The town of Mashiko, in
Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, where I live and work,
should be well known to
any person knowledgeable about traditional as well as contemporary Japanese ceramics.

It is situated on the edge
of the Kanto Plain, to the north of Tokyo. In the far distance, across the plain, dominating the view of the mountains of Nikko, is Mt. Nantai, the prefecture's
most prominent landmark.

Amongst other human activity, pottery has been made and used in this locality since prehistoric times.

The pottery industry which now exists here began around the middle of the 19th century, with the discovery of a type of a sandy clay which could be used to produce the various domestic wares, such as cooking pots, grinding bowls, teapots, water jars and salt pots which became known as Mashikoyaki (Mashiko Pottery).

In the same area existed an abundance of pine, suitable for fueling wood burning kilns, as well as basic materials for producing the brown and kaki (persimmon) colored glazes so commonly seen on Mashiko Pottery Wares.

Jomon Mashiko Pottery

This clay vessel from the Jomon Period is more than five thousand years old.
It was excavated here in Mashiko.