Seto
Seto Ware: The Kiln That Named Japanese Pottery
Seto ware is so old its name became setomono, the everyday Japanese word for pottery. A guide to Seto-yaki: its many glazes, its place among the Six Ancient...
The Journal
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How to Choose a Japanese Sake Cup: Ochoko, Guinomi, Sakazuki
Ochoko, guinomi, or sakazuki? How to pick a Japanese sake cup by shape, material, and whether you drink...
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How to Tell if Japanese Pottery Is Handmade and Authentic
A practical guide to reading a Japanese ceramic: the foot ring, the glaze and brushwork, the base mark,...
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Japanese Wedding & Newlywed Gifts: Ideas and Etiquette
What to give a couple in handmade Japanese ceramics, from paired cups to a shared donabe, plus the...
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Journal
ゼンキルン 誌
Stories, studies & care from the workshop
Insights
Deep dives into kilns, glazes, and the wares behind them.
Rituals
Living with and caring for handmade Japanese pieces.
- Yobitsugi: The Japanese Art of Patchwork Ceramic RepairWhen a fragment is lost, yobitsugi borrows one from another vessel — joining mismatched ceramics into a single...
- Gin-tsugi: Repairing Japanese Ceramics with SilverSilver kintsugi, explained — how a traditional urushi-and-silver repair is made, why silver's slow tarnish is part of...
- Maneki Neko Care: Cleaning, Batteries, and DisplayDry-method cleaning for ceramic lucky cats, battery care for electric waving models, coin-bank tips, and safe display —...
- Can You Microwave Japanese Pottery? Microwave & Dishwasher Rules by MaterialA material-by-material guide to which Japanese ceramics, glass, and lacquerware are microwave- and dishwasher-safe — from forgiving porcelain...
- Removing Tea Stains (Cha-shibu) From Japanese Cups & TeapotsTea stains (cha-shibu) are surface tannin deposits — not damage. Here is how to safely lift them from...
- Japanese Incense Burner & Holder Care: Ash, Soot, and StorageHow to care for a Japanese incense burner (kōro) and stick holder (senkō-tate): maintaining incense ash, protecting the...
Series
Four ongoing series from the workshop — pick a thread and follow it.
Archive
Every story in the Journal, newest first.
Lucie Rie at Teien: A Review of the East–West Vessels Show
Japanese Summer Cooling: The Art of Suzu o Toru
The Six Essentials of Tea: Leaf, Water, Fire, Vessel, Setting, Person
Lucie Rie in Tokyo: A Guide to the 2026 Teien Museum Show
How to Appreciate Tea Aroma: Channels, Cold Fragrance, and Listening
What Tea Goes With What Glaze: A Pairing Guide by Color
Calico & Orange Maneki Neko Meaning: The Luckiest Cat
Black Maneki Neko Meaning: Protection and the Lucky Cat
Asakura Isokichi: The Family That Reinvented Modern Kutani
5 Thoughtful Japanese Ceramics for a Housewarming Gift
