[Naokata UEDA]
A Shigaraki ware potter in Shigarakicho, Koga city, Shiga prefecture.
The name has been succeeded from the first generation to the present generation.
Naokata Ueda IV (1898-1975)
The eldest son of Naokata III who succeeded his father’s name in 1931. Naokata IV was designated as the holder of technique of Shigaraki ware in 1943, and the first Intangible cultural properties designated by Shiga prefecture in the field of Shigaraki ware in 1964. Naokata IV is well known Shigaraki ware potter specialized in Tea utensils.
Naokata V (1927-1975)
The eldest son of Naokata IV who was born in Shiga.
After his graduation from Kyoto National Ceramic Experimental Station in 1946, he refined his skills under his father and devoted himself to produce tea utensils following his father. Naokata succeeded his father’s name in 1976, and then was designated as the Intangible Cultural Property designated by Shiga prefecture in 1991.
He was a skillful tea utensil potter and praised as the 2 greatest potter of Shigaraki ware along with Shunkei Takahashi. A regular member of Nihon Kogeikai,
Died in 1975 at the age of 77.
Naokata VI (1957-): the present generation
Born in Fukuoka prefecture.
Naokata VI studied pottery methods under a traditional craftsman, Tsuyoshi Oyama in 1979, and then worked at Sotoan kiln in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture.
Naokata VI got married to the daughter of Naokata V, and studied at Kyoto Prefecture Pottery Training School as well as Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Pilot Plant. After his graduation in 1984, he refined his skills under Naokata V, and succeeded the 6th generation Naokata in 2010.
He has held his personal exhibitions several cities in Japan since 1987.
[Shigaraki ware]
One style of Japanese pottery made around Shigaraki area in Shiga prefecture. It is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns.
By around the end of the medieval period, potters in Shigaraki were making daily utensils such as jars, vats, and mortars using anagram kilns.
Because the beauty of its worm reddish hiiro(scarlet) flashing, deep green natural ash biidoro glaze and black scorching attracted Sen No Rikyu and other tea masters, Shigaraki got to be known as Tea pottery.
Shigaraki ware was designated by Japanese government as a traditional craft in 1976 and there are over 300 kilns today.
Shigaraki ware is famous for statures of tanuki (a small raccoon dog) that are often settled in front of shops and restaurants as a lucky charm (the word “tanuki” can mean “excel past the competition” in Japanese). The history of Tanuki statures began in Meiji period when the potter Tetsuzo Fujiwara in Shiga made tanuki for the first time.