Asahiyaki (朝日焼) is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally from Uji, Kyoto. Asahiyaki wares, have been produced for about 400 years, and the kiln is currently led by Hosai Matsubayashi – the oldest son of the family and the 16th generation pottery master. He officially stepped in this role in 2016.
Asahiyaki wares became very popular because of the tea ceremony, that used tea bowls (chawan), cold water containers (mizuzashi) or matcha caddies (chaire). These items were used to serve samurai warriors – the higher class of the society. After tea master’s Kobori Enshu’s death, Asahiyaki came to be know as one of the seven more prestigious kilns of Japan.
In the past, the clay was taken from Mt Asahi. However, now the clay is brought from other mountains around the area and left to age close by the Uji River. On the underside of the wares produced in this kiln, you can see the Japanese characters of Asahi (朝日) engraved with small a metal seal.
*The article was written by our Tea Fellow Alba Ameller. The photo was also provided by Alba. You can follow Alba on her instagram page Dokodemocha.