Shigaraki ware Soutouen kiln-change Houhin (100ml)

This is a Sencha Houhin made by Shigaraki ware kiln, Sotouen.

Hohin is a teaware used in the traditional sencha tea ceremony. When brewing gyokuro or sencha, the amount of water used is small, just a few dozen milliliters, and the water temperature is low, at 50-60°C for gyokuro and around 80°C for sencha. After lowering the water temperature with a yuzamashi, the water is poured into the hohin.

Sotouen is a Shigaraki ware pottery kiln that shapes each piece on a potter's wheel and fires them in a traditional climbing kiln. Inheriting the wood-fired kiln from the Edo period from the prestigious Ueda Naokata family of Shigaraki ware, they continue to produce pottery that captures the texture of Shigaraki clay and the rich expression of a wood-fired kiln.

There are few sencha tea utensils on the pottery market these days, so while searching for sencha tea utensils all over Japan, I came across a Sotouen Houhin tea utensil made about 20 years ago at a pottery market in Aichi Prefecture. I asked Sotouen to produce a new tea utensil as a reproduction of the tea utensil from that time, and this is the finished product.

Shigaraki is a place in Shiga Prefecture, surrounded by mountains and with clean, flowing water. It is a place with a deep connection to tea. Since ancient times, many tea masters have favored Shigaraki ware. From the 1600s onwards, it became common for the Tokugawa Shogunate and various feudal lords to give Uji tea in Shigaraki teapots as gifts. Shigaraki also produces tea utensils such as matcha bowls and teapots, and is known as a region where tea ceramics thrived.

Shigaraki clay is somewhat coarse, with a hint of earthenware. Shigaraki ware, fired in the strong flames of a wood-fired kiln, is often brown, but this tea utensil is a greenish brown. The color is produced by chance due to the irregular flow of flames inside the kiln. This is a rare piece of pottery that results from the accidental reaction between the clay and flame.

The main fuel for a wood-fired kiln is red pine. The firing period is about a week, and the temperature rises to 1300-1500°C. The wood-fired kiln itself is made from Shigaraki clay (the second-to-last clay image). Sotouen's climbing kiln is one of the largest in Japan.

Each tea utensil is handcrafted on a potter's wheel, so there are lines on the sides of the vessel from the wheel-throwing process. The texture is pleasant and gives a real earthy feel. The inside is molded very smoothly. It features the soft look of natural clay. The color deepens with use, and one of the charms is that you can enjoy the changes over time.

The Hohin teapot has no handle and is easy to use. There is a line carved near the spout for pouring hot water. It is designed to make it easy to put away tea leaves and wash.

Just like a gaiwan, it can also be used for Chinese and Taiwanese teas such as rock tea and oolong tea. The advantage of a hohin teapot is that it takes up less storage space than a typical horizontal teapot and is easy to use.

Kiln: Sotouen (Shiga)

Forming: Wheel-throwing

Firing: wood-fired kiln

Type: Ceramic

Size: Total length 9cm, base diameter 4cm, height 6cm, lid thickness 1-2mm

Capacity: 150ml full, 100ml practical

Weight: Approx. 150g

Packaging: Paper box

Note: Each piece is handmade and may vary slightly. Unglazed inside and out.

If you fill the teapot to the top with hot water, it will get hot all the way to the rim. We recommend filling the teapot to 70% or less of its capacity.

<Shigarakiware>

Shigaraki ware is one of the six ancient kilns of Japan (Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Tamba, Bizen, and Shigaraki). Shigaraki was located at the bottom of a lake in ancient times, so it is blessed with high-quality clay. The origin of Shigaraki ware dates back to 742, when the capital was moved to this place.It is said that they began by making tiles for buildings in the capital. After that, there was a period of decline in pottery production, but in the latter half of the 13th century, seed jars and water jars began to be made.

In the late 15th century, Japanese pottery began to be used as tea utensils in the tea ceremony. Shigaraki ware, along with Bizen ware, was one of the earliest pottery to be used as tea utensils.From the 17th century onwards, teapots to hold tea leaves presented to the Shogun and feudal lords were also produced in Shigaraki.

Shigaraki ware is deeply connected to tea and is a type of pottery beloved by many tea masters. Located close to Kyoto and Osaka, where the tea ceremony was popular, many matcha bowls, vases, and sencha tea utensils were produced here. Shigaraki is surrounded by mountains, flows with water, and is a place rich in nature. The appeal of Shigaraki ware lies in the texture of Shigaraki's clay, which gives a natural feel, and the rich expression achieved by firing in a wood-fired kiln.