What is Raku ware, and what lies beyond? An interview with Raku Nyunyu Yoshimura.

Interview and text by: Kotopotter owner, Yokoyama

Rakunyu-gama is a kiln located in Kyoto City.

This kiln, with a history of about 100 years, continues to produce Raku tea bowls, mainly as tea ceremony utensils.

Raku ware is a type of pottery that was born about 400 years ago at the request of Sen no Rikyu.

It is shaped by hand without using a potter's wheel and fired at a low temperature for a short time. Its unique properties are significantly different from other ceramics.

This time, I spoke with Shigeyo Yoshimura, the 3rd generation Rakunyu, about the essence of Raku ware and new expressions within it.

Shigeyo Yoshimura, 3rd generation Rakunyu

A Raku ware artist who presides over Rakunyu-gama in Yamashina, Kyoto.
As the 3rd generation of Rakunyu-gama, which has continued for about 100 years, he produces Raku tea bowls that prioritize practicality as tea ceremony utensils.

Biography

September 1959 Born in Kyoto as the eldest son of the 2nd generation Rakunyu Yoshimura

March 1984 Graduated from the molding course at Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Training School

Afterward, studied under his father, the previous generation Rakunyu, and began pottery production

2001 Certified as a Master of Traditional Crafts

2004 Succeeded to the name of Shigeyo Yoshimura, 3rd generation Rakunyu
At the same time, adopted the name "Manpukudo" and held a solo exhibition at Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka

Also serves as an instructor at Kyoto Municipal Ceramics Research Institute and Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology.

The origin of Raku ware and its essence

——First, could you tell us about Raku ware?

Yoshimura-san: Raku ware is a type of pottery that originated in Kyoto about 400 years ago. It began when Sen no Rikyu, a master of the tea ceremony, sought out tea bowls made in Japan instead of the Chinese and Korean bowls he had been using.

At that time, there were almost no professional potters in Kyoto, but Rikyu asked Chojiro, a craftsman who made lion decorations for rooftops, to make tea bowls. That was the beginning.

At that time, they were made using "Juraku clay" harvested in Kyoto.

Chojiro shaped them by hand, without using a potter's wheel. The firing method was also special: "Hikidashi-yaki" (pull-out firing), where they were fired at a low temperature for a short time, about 10 to 15 minutes, and then pulled out of the kiln.

——That's quite different from typical pottery.

Yoshimura-san: Indeed. It's thick, slightly distorted, and yet weak and fragile. It absorbs water, and if you're not careful, it can leak.

Normally, you'd think it was full of flaws, but Rikyu-san said that was good.

Something imperfect, not complete. Something that would eventually return to the earth. That's what was considered to fit with "wabi-sabi."

 

The origins of Rakunyu-gama

——Could you also tell us about Rakunyu-gama?

Yoshimura-san: Originally, we weren't making Raku ware, but "yaki-toishi" (fired whetstones), which are fired at high temperatures. That's the complete opposite of Raku ware.

My great-grandfather used to make Raku tea bowls as a hobby, using the residual heat from that kiln. My grandfather then started it as a full-time family business, and I'm now the third generation.

So, we have no connection whatsoever to the Raku family, which has a 400-year history. We are our own kiln, with our own unique history of about 100 years.

 

Raku tea bowls are "vessels for use"

——What do you think is the charm of Raku ware?

Yoshimura-san: Honestly, as a general vessel, it's difficult to use. It absorbs water and becomes weak.

But for the tea ceremony, that's what makes it good. Its absorbency makes it easy to prepare tea, and you can feel the warmth when you hold it in your hand.

So, a Raku tea bowl is a "vessel for the tea ceremony."

It's not an art piece, and it's not ordinary tableware.

——What do you value in your production process?

Yoshimura-san: It's "beauty for practical use."

Since it's a vessel that only matters when it's used, ease of use is absolutely essential.

However, if you don't try new things, people will only appreciate the old. That's always a dilemma.

 

A new expression: painting

——A characteristic of Rakunyu-gama is painted tea bowls, isn't it?

Yoshimura-san: Yes. We started about 30 years ago.

Originally, Raku tea bowls were basically plain red and black.

But I thought I'd try to incorporate new expressions, so I started painting.

——Is it different from painting on general pottery?

Yoshimura-san: It's quite different. We use "nama-etsuke" (raw painting), where we paint directly onto the soft, unfired clay.

We don't use pigments; we paint with colored clay itself. We have about 60 colors now.

When fired, the colors of the clay emerge beautifully. This expression is possible precisely because Raku ware is fired at low temperatures.

——It also has a unique texture.

Yoshimura-san: Yes, it does. It becomes slightly raised and has a soft feel. I don't think you see that much elsewhere.

 

Brand-specific philosophy

——I heard your works are categorized by brand.

Yoshimura-san: Yes. "Manpukudo" is my work, mainly plain designs.

"Rakunyu-in" is a painted series, with the addition of a painter.

"Rakunyu-gama" refers to works produced by the entire workshop.

——What are your thoughts on painting?

Yoshimura-san: It's interesting and a new form of expression. However, I personally feel it's slightly different from the "essence of Raku ware." That's why I've separated the brands.

 

Firing and the individuality of each piece

——How is the final firing determined?

Yoshimura-san: Raku ware is fired for about 10 minutes, and each piece is taken out individually. The color changes depending on how the fire hits it. That's called "yohen" (kiln variation).

——When do you feel "a good tea bowl has been made"?

Yoshimura-san: Simply put, it's when I personally feel it's good.

It's when the shape and the firing result match well.

 

The evolution of Raku ware and its future

——How do you think Raku ware will change in the future?

Yoshimura-san: I believe change is necessary. If it stays exactly as it was 400 years ago, it will eventually die out.

There's a saying, "Tradition is innovation," but only by doing something new can you truly appreciate the good qualities of the old.

——What are your thoughts on future production?

Yoshimura-san: Until now, I've always created "beauty of utility," vessels meant for use. I'm 66 now, and I've been doing this for about 40 years, but I'm slowly starting to think I want to try something different next.

For example, unusable tea bowls. Or things that can't be called tea bowls, or even aren't tea bowls at all.

However, after doing it for so long, my consciousness naturally gravitates towards "use." So, while I want to make something like an objet d'art, honestly, I haven't quite clearly envisioned it in my mind yet.

Raku ware is fired at low temperatures, and "yohen" (kiln variation) occurs, especially with red Raku, which produces very interesting expressions. I hope to use this technique to create expressions different from before.

In fact, gallery owners often tell me they want me to create modern art with Raku ware, but since I haven't studied such things in my youth, it's hard for me to come up with images from within myself.

Nevertheless, that's a lifelong challenge, and I hope to give it form someday. Rather than for sale, I want it to be my own expression. I hope to create something a little freer using Raku ware techniques.

Editor's note

Raku ware is a vessel that embraces "imperfection." Due to its nature, it is difficult to handle and its uses are limited.

However, it is precisely within these constraints that its unique beauty has emerged. The painted Raku tea bowls that Mr. Yoshimura creates can be seen as a new expression along the same lines. It's about not only preserving tradition but also embracing change. This accumulation of efforts will shape the future of Raku ware.