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Ceramic artist Shikamaru Takeshita, based in Mashiko, creates vases and tableware that radiate a one-of-a-kind character. Specializing in yakishime pottery—unglazed, high-fired ceramics—his unique aesthetic distinguishes him from other practitioners of this style known for its usual primitive appearance.
During our visit to Takeshita’s Mashiko workshop, we discussed the unique qualities of his creations. He works in two distinct styles: Nanban pottery and the rare yakishime porcelain. Takeshita may be one of the first to have applied the yakishime technique to porcelain, an unusual approach in the world of ceramics.
Typically, ceramics retain many pores after firing, requiring glaze to prevent water seepage. In yakishime, however, the clay is fired at a high temperatures that it vitrifies, becoming non-porous and watertight without the need for glaze. Through the process of wood-firing, the ceramists relinquish control of the piece to the fire and air, resulting in unique kiln effects (yohen) and natural ash glazes that form from the melting wood ash.
Regions known for yakishime pottery in Japan include Bizen, Shigaraki, and Tokoname, areas where the clay’s properties are suitable for vitrification. With no glaze to cover the base clay, the earth’s inherent qualities at the forefront, resulting in works that are often bold, earthy and raw. Yet, Takeshita’s pieces, while being unglazed, possess a refinement and elegance that set them apart. Perhaps this is why Takeshita’s yakishime pottery has earned the admiration of chefs across different culinary traditions, even though the earthy style of yakishime is associated with Japanese cuisine.
With his father being a potter in Mashiko, Takeshita was introduced to ceramics early on and even worked with his father’s noborigama. As a ceramist, he began exploring yakishime. Initially, he focused on the more traditonal Nanban-style yakishime, but found the local Mashiko clay, rich in iron, produced heavy, brown-toned results. Seeking a delicate aesthetic, he began experimenting with porcelain.
As a ceramist, he developed an interest in yakishime and began working with Nanban-style ceramics but found the results sometimes too rustic. The local Mashiko clay, containing iron, tended to produce brown tones when fired, which contributed to the heaviness. Seeking for a delicate aesthetic, he began experimenting with using porcelain to create yakishime pottery.
Porcelain, made from kaolin-rich stone, is known for its smoothness and fine grain, producing a hard, almost stone-like texture when fired. Takeshita’s unglazed porcelain, transformed in his wood kiln, catches ash and undergoes complex kiln effects, resulting in surfaces with hues of gray, scarlet, and purple. The intense fire of his anagama gives the pieces a depth reminiscent of weathered stone sculptures.
In contrast, Takeshita’s Nanban-style work utilizes coarse clay, which many potters in Mashiko avoid. He employs a method known as “hataki tsuchi,” where the clay is dried and crushed, with only the largest stones removed by hand. The amount of stone left in the clay creates irregular textures, making the forming and firing process more challenging.
Takeshita’s first kiln, built by himself, was destroyed in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake—a testament to the natural challenges in clay-rich regions influenced by tectonic activity. His current anagama kiln is his second, used for firing both Nanban and porcelain pieces. The kiln is fired for a week up to around 1,300 degrees Celsius, with Nanban pieces placed in the cooler back and porcelain at the hotter front. Unlike gas or electric kilns, which allow for automated temperature control, Takeshita together with a help must continually stoke the kiln by hand, even through the night, for the entire week. You rarely create something beyond your imagination from gas and electric kiln, he says. The depth and elegance that emerges from this process defines his iconic work, an exploration that has found a balance within the unpredictable.
Gato - Ceramics and Japanese Food