TWO YOUNG ARTISANS INHERIT THE FOUR GENERATION LEGACY OF THE DAIGO KILN

The Daigoji temple in the Fushimi district of Kyoto is known for the cherry blossom parties that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a legendary samurai of the 16th century, held there in his later years.
Near the Daigoji temple, the Daigo kiln, Daigogama in Japanese, was built in 1933 to perpetuate the tradition of the Raku ceramics, much beloved by the emblematic tea master Sen no Rikyu.
The first craftsman Kahei Shima fabricated dolls with the Raku technique but his successor turned to making vessels for Cha-Kaiseki (traditional Japanese cuisine and tea ceremony). Made with molds, the bowls expressing seasonal scenes became Daigogama's signature products.
When the third generation master died unexpectedly, Shizuka Shima took over in her 20s as the fourth generation successor of the Daigo kiln.

“My father's death was so sudden, there were still orders from customers but I wanted to fulfill their requests. Ever since I was little I have been watching my father at work. When he passed away, I knew that I was the only one who could take over. I quit my previous job and went back to pottery school . ” (Shima)

Shima says she had no hesitations in making up her mind.
“If it does not work out, I can stop the kiln anytime myself."
With these thoughts in her mind, she set out to run the Daigo kiln.
She enlisted at a pottery school and met her classmate Saki Tanaka. After graduating,
Shima went back to the family’s business while Tanaka started working for another kiln. However, about a year later, Shima invited Tanaka to join her and they decided to run the Daigo kiln together.

“Unlike her, I grew up in an ordinary businessman's family but I loved making things.
I used to work in the construction industry but I came to Kyoto from Tokyo to study ceramics in order to do something I could make with my own hands. ” (Tanaka)

“We still had a long way to go before we could pay ourselves a salary but when I asked if she would like to work with me, she kindly agreed. This is how we started our business in 2017.” (Shima)

IN THE SAME VEIN AS SEN NO RIKYU’S LOVE
FOR RAKU WARE

The origins of the Raku pottery can be traced back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period,
when Sen no Rikyu commissioned the potter Chojiro.
Raku ware is defined by the use of the coarse, airy Raku clay and by the kiln’s relatively low temperature of 800 to 900°C. The texture of Raku pottery is soft to the touch and thermally insulating.
A tea cup can thus easily be held when hot tea is poured.  We were invited to see how the pottery is made.

“First the clay is molded, painted with the base color and unglazed.
Then, a white finish called "Shirae," characteristic of the Raku ware, is applied like makeup on top of the clay and the piece is fired.
Unlike ordinary pottery which is only removed from the kiln once the temperature has cooled down, Raku pottery is taken out while the kiln is still hot.” (Shima)

Shima takes the table with the vessels out of the red-hot kiln and Tanaka then removes the pieces one by one. At this stage, the vessels are as soft as candy and unless two people work together  quickly to complete this task, they will stick together.
A faint "ping ping ping ......" tone can be heard from the vessels exposed to the rapid temperature change. The tone indicates that the glazing has penetrated.

FROM THE HARDSHIPS OF CORONA
TO NEW CHALLENGES

Three years after we restarted the Daigo kiln, our business was hit by the Corona disaster. We keenly felt the danger of relying on restaurants as our main customers when orders suddenly stopped coming in.

“It was at this moment when we were considering other options that the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry introduced the "Atarashiki Mono Kyoto" project. ”  (Shima)

« Atarashiki Mono Kyoto » was a product development project for manufacturers held
by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Fashion Kyoto Promotion Council with the support of the Kyoto Prefecture.
The craftswomen of the Daigo kiln were among the selected workshops.
The experience of developing a new product through repeated discussions with sales advisors and designers allowed Tanaka and Shima to find new strengths to rekindle the business.

“At first, my idea was to use our traditional techniques to create something modern like a skull, I even made a prototype.
But when I actually made it, I thought it would be more interesting to do something like the lids with the zodiacal motifs that Shima’s grandfather was working on. ” (Tanaka)

"From there, we changed direction and thought about a series of fantastic beasts with a Rimpa school motif. In the end we decided on the « Goshin » series ( the five Gods), a combination of the "Four Gods" or the four sacred beasts (the blue dragon, the white tiger, the red bird and the green turtle) protecting all cardinal directions of Kyoto since ancient times, and the yellow giraffe who protects the center. ”(Shima)

The « Goshin » series is a modern interpretation of an incense container with zodiacal motifs that was created by the second generation Daigo master.
It is a versatile interior accessory that can be used to hold jewellery or as an entrance decoration.
The cute, slightly quirky charm of the five sacred beasts is probably due to the well preserved legacy of the Daigo kiln but also to the soft feel of Raku pottery.
The « Goshin » series was the starting point for Shima and Tanaka to launch the "RAKUAMI" brand which they intend to distribute through new sales channels such as museum or department stores.

The two craftswomen chose "RAKUAMI" as the brand name because the literature professor Yoshinori Yoshizawa gave it as a courtesy name to Kahei Shima, the Daigo kiln founder.

FROM KYOTO TO THE WORLD -  RAKU WARE
FOR CONTEMPORARY LIFE STYLES

While Tanaka makes the designs, Shima infuses the products with the DNA of the Daigo kiln. 
Thanks to their collaboration, both craftswomen have grown in their field and and increased their work potential.. Following "Goshin" and "Toridori," a third series, "Red and Black », was created in collaboration with a designer.
This series is rather different from the traditional table ware: Inspired by the traditional Daigo style with the particular white glazing, the Red and Black series features little legs on the vessels.

"We have both lived in a rather small world but since participating in the ≪Atarashiki Mono Kyoto » project,  we have been able to take some distance when looking at our own work.
The clay of Raku is rough, therefore it gives warmth but chips more easily than other porcelain.
I always thought that it was too difficult for ordinary people to handle but this is not the case.
Now I think that it is better to make something that can be cherished and used.
I wish I could explain to the people that there is a certain pleasure that comes with age, or that something becomes more attractive after it has aged....... ”(Shima)

"The biggest change for us was realizing that so many people appreciate our products, much more than we thought”. ”(Tanaka)

"From now on, we would like to continue to work with both styles, the traditional one inspired by my ancestor Kahei Shima and the more daring RAKUAMI style.
We also have a vision of RAKUAMI going beyond Kyoto out into the world. ”(Shima)

Raku pottery is said to be a traditional craft, but when Sen no Rikyu created Raku ware over 500 years ago, it must have been cutting-edge, something that had never existed before.
The fact that it could establish itself as a traditional craft is due to the fact that craftspeople have subsequently and repeatedly updated the style to meet the needs of their respective times.
I hope that these two women, who are at the forefront of the Raku ware lineage, will not forget the spirit of innovation and will continue to create products that convey to the world the charm of Raku ware, which is still not widely known.