Passing on hand-drawn decoration technique is the very key for existence
Since its peak of production, Yamako Takagi Pottery specialized in various decorations in “The City of Pottery”
Takashi Takagi, the third-generation president struggles to inherit the technique. New and developed printing techniques such as, Transfer and Screen printing, hand-painted decoration has become inefficient nowadays and because of the changing needs and the lack of successors, there are Potters who give up hand-painted decoration.
“Pottery which people use casually for everyday life is the perfect match for the warmth of hand-painted picture.” Seeking the texture which cannot be made with machines, orders are continuously rolling in from all over beginning with green tea cups for restaurant chains. “Some customers bring in pottery and ask if we can draw the exact same picture on it.”
On the other hand, for a small pottery with only a total of 5 people, there is a limit to handling large orders, modifying details of hand-painted decoration which take time and effort. So, by outsourcing works such as mixture and forming of clay to subcontractors who they have known for a long time, Yamako Takagi Pottery was able to establish a division of labor to concentrate solely on decoration.
