Hamada Pottery

Hamada Pottery (株式会社 濱田窯) is a pottery workshop in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded by Shoji Hamada (1894-1978), a ceramic artist and important intangible cultural property holder, who moved to Mashiko in 1924 and built his home and workshop in 1930, with the first firing in 1931. The pottery has been continued by his son Shinsaku Hamada (1929-2023) and grandson Tomoo Hamada (1967- ), preserving the materials, techniques, and style from Shoji's era.

Shoji Hamada, born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, first visited Mashiko in March 1920. He had studied at Tokyo Higher Technical School and worked at the Kyoto Ceramics Testing Station. In 1920, he left to join Bernard Leach in England, where they built a kiln at St Ives. He held his first solo exhibition in London in 1923. After returning to Japan in 1924, he moved to Mashiko. In 1930, he built his home and workshop in Mashiko, and in 1931, he had his first firing, marking the start of Hamada Pottery. Over the years, he expanded his workshop, and in the 1940s, early disciples such as Tatsuzo Shimaoka and Gen Murata joined him. His son Shinsaku began assisting and debuted as an artist in 1970. After Shoji's death in 1978, the pottery was operated as Hamada Seitousho. In the 1990s, Shinsaku's son Tomoo joined the workshop and later became the central figure preserving the tradition.

1. 1濱田窯 – 栃木県益子町 濱田窯hamadagama.net
2. 2濱田窯について – 濱田窯hamadagama.net
3. 3濱田窯の歩み – 濱田窯hamadagama.net
4. 4創設者 濱田庄司と濱田窯 – 濱田窯hamadagama.net