texture of the clay through your fingertips at all times, allowing you to take your time while shaping a piece of Shigaraki culture.

You will begin by creating a traditional Japanese teacup, which will familiarize you with the basics of pottery. “Making a teacup teaches you all the essential elements of proper ceramics like maintaining the right thickness throughout the vessel and structural stability,” explains the fourth-generation master Shusaku. Learning these basics is the first step to understanding the nature of Shigaraki clay. By applying consistent pressure and moving your hands with a steady rhythm, you’re sure to create something beautiful.

After mastering the basics of pottery with the teacup-making experience, each guest will create one free-form piece. Using a technique where the clay is rolled into strings and coiled, you will gradually layer the material into a larger, rounded vessel shape. “By applying the clay from the bottom up on the outside, and from top to bottom on the inside, the layers bond tightly, resulting in a stable form,” the instructor explains.

Finishing the “kodai” base attached to the bottom of the vessel and the firing process are handled by trained ceramic artists. Your piece will be completed in a wood kiln during a once-a-year firing and then shipped to you. Depending on the date of your experience, you may have to wait close to one year to receive your vessel.* However, it will be worth it as you’ll ultimately receive a one-of-a-kind work shaped by Shigaraki’s climate and the kiln’s flame. Waiting to observe the change in the clay after firing is an essential part of the pottery experience.

*The wait time is unavoidable since the kiln is only fired at the end of June.

Escape the Everyday into an Immersive World of Creativity

The joy of ceramics lies in designing and shaping the pieces with your own hands, and in the transformation brought by the natural forces of fire inside a kiln. The highlight of this plan is the chance to have your finished work fired in a traditional anagama kiln instead of an electric or gas one. Your work will then be delivered to you so you can see how the result differs from what you envisioned while shaping it. Please enjoy the unique patterns created by shifting flames and falling ash and, through it, come to appreciate vessels that function as everyday items while possessing the singular one-of-a-kind beauty of works of art.

Part of creating ceramics is just sitting quietly with the clay. Many guests become deeply absorbed in this process, losing track of time as they concentrate on their work. By putting all your focus into your fingertips, you enter a kind of meditative state, putting the digital noises of daily life behind you and settling into a calm, mindful rhythm. This experience gives you a chance to work with ceramics artists, touch clay, and shape your own vessel at a kiln set within the rich natural environment of Shigaraki. Your time at the Miharu Kiln will surely become a precious experience that awakens your senses through the process of creating pottery.