softedge IS LAYERED WITH HISTORY, HEART, AND THE MANY HANDS OF HASAMI — A TOWN NESTLED INTO THE VERDANT VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS OF JAPAN’S SOUTHERN ISLAND, KYUSHU.
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PLACE
Flanked by the verdant volcanic mountains of the island of Kyushu, Hasami is a town of many small family-run pottery workshops that are woven between traditional timber homes, rice terraces and productive gardens. The town's historic Nakaoyama valley is home to one of the world’s largest climbing kilns and has been the site of over 400 years of continuous porcelain production. Yet Hasami remains relatively unknown outside of Japan as it is often eclipsed by its neighbour Arita — heralded as the birthplace of Japanese porcelain and the primary producer of the country’s finest porcelain ware.
[01] The noborigama (traditional wood-fired climbing kiln) that flanks the mountain above Nakaoyama Valley, is one of the largest of its type in the world. These kilns are a Japanese invention; their terraced design utilises the country’s distinctive volcanic landscape to create heat efficiency at a large scale.
[02] The town’s namesake, 'Hasami', is a reference to the scissor-like tongs used for holding ceramics during the glazing process.
[03] Pottery stones underfoot in the old Mitsunomata Toishigawa Quarry, which was the source of the the town’s porcelain for over 350 years.
[04] A typical outlook in Hasami – timber homes, rice terraces and small-scale factories sitting side by side surrounded by the steep slopes of the volcanic landscape.
People
Today, Hasami is characterised by a youthful and open-minded spirit — less bound by tradition and willing to blend Japanese craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics and technology. The town’s distinct divided labour model means working with a range of small-scale yet highly specialised artisans and workshops is part of the working process of transforming an idea into a finished form. While this type of manufacturing can be more challenging to coordinate, it offers flexibility and integrates diverse skills, problem-solving and innovation at every stage of the process, allowing us to faithfully produce complex forms without compromising on quality.
[01] Tsuneji Hiwatari, company president of Aizen Kiln (Gama) with Layla Cluer and Naoya Shorin, discussing the unique glazing techniques required by the shape of the Rolled Rim range.
[02] Sekko Kawano, our master mould maker with more than fifty years experience in the craft. Pictured here in his big game fishing shed.
[03] Ryusei Tasaki, Production Coordinator at Maruhiro Inc., and affectionately know to us as 'soft edge sensei' because of his uncompromising attention to detail.
[04] Sousuke Fukaumi, company president of Fukaumi Shouten 8th generation gozu and glaze specialist.
[05] Naoyuki Fuchino, company president of Fuchino Ceramic Raw Materials with Layla Cluer.
[06] Yohei Fukuda, president of Fukutoshi Inc. and rolling machine specialist. Fukuda-san is personally responsible for hand finishing the rim on every softedge bowl as pictured above.
