Since the Meiji era (1868-1912), the mass production of Minoyaki has progressed along with the technical innovation of kilns and the division of labor has been promoted in each region, such as Sake server making in Oroshi-cho, Plate making in Hida, and Japanese tea cup making in Izumi. Syunzan Seito produces bowls for commercial use and is located in the town of Dachi, which is the largest producer of bowls in Japan. The company was established in 1958. Mr. Haruo Kato, who was born in Kamo-gun, Gifu Prefecture and came to Dachi as an adopted son of a potter and trained at the pottery to then opened his own kiln. Since the beginning, he has produced only bowls with the belief that Dachi represents bowl making. At the time, he was making bowls of blue and white ceramics with leaves painted in pale indigo but Haruo was concerned about only selling to a few distributors. “I want more people to use them,” he said, and with this in mind, he started manufacturing new types of bowls.

After thinking deeply with Masanori, the second generation president, they came up with the “Nishiki” lidded bowl, which is painted with vivid red, gold, blue, and green colors. “After looking at a variety of dishes from all over the country and thinking about patterns, we decided to use traditional brocade, which never goes out of style,” said Masanori. There are three types of designs: Cherry blossoms, Peonies, and flowers and birds, which have been popular for a long time. He introduced copperplate transfer, which had become the mainstream method for mass-produced dyed porcelain. When the finished product was presented to a distributor, the reaction was positive. “It’s rare for a manufacturer to be able to produce a brocade bowl with such high quality”. Many restaurants began to use them. However, just as it seemed to be getting off the ground, there were problems such as the bowls were breaking easily and chipping. Restaurants use and wash the same dishes several times a day, so they need to be stronger than those for home use. In addition, they need to be easy to stack and easy to carry. The goal was to create a bowl that was strong, light and convenient to use. The first step was to review the soil from scratch. He consulted with his business partner, a clay manufacturing company, and adjusted the blend of silica and feldspar. Every time there was a problem, such as cracking or melting in the kiln, he changed the composition and firing temperature to arrive at the ideal porcelain clay. After revising the shape of the bowl many times to make it easy to stack, he finally completed a bowl that he was satisfied with. Since then, Syunzan Seito has won the trust of the public for its lidded bowls.

Today, the division of labor is in decline and while many potteries are creating a wide range of products to develop new sales channels, Syunzan Seito has focused solely on the production of Nishiki lidded bowls. “I always wanted to try something new but the skills I had developed were more promising and most of all, I wanted to keep my father’s will of focusing only on bowls”. In recent years, he has continued to develop his business in OEM, producing bowls with restaurant logos and family crests and distributing his products to Japanese restaurants overseas in Singapore and S. Korea. “Our bowl is second to none and I believe it has a long future. I want to preserve this technique somehow. So, if there is someone who is willing to succeed the business, I’m always eager to teach. Although there are some concerns, including the issue of a successor, Masanori keeps his head up. With faith and pride in his heart, Masanori will continue to make bowls.