The Unique Beauty Born from Red Clay — Living National Treasure of Mumyoi Ware

Ito Sekijin（Ito Sekisui V) was born in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, as the fifth-generation successor of a pottery family with a 400-year history.
He is a Living National Treasure celebrated for carrying on the tradition of Mumyoi Ware and for his numerous distinguished awards.

By harnessing Sado’s distinctive red clay and his own innovative techniques, he has opened new horizons in Japan’s world of traditional crafts.
Balancing both tradition and innovation, his works have earned widespread acclaim both domestically and internationally.

Master of Chinkin: Preserving the Timeless Art of Wajima Lacquer for the Future

Born in 1954, this distinguished Japanese lacquer artist is based in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the historic center of Wajima-nuri, Japan’s renowned lacquerware tradition.
He is a master of chinkin, an intricate decorative technique in which delicate lines are carved into lacquer and inlaid with gold powder or gold leaf.

In 2018, he was officially designated a Living National Treasure of Japan as the Preserver of the Important Intangible Cultural Property for Chinkin (gold-inlay engraving).

Recognized for both his technical excellence and artistic refinement, he has received numerous awards at major exhibitions and has contributed to the creation of sacred treasures for Ise Grand Shrine.
Today, he continues to mentor younger generations through his studio and the Wajima Lacquerware Museum, earning widespread acclaim both in Japan and internationally for his efforts to carry the spirit of traditional Japanese lacquer art into the future.

Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Woodwork”

I have been designated as a holder for the carved wood technique within wood crafts. I seek to express what three-dimensional form truly means through my craft works. Japan has flourished as a land of woodworking since ancient times.
We cannot fully comprehend how many wooden products exist within our everyday lives.
They have become so familiar that we pass through life almost without conscious awareness of them.
While wooden products are now beginning to be treated as special objects, I want to express what form should be like today, maintaining their original quality as unconsciously perceived objects.

Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “White Porcelain”

What exactly is white porcelain?
What is the true nature of vessel form? I have continued turning the potter’s wheel to this day while asking myself these questions.
I still find myself constantly questioning, but I believe it is essential to continue creating while maintaining this spirit of inquiry.
Vessel forms such as jars, bowls, plates, and lidded containers made on the potter’s wheel have been created in abundance since ancient times, yet when viewed from a different perspective, they are abstract and free sculptural forms.
By removing preconceived notions of how things must be made, I believe new possibilities for vessel forms begin to emerge.
At times, my work seems to transcend the boundaries of traditional vessel forms, but I aspire to create my own contemporary interpretation of white porcelain through simple sculptural expression.

Biography

• 1957 Born in Kyoto Prefecture
• 1980 Graduated from Kinki University
• 1981 Completed Ceramics Main Course at Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute
• 1982 Graduated from Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Vocational Training School
• 1983 Completed Ceramics Advanced Course at Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute
• 1987 Established independent kiln in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
• 2010 Part-time lecturer at Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Crafts (~2013)
• 2012 Artist-in-Residence invitation (Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park/Shiga), Primary screening committee member for 59th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• 2013 Appointed as Director of Japan Kōgei Association (~2020), Designated as Holder of Shiga Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property
• 2015 Primary screening committee member for 62nd Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• 2018 Primary screening committee member for 65th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• 2020 Appointed as Executive Director of Japan Kōgei Association (~June 2024)
• 2022 Secondary screening committee member for 69th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• 2023 Secondary screening committee member for 70th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• 2024 Primary screening committee member for 71st Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Designated as Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Celadon”

Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Chokin (Metal Engraving)”

Morihito Katsura is a master metal engraver renowned for his exceptional skill in the traditional Japanese art of metalwork.
He is widely recognized as one of the leading figures in contemporary Japanese metal craftsmanship.
While faithfully preserving traditional techniques such as hammering, inlay, and colored metal decoration, he continuously explores new forms of expression and design — breathing life into metal through his artistry.
His works have earned high acclaim both in Japan and abroad, and are held in numerous exhibitions and museum collections.

Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Tankin (Metal Hammering)”

Yukie Ōsumi is the first woman in Japan’s metal art field to be designated a Living National Treasure for “Tankin (Metal Hammering).”
She has established a distinctive artistic style that combines both delicacy and strength, skillfully shaping metals such as copper and silver through the process of hammering and forming.

Her signature works feature vessels shaped by the tankin technique and adorned through *chokin*—particularly using the *nunome-zōgan* (textile-inlay) method—where gold, lead, and platinum are inlaid to create intricate decorations.
Ōsumi is dedicated to sharing the beauty and depth of Japanese metal craftsmanship with the world.
She hopes that people overseas will come to appreciate the unique character and exceptional quality of Japanese culture, and in turn, be inspired to learn about and cherish their own cultural heritage.

Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Iroe Jiki (Colored Porcelain)”

Inheriting the traditions of Edo-period Iro-Nabeshima, he incorporates sumi-hajiki (ink resist), thin ink (blown ink), and platinum coloring techniques. His delicate white snow flower ink resist technique is particularly an original method. He believes his works are born from the accumulation of 400 years of Arita techniques and the support of people.

With honest eyes, he wants people to enjoy viewing his works with sensitivity, saying “How beautiful,” “How captivating,” or “I love this.” He believes that doing so will give birth to even deeper aesthetic consciousness.