Interview with Tsuneki Naoto
We spoke with Tsuneki Naoto about moving to Asakuchi City and his dedication to making Bizen ware.
Please tell us why you moved from Furano City, Hokkaido, to Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture.
Tsuneki (surname only)
Since 2001, I had been using the former Yamabe No. 2 Elementary School in the Yamabe district of Furano City as my studio. However, due to the city’s policies regarding the building it owned, as well as various other circumstances, I began considering leaving in 2015.
The decisive factor in considering a move was finding myself in an unstable situation where I was “unsure whether I would be able to fire the kiln the following year.”
From the outset, I was considering moving to Okayama Prefecture, where I am from. Also, frozen clay would interfere with my pottery work, so I wanted to live in a warm area where there was little risk of freezing throughout the year. I narrowed my search to places in southern Okayama, on the Seto Inland Sea side, where there is little snow—including Asakuchi City—and not far from Kurashiki City, where my parents live, and looked for a property.
While searching for properties, I happened upon an 11-bedroom, 1-living-room, 1-kitchen, 1-dining-room traditional house in Asakuchi City that perfectly met the requirements for my pottery work. I was still living in Furano at the time, so I contacted my parents in Kurashiki and asked them to view it for me. Afterward, my parents sent me a huge number of photos.
The photos showed two storehouses separate from the 11-room main house, and there was enough space between the storehouses and the main house to maneuver a car. I realized I could install a climbing kiln in this space, and that with 11 rooms, I could also set up a studio in the main house. Of course, I could live there too, so I was able to bring my home, studio, and exhibition space for my work together in one place.
After viewing the property in person, I moved to my current location in 2016 and built a climbing kiln in 2017, continuing the pottery work I had started in Furano.
Please tell us about your dedication to the anagama kiln and what makes it appealing.
Tsuneki
An anagama kiln has a different structure from the noborigama, or climbing kiln, commonly used for Bizen ware.
While a climbing kiln is divided into several small chambers, an anagama has a tunnel-like structure, with a single tube extending all the way to the chimney.
In an anagama, flames and smoke flow like a river from the firebox toward the chimney. As a result, areas exposed to more smoke, near the firebox, take on darker colors, while areas exposed to less smoke, near the chimney, take on lighter colors. The greatest appeal is the natural contrast of colors this creates.
Traditional climbing kilns tend to produce deep, heavy shades of dark brown and gray because the pieces absorb a lot of smoke.
I think these colors work well for flower vases and the like, but their subdued tones aren’t very suitable for tableware. By limiting the smoke and firing at a slightly lower temperature, I think the contrast between matte brown and orange creates tableware that makes food look appealing.
Another advantage is that while a climbing kiln requires a large group to operate, an anagama can be fired by just me and one other person. When I was in Furano, my wife’s uncle, who was interested in kiln firing, helped me.
Thinking about how to arrange the vessels is also an important part of using an anagama. A vessel placed in front acts like a “filter,” creating shadows and complex patterns on the vessels behind it.
On the final day of firing, we add firewood through the six rows of side openings in sequence, feeding the flames and adjusting how the entire kiln fires.
I hear that you also make gratin dishes, in addition to Bizen ware. What are they like?
Tsuneki
I started making gratin dishes in Furano in response to customers asking, “Can Bizen ware be used over a flame?”
Ordinary Bizen ware becomes dense because it shrinks considerably during firing, and it can crack if heated rapidly. Gratin dishes, however, are made from a different kind of clay: “clay for donabe.”
Typical gratin dishes are fired evenly in electric or gas kilns, but these dishes are distinctive because they are fired in an anagama using firewood.
Ash from the firewood falls randomly onto the dishes, creating a different color gradation on each one. Unlike ordinary pottery, which is expected to be reproducible as an “industrial product,” a major appeal is being able to enjoy the distinctive variations of a wood-fired kiln.
In Okayama, people are less likely to think of mixing a different clay with Bizen clay, but this hit product was born precisely because I was in the free-spirited environment of Hokkaido.
You also make many animal pieces.
Tsuneki
Since I have a dog, at first I only made dogs.
Then, as I responded to customer requests at events and elsewhere, I expanded the range to include zodiac animals, zoo animals, and farm animals.
For dogs, I also take custom orders for “My Dog,” creating a piece modeled on a customer’s pet from photos they send me. I’m planning to bring commissioned pieces to my solo exhibition in Tokyo in June 2026.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
I think of my pottery work less as being a “ceramics teacher” and more as an extension of a general goods shop. Bizen ware may seem a little intimidating, but what I’m aiming for is everyday tableware that makes you feel “it’s a little more enjoyable to use in daily life.”
As Bizen ware is used and washed over time, its surface gets polished, gradually becoming glossier and developing more distinct color contrasts. I hope you’ll enjoy watching your vessels change over time in your daily life.
Please feel free to visit my studio in Asakuchi City. I look forward to meeting you, talking with you, and letting you handle the vessels in person.
I’m sometimes away, so please contact me in advance if you plan to visit the studio.
There would be no greater joy for me than if my vessels could make your everyday meals just a little more fulfilling.
From the Writer
When we previously interviewed Tsuneki Tea Shop, we heard that one of their relatives was a Bizen ware artist working in Asakuchi City. Meeting Tsuneki at “Umi no Ichi,” held in April 2026, led to this interview.
Asakuchi City, where Tsuneki is now based, is also where Sou Kuramoto, the screenwriter of the acclaimed drama From the North Country, set in Furano, evacuated during the war.
When I was a student, I also spent an extended period in Furano City and worked part-time at a melon farm in the Yamabe district. Although our lines of work—curry restaurant and farming—were different, I felt a connection with Tsuneki’s story. Hearing such local stories was also a valuable experience for me as an interviewer.
A seemingly chance yet inevitable chain of events led to Tsuneki’s independence in Furano City and his move to Asakuchi City. I hope that, through everyday Bizen ware imbued with the “beauty of utility” nurtured in the northern land, he will continue to bring joy and color to the lives of those who use it.
Ceramic Artist Tsuneki Naoto: Information
| Name | Ceramic Artist Tsuneki Naoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 849-2 Jitojo, Kamogata, Asakuchi City |
| Contact | Tel/Fax: 0865-44-3309 Mobile: 090-9758-6162 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | Sometimes away; please contact in advance before visiting |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Ceramic Artist Tsuneki Naoto |
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