There is a phrase, “One Raku Two Hagi Three Karatsu.” Anybody who loves tea bowls knows it, and it also speaks of how Raku, Hagi and Karatsu ware matcha bowls are particularly favored among tea masters.

“I’m interested in ceramics.”

“Someday I’d like to visit the various pottery villages.”

“I’d like to take up pottery as a hobby.”

I get the feeling that there many others out there who share such notions.

However, when it comes to ceramic arts, tea ceremony or antiques, the more one learns about their depths, the more intimidating the thresholds must appear, holding them back from “entering” those worlds.

It wasn’t but a few years ago that my interest, too, was hardly more than stopping by pottery villages during my travels and peeking in kilns, or taking little day trips when there was a Kasama or Mashiko ware festival. In other words, my knowledge of pottery was pretty much zilch.

When it comes to ceramics, you don’t need any prior knowledge. You also don’t need to pay in installments or use a credit card to buy a fine matcha bowl. But there is a pottery village that I’d like you to visit.

“Karatsu.”

Due to improved distribution systems and techniques, world-renowned ceramics can be replicated in kilns all over Japan. We live in a time when even retired, old Mr. Jones down the street can acquire a particular kind of clay and specialized glaze, and fire a lovely tea bowl right in his own backyard. In other words, the flip side is, because ceramics of almost every style can be found in almost any region, “method” and “style” are mostly outdated classifications and thus difficult for novices to grasp. Well, that was the case with me, anyway.

With Karatsu ware, the characteristics of the glazed pieces bear the title, “Karatsu”. Rich in variety, the novice will find them easy to identify by sight and aesthetically easy to appreciate.

I think I’ll introduce such Karatsu wares over multiple segments.

~To be continued~