Tohzan gama is located in Dachi-cho, Toki City. Mr. Kenji Kato opened the pottery in 1973 after quitting the family business of ceramics painting to start pottery making from scratch. Since that time, Mr. Kato’s motto has been to make potteries that fit current trends and are close to people’s daily lives. In the early days of his business, he mainly made Oribe ware, which is representative of Minoyaki. He came up with the idea of bringing to ordinary households the prestigious Oribe, which was mainly used for tea ceremony utensils and “Kaiseki” cuisine a traditional Japanese cuisine. Mr. Kato studied on his own, reading documents from the Muromachi period (1336-1573) and looking at kilns and items used during the Golden age of pottery. He mixed the Oribe glaze himself, focusing on the vivid green color, and completed the ideal Oribe ware. The beauty of Oribe ware won people’s hearts, but soon many kilns began to make Oribe ware, and he realized that it was gradually becoming difficult to differentiate himself from others. In addition, he felt threatened by the fact that the era of mass production, where “if you make it, it will sell,” was over and original products were in demand. He felt that he had to create something new. That’s when he focused on the combination of “Kohiki,” with its soft white color, and “Shinogi” a decorative technique.

Kohiki is one of the pottery that Mr. Kato has been making since the opening of his kiln. Kohiki is made by coating white clay on red clay that contains a lot of iron and firing it with transparent glaze, changing the color when it is fired. In reduction firing, where the amount of oxygen is reduced and incomplete combustion occurs, the iron in the base clay takes on a slightly pinkish color called “Gohon”. As the iron oxidizes, small black specks of “Teppun” appear. The addition of these two elements to the white base gives a deep flavor. Since the condition of both varies greatly on the iron content of the clay and subtle differences in the reduction gas, no two pieces are the same. The beauty of Kohiki is further enhanced by the delicate Shinogi. The ridges are made on the surface of the base using tools such as a knife and a spatula. The thickness and spacing of the lines vary depending on the pottery, but Mr. Kato shaves each line to a precise uniform width with his skillful technique. “It is an excuse that the lines are not uniform because it is done by hand,” he says. “I want to achieve a high level of perfection, but at the same time, I want to bring out the warmth that only human hands can create”. The shadows created by the ridges, the contrast between the red and white clay, the texture of the clay, and the form that fits comfortably in the hand all create a soothing warmth that brings comfort.

Seven years ago, Tohzan gama was the first to introduce a microwave gas composite kiln, which uses microwaves as the heating source for firing. The microwave gas kiln is superior in that it evenly heats the pottery and prevents distortion, and also reduces the firing time to about two-thirds of the conventional kiln. Firing the same clay in a gas kiln changes the movement of atoms, making it possible to produce thin but durable potteries. “From the Asuka period (592-710) to the present, the kiln industry has been innovating along with the structure of the kiln. That is why I believe that the invention of a new kiln preceding the gas kiln will enable us to produce unprecedented pottery. At present, Mr. Kato is searching for materials that will remove stereotypes and challenge himself to produce new pottery every day. In this rapidly changing age, our lives are also changing. What kind of products will Mr. Kato create in the future, as he always aims to keep up with the times. There is high expectations for the possibilities.