Which appliances do you use every day?
It's a very important choice for me.

The appearance of the food changes completely with just one dish, and you can even feel the individuality and energy of the dish from your hands and eyes.
Time spent at the dinner table becomes more meaningful.

This time I would like to introduce some of my favorite tableware that I use every day.

Yasuki Kakeya's craftsmanship

Kakeya Yasuki has a workshop in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.

By combining different colors of clay to create patterns,
The technique used to shape it into a vessel is called "neriage."

It is characterized by the fact that patterns appear not only on the surface but also on the inside of the vessel, giving it a unique charm.

I bought this dish at a gallery in Setagaya about five years ago and it is perfect for salads, stews,
It is often used in noodle dishes with little liquid, such as pasta and mixed noodles.


Yoji Yamada's Ofukai ware flat plate

Yoji Yamada is a potter who makes pottery in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture.

His signature work is slipware,
This summer I came across a type of pottery called "Ofukai ware."

The glaze is made from plant ash, and during firing, the iron content causes it to take on a pale blue or yellow-green color, similar to that of celadon.

The glassy nature of the glaze gives the surface a glossy finish and it is also characterized by fine cracks called "crazing."

Kazuhiro Tsubota and Aya's cold noodle dish

His home and workshop are located in the mountains at an altitude of about 1,000m in Takachiho Town, Miyazaki Prefecture.
I also visited there four years ago.

Kazuhiro Tsubota and his wife Aya are very kind and generous.
They were very kind to me even though it was our first meeting and we ended up having lunch together.

At my workplace, Mr. and Mrs. Tsubota make tableware for me every year.
This year we had them make a "cold noodle dish."

This year's model can be used as a bowl or a plate, so it is very useful for a wide range of dishes.

Furthermore, the pieces on display were fired in a new kiln, so each piece had a rich, expressive appearance and was unique.
I bought this because I like the bluish finish that has a slightly reduced (less airy) look with ash on top.

small plate

Small plates are convenient for placing small items such as condiments, salt, dipping sauce, and snacks.

I like to use a variety of dishes, regardless of genre, from Japanese, Western, or Chinese, but my favorite is antique small plates.

Bottom right: Minpei ware (Meiji period)
Upper center: Ofukai ware (around the end of the Edo period)
Bottom left: Embossed Seto ware (Meiji period)

By using vessels with such a background,
I feel like I have naturally started to treat the things around me, not just tableware, with care and respect.
Some are easy to use and convenient, such as ones that are hard to break, can be put in the dishwasher or microwave, and if they break you can easily buy a replacement.
Because it is something I use every day, I want to use it for a long time, just as I would like to develop my own pottery.