[Mashiko Ware]
A style of Japanese ceramics produced in Mashiko, Tochigi prefecture.
Keizaburo Otsuka learned pottery skills in Hitachi Province(present Kasama City) established the first Mashiko ware kiln in Kanei Era (1624-1644) and produced daily necessities such as water jars, brazier and vases. Later,in 1924, the famous potter Shoji Hamada, a Living National treasure of Japan, made his home in the region, and began to produce works of great impact utilizing the rustic Mashiko ware style.
Mashiko ware was designated as the Traditional Crafts of Japan in 1979.
[Akira KIKUCHI] (1935-)
A Japanese potter in Masuko, Tochigi prefecture.
Born in 1935 in Masuko. After graduation from Musashi Industrial University, he studied about pottery/ceramics at a training room of the university.
He won several prizes at the Modern Ceramic Arts Exhibition, the Japan Ceramic Arts Exhibition and so on.
He has held many personal/group exhibitions.
A member of Ibaraki prefecture management committee of Art, a member of Modern Crafts Tokyo Association.

[ Yuteki ]
Yuteki is one of decorative techniques for ceramics, that shows silver or whitish gold specks on surface. The specks look like oil droplets, which are known as yuteki in Japanese (hence the name). The specks look like oil droplets, which are known as yuteki in Japanese (hence the name).