FUMOTO

FUMOTO

  • Arao, KUMAMOTO

Biography

Taishu INOUE Master of Traditional Craft
1941 Born in Nankan-cho, Tamana-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture
1957 Joined the Ceramics Department of the Kumamoto Prefectural Industrial Research Institute
1959 Studied under Mr. Yoshimitsu of Kyoto Mori
1960 works at Shodai Kengun Kiln
1965 Became independent in Kurokami-cho, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture
1968 Moved the kiln to Fumoto, Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Renamed to Shodai-yaki Fumoto Kiln
1972 Received the Encouragement Award at the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition
1977 Built a five-bag climbing kiln
1978 Received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Award
1979 Received the Maeda Award from the Kokuga Association and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award from the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
1982 Won the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award at the Western Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
Kumamoto General Art Exhibition Kumanichi Award
1989 Winner of the Prime Minister's Award at the West Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
1999 Appointed as the third director of Kumamoto International Folk Crafts Museum
2000 Produced a platter ordered by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress
2012 Awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Regional Cultural Achievement Award
Naoyuki INOUE
1975 Born in Fumoto, Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture
1996 Graduated from Kumamoto Design College
Studied Koishiwara ware under Tetsuzo Ota
2000 Back to home and Studied under his father Taishu INOUE
Selected for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition (many others have been selected since then)
2001 Selected for the Kumamoto Prefectural Art Exhibition (many others have been selected since then)
2003 Selected for Japan Ceramics Exhibition
Selected for Mashiko Ceramics Exhibition
Selected for the West Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
2004 West Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (Yo-no-bi) Grand Prize
Selected for Kokugakai Exhibition
2005 Selected for Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
2008 Kokugakai Exhibition Newcomer Award
(many others have been selected since then)
2023 Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition Encouragement Award

As the official kiln of Kiyomasa Kato, the first lord of the Kumamoto domain in Higo Province, a military commander who was active from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period (late 1500s to early 1600s), the kiln was built by Korean potter Shinkuro Izuchi, Furuhata, Fumoto, Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The Furuhata kiln, which was opened in In 2003, it was designated as a national traditional craft for the first time in Kumamoto.

Ojiroyama has a layer of high-quality pottery clay.
The Fumoto kiln was built in 1963. Mr.Taishu INOUE built a kiln on that land.

Fumoto Kiln owns a 6-bag climbing kiln, which is one of the largest among the existing Shodai-yaki kilns. Currently, in addition to Taishu INOUE, the director of the Kumamoto Folk Crafts Museum and the owner of the kiln, there are 3 other potters, including his son Naoyuki.

We visited the Fumoto kiln at the time of its first opening at the beginning of the year. A large number of bamboo baskets were piled up to hold the pottery taken out of the kiln, and the potters were busy checking each pottery and sanding them one by one. At Fumoto Kiln, when the first kiln opens at the beginning of the year, many banners are erected around the kiln, and many people welcome them. It is said that there were over 4,000 people at one time, so you can imagine how many people have loved the Fumoto kiln for many years, and are looking forward to seeing the finished products.

Mr.Taishu INOUE is the owner of Fumoto Kiln. In the area where the fumoto kiln is located, it is a famous pottery that even the general public who has nothing to do with pottery knows about. It is customary to give Taishu's teacups and plates as gifts, and everyone seems to be aiming for beautiful pottery with his sign as "Shodai Tai'' engraved on the bottom of the items. The items made by Mr.Taishu INOUE are made using the traditional Shodai ware glaze and technique, but the strength and beauty of the sharp shapes are overwhelming. This is a pottery that you should definitely pick up and take a look at when you visit Fumoto Kiln.

Taishu's son, Naoyuki INOUE, studied under Mr. Tetsuzo Ota of Koishiwara ware, and his work focuses on pottery called slipware, which has spread mainly in Europe. By the way,Slipware is a general term for pottery made using a fluid clay called slip, with patterns drawn on it using a dropper, etc., and then fired at low heat. Naoyuki's pottery is made using the slip technique, using a climbing kiln rather than a low-fired kiln, at temperatures of 1200-1300 degrees to suit Japan's modern lifestyle. In the beginning, there were some people who said that slipware was fine because it was made with low heat, but as the slipware that Naoyuki continues to make became recognized, no one said such things anymore.

When you visit his workshop, Mr. Naoyuki greets you with a loud voice and a smile like the sun. When it comes to making pottery, he says,"I want to betray people's expectations in a good way," and even though he was born in a region that produces traditional Shodai ware kilns, he continues to make slipware pottery. Currently, the Fumoto kiln is fired six or seven times a year. When looking at the pottery coming out of the kiln, Mr. Naoyuki says, "There's nothing new. It's a repetitive job." However, you can see that the shape of the vessel is changing little by little. You can feel the desire to make things better from the way they are being improved. Looking at the failed vessel, Naoyuki says,"It's my fault. I'm greedy." He creates "beautiful practical objects that go beyond artificiality" in the form of folk crafts. Of course, in addition to slipware, the kiln also produces traditional Shodai pottery. There is a sales office next to the workshop run by Naoyuki's sister, so why not stop by if you're in the area?

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