January 11, 2019

Get the story - Hasami Porcelain

The historic town of Hasami in Nagasaki Prefecture is one of the foremost pottery districts in Japan. Hasami began crafting its porcelainware almost 400 years ago during the Edo period, distributing them throughout Japan as well as to Europe through the port of Nagasaki. Hasami craftsmen were able to develop a highly efficient system to mass-produce their porcelain products thereby making them more consistent in quality and reasonable in price.

HASAMI PORCELAIN was designed by Takuhiro Shinomoto of Tortoise in Venice, CA in 2012. After working as an interior designer in Tokyo for a decade, Takuhiro Shinomoto and his wife Keiko moved to Los Angeles in 2003 and opened Tortoise General Store in Venice, California. Tortoise has been dedicated to introduce and exhibit works by Japanese artists, or products using traditional Japanese techniques. His vision for Hasami Porcelain was to integrate modern tableware design with the organic quality produced by traditional Japanese manufacturing techniques.

Hasami Porcelain was introduced in 2012, each piece is characterized by aesthetically clean and modern lines while deeply rooted in traditional Japanese pottery design. The charm of HASAMI PORCELAIN lies in the soft and comfortable texture that is carefully shaped with modern lines and pleasant aesthetics. There is a distinctly natural feel to its wares compared to that of traditional porcelain. The matte finish of the natural colored porcelain adds the organic touch that serves as a complement to food and beverages. Using traditional glazing techniques with a proprietary blend of natural stone and clay materials, the outer texture of HASAMI PORCELAIN is a result of many years of development to bring out the very best of these raw natural resources.

HASAMI PORCELAIN’s curved lines represent the essence of modern Japanese aesthetics that is defined by a combination of modern and traditional styles. Its primary appeal is not only in its form, but also its functional nesting design for ease of serving foods and its storage efficiency for limited spaces.

HASAMI PORCELAIN achieves the status of the 21st-century masterpiece of contemporary design while seamlessly melding together its traditional roots. It’s simple yet functional design is perfect for either special occasions or for daily use.

See all the Hasami Porcelain here