VOL.213 MARCH 2026
EXPLORING JAPANESE POTTERY Hasami-yaki: A Pottery That Has Flourished as Everyday Tableware

Hasami-yaki pottery displays a richly varied range of colors and designs adapted to the times
Photo: Hasami-yaki Shinkoukai

Hasami-yaki (Hasami ware), a type of porcelain¹ ware that has been produced for over 400 years in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, has been widely used as everyday tableware. In this article, we explore the historical background and defining characteristics of Hasami-yaki, which has been attracting attention both in Japan and overseas in recent years.

Hasami Town, home to Hasami-yaki, is a border town neighboring Arita Town where Arita-yaki² (Arita ware) is produced. The town’s central area is on a flat plain, surrounded by small hills and mountains forming a basin-like terrain. Particularly from the mountains in the southeastern part of the area, porcelain stone — a key material for making porcelain — is mined, with around 20 to 30 percent of the town’s approximately 15,000 residents engaged in work related to pottery production. According to NOGUCHI Masahiko of the Hasami Town Tourism Association, pottery production in Hasami began in the late 16th century.

As NOGUCHI explains, “Both Hasami and Arita are places where full-scale porcelain production was first established in Japan, forming an integrated production area sharing technologies, raw materials, and the movement of craftsmen.”

As the industry developed further, differences in the two towns’ roles gradually became apparent.

“Geographically suited for large-scale kiln operations and blessed with raw materials for porcelain-making as well as fuel, Hasami developed as a center for producing porcelain for practical use. Meanwhile, spurred by the discovery of Izumiyama porcelain stone,⁴ Arita came to produce porcelain for tribute offerings and export under the protection of the Saga Domain that ruled the area at the time. Consequently, Hasami-yaki took on the role of everyday tableware, while Arita-yaki established itself as a production center known for its distinctive styles and designs.”

From around 1690, demand for pottery used as everyday necessities, as bowls and plates rose sharply among commoners. In response to this demand, a Hasami-yaki mass production based on division of labor system was established.

“Artisans specializing in individual stages of the production process, such as  mold making, mold-based forming, painting, and firing,⁵ handled each of the stages. This enabled stable quality and mass production, and the concept of ‘producing what the market demands’ took root. This rational framework is still carried on in Hasami-yaki production today.”

The pottery itself also reflects its emphasis on practicality. Hasami-yaki is rarely made excessively thin. Giving an additional thickness to vulnerable parts, such as the rim (koen: the upper edge of the vessel) and the “foot” (kodai) at the base, helps the vessel withstand daily use, including washing and stacking. Making the foot low and wide gives the vessel stability and balance, making it resistant to tipping and easy to handle, another distinctive characteristic of Hasami-yaki. Also, porcelain fired at high temperatures has low liquid absorbency, making it resistant to taking on stains and odors. Decorations primarily based on white porcelain (hakuji)⁶ and underglaze blue (sometsuke)⁷ have also been passed down as designs emphasizing durability and usability.

“In the late Edo period (late 18th to early 19th century), a practical porcelain bowl known as the kurawanka-wan used as dishware by commoners gained popularity. The bowls were used by peddlers who sold rice and sake from boats traveling along the rivers, and the name is said to originate from their calls of ‘Kurawan ka?’ (‘Won’t you take something to eat?’) Designed for easy handling aboard swaying boats, they featured forms with thickness offering stability and resistance to breaking, with patterns primarily consisting of simple underglaze blue sometsuke decoration. Offering the production efficiency and practicality needed for stable supply of mass-produced everyday tableware, today the bowl is considered one of the symbolic forms representative of Hasami-yaki,” NOGUCHI explains.

Hasami-yaki is also currently being used for school lunch (See “The Significance and Evolution of Japan’s School Lunch Program,” HIGHLIGHTING Japan, December 2025 issue) in Hasami Town. While school lunch is commonly served on hard-to-break dishes, such as plastic or aluminum elsewhere, Hasami Town uses locally produced Hasami-yaki, helping foster an appreciation for local culture.

“For serving school lunch in Hasami Town, a special strengthened form of porcelain called Warenikka, featuring a name that comes from the local dialect word for warenikui (‘break-resistant’). This practice stems from a desire to naturally incorporate Hasami-yaki into children’s daily lives, in the context of the town’s deep history of pottery production.”

Reinforced porcelain, a form given greater strength than ordinary porcelain, to be made for school lunch, is characterized by light weight and resistance to breaking — truly an approach demonstrating Hasami-yaki’s focus on practicality.

In recent years, tourists from outside Japan have been showing interest in Hasami-yaki as well, drawn by its simple, functional design and deep roots in everyday life. Many visitors now research the region’s pottery history in advance and travel specifically for hands-on pottery experiences or production facility tours.

“Hasami-yaki is a type of pottery that can be used repeatedly in daily life and it really sets off dishes served on it. I believe these are key factors behind the appreciation it has received both in Japan and abroad. I would be delighted if more people could experience the charm of Hasami-yaki.”

• 1. Ceramics made from a type of rock known as porcelain stone and fired at high temperatures to achieve a white, hard finish. Featuring low water absorption, they are widely used as everyday tableware.
• 2. Porcelain produced mainly in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture. It is said to have been first made in the early 17th century by potters from the Korean Peninsula who came to Japan. It is characterized by its hard, white porcelain, often decorated with vivid colored paints.
• 3. A type of pottery-firing kiln built on hill slopes, enabling large amounts of pottery to be fired at high temperatures all at once.
• 4. Porcelain stone, a raw ingredient for making porcelain, discovered at Izumiyama in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture. The discovery is said to have prompted the beginning of full-scale porcelain production in Japan.
• 5. A process of heating shaped pottery clay at high temperatures in a kiln to harden it.
• 6. A type of porcelain given a white finish by applying a glassy solution called glaze to the surface of the pottery. Highly decorative, it is used as tableware that brings out the color of dishes served on it.
• 7. A decorative technique where patterns are drawn on the base clay using a pigment called gosu, then covered with a glossy, transparent, colorless glaze before firing.

By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: Hasami-yaki Shinkoukai