A 9-go (9号) hand-decorated Japanese clay hot pot from Studio Yuzuriha (工房ゆずりは) — a product line of Banko-yaki maker Rigyou Co. (株式会社 利行) in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. The porcelain lid carries the workshop's 緑彩ローズ (Ryokusai Rose / 'Green-glaze Rose') pattern: pink, white, and yellow rose-form camellias paired with hydrangea clusters on a jade-green ground. The earthenware body keeps the quiet character Banko-yaki is known for — matte black ash-glaze outside, glossy black inside, and a raw white Banko-clay foot. Sized for a family table, with the maker's tagline 家族団らん (Kazoku Danran — 'Family Togetherness').
Made by Rigyou Co. / Studio Yuzuriha / Banko Ware in Mie Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln
🏮 About Banko-yaki & Rigyou Co.
Banko ware (萬古焼 / 万古焼) traces its lineage to mid-18th-century Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture and is the Japanese pottery tradition most closely associated with donabe and kyusu teapots. It was designated a Traditional Craft of Japan (経済産業大臣指定伝統的工芸品) by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1979. Banko's high-petalite clay body is unusually resistant to thermal shock — which is why a Banko donabe can transition from refrigerated dashi to a gas flame without cracking, when handled correctly.
This piece is produced by 株式会社 利行 (Rigyou Co., Ltd.) in Yokkaichi (四日市市羽津山町), under the workshop brand 工房ゆずりは (Studio Yuzuriha). The Yuzuriha line is hand-decorated and includes donabe, furin (wind chimes), and coffee cup-and-saucer sets.
🌸 Decoration — Ryokusai Rose (緑彩ローズ)
The porcelain lid carries an overglaze floral garden in the workshop's 緑彩ローズ 'Ryokusai Rose' / Green-glaze Rose pattern:
- Jade-green seiji-style underglaze ground
- Rose-form camellia rosettes — concentric brushstrokes in pink, white, and yellow-green
- Hydrangea clusters (紫阳花 / aji-sai) — small dotted florets in pink, peach, pale lavender, white
- Round-oval foliage leaves with thin yellow midribs
- Scattered black calligraphic accent strokes
- A sake-cup-shaped knob (摘み), glazed jade-green with a miniature floral echo
Because every lid is hand-painted, the position, density, and exact tone of each bloom will vary slightly from the photographed example. This variation is a hallmark of authentic hand-decorated Banko-ware.
The body keeps a quieter character: matte black ash-glaze on the exterior, glossy black on the interior, and a hand-finished raw-clay foot — the classic Banko "white-foot, black-body" silhouette.
The workshop name "Yuzuriha" (譲り葉) draws on the Japanese motif of generational succession: the daphniphyllum tree, whose new leaves appear before old ones fall. A piece of cookware made to be handed down — the maker pairs the line with the tagline 家族団らん (Kazoku Danran — "Family Togetherness").
🍲 Uses
- Nabe (锅) one-pot meals — shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, mizutaki, chanko, oden
- Yosenabe and seafood hot pots
- Rice porridge (okayu / 粥) and donabe-cooked rice (土锅ご飯)
- Slow stews and braises that benefit from gentle, even heat retention
- Centerpiece serving vessel — bring it from the stove to the table and lift the lid to release the aroma
🎁 Gifting
A family-table donabe — particularly suited to a wedding, housewarming, or Father's Day gift for someone who cooks. Ships in the original Studio Yuzuriha Thomson gift box; the Japanese-language Rigyou care card (with first-use seasoning instructions) is included. We hand-pack every piece in Japan with double-walled corrugate and dense void-fill for safe international transit.
🧼 Care & First Use
Before first use, season the pot by simmering a thin rice-starch slurry (approximately 3 cups of water per 1 tablespoon of rice flour, brought to a low simmer until thickened — full Japanese instructions on the included Rigyou care card; English translation available on request). Always dry the unglazed foot completely before storage, and place the pot on a trivet rather than a cold counter when it is hot.
