Ceramics and tableware
Japanese tableware is made by hundreds of kilns in a few pottery towns, and very little is sold abroad directly. For a piece made to your size, glaze or logo, the kiln itself is the conversation and the minimum is the kiln's to set. For a first or mixed order, a regional trading house is often the realistic route.
What can be made
- Catalogue items from a trading house, in mixed references
- Pieces from a kiln's current range, made in its next firing
- Pieces made for you: your colour, size or backstamp
- Restaurant sets, with reorders planned from the start
How far it can be yours
Each step down adds setup work for the maker, and usually a larger minimum.
- From stock. Mixed references from a trading house. Usually the easiest small order.
- From a kiln's range. Often possible in modest quantities, made in the next firing rather than on demand.
- Made for you. Your colour, size or backstamp. Setup and a minimum lot apply.
Pottery areas (each a nationally designated traditional craft)
| Area | Prefecture | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Mino | Gifu | A very large area making everything from everyday plates to tea wares. Designated 1978. |
| Arita | Saga | Porcelain with white bodies and painted decoration. Designated 1977. |
| Hasami | Nagasaki | Everyday porcelain, one of the largest producers of Japanese tableware. Designated 1978. |
| Mashiko | Tochigi | Thick, sturdy pottery tied to the folk-craft movement. Designated 1979. |
| Seto | Aichi | So central that setomono is a general word for pottery; fine blue-and-white sometsuke. Designated 1997. |
Source: Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries (kougeihin.jp).
Worth knowing first
Food-contact rules. The EU limits lead and cadmium migration from ceramics and expects a written declaration; the US applies FDA limits on extractable lead. I ask each maker whether test results exist and pass on what they supply. I do not test or certify.
Reorders. Glaze and colour can vary between firings, so ask before the first order whether a reference will be repeated and how closely a reorder will match.
Minimum lot, price and lead time
They are set by each maker and differ widely, so I do not publish typical figures. I bring back each maker's own minimum, unit price and lead time in writing, and tell you which change would bring the minimum down.
Guides for this category
- Japanese Glassware for Your Brand: Edo Kiriko, Engraving and Custom Glasses
- Mino, Arita or Hasami? Choosing a Japanese Tableware Region for Your Brand
- Japanese Ceramic Tableware for Your Brand: Mino, Arita and Hasami
Longer guide on my main site (in English): Japanese ceramics and tableware for shops and restaurants