After a drive through seemingly endless rice paddies, we reached the workshop of our Kasama-yaki artisan Masami Taniguchi. Located on a small hill, it felt like a hideout and once inside, the atmosphere was filled with productivity. It is the first time we were able to see how these unique cups are made, and as always, we were very excited to get to know are artisans better.

This very unique style will make your espresso or tea session stand out. Unlike most other firing methods, the kiln of artisan Masami Taniguchi smokes the cups, which leads to the amazing blueish and rough finish. Each cup is one of a kind because the outcome is unpredictable.

Prime fired porcelain cups are imported from Hasami, and a few layers of a special glaze is applied on them. As his speciality, Masami Taniguchi fires the cups in a kiln that was formally used for roof tiles.