The Making of
HASAMI-YAKI
Our Hasami-yaki cups are made on the southern main island Kyushu.
On our trip to our producer, we had the chance to see all the steps in their production.
Arriving in Hasami, the first thing that impressed us was the beautiful landscape. Rice paddies and tea fields surrounded by mountains covered in a lush of green.
After we filled our bellies with a huge bowl of the local noodles "Nagasaki Chanpon", we stepped into the workshop of the mold maker. We learned a lot about molds of different types, shrinkage ratios and drafts needed to eject castings from the molds.
Next we stopped at the shape maker's workshop. He uses the molds, made by the mold maker, to produce the raw shapes of our cups. Our cups are made with an open mold and a metal spinning tool called "Roller Machine" that presses the clay into shape. After drying, the cups are hand-finished by the experienced shape maker.
Before we finally entered the kiln of Koushungama, we made a quick stop at the local glaze producer. Mixing a variety of natural mineral pigments, he plays also an important role in the production process.
In the beautiful village of Nakaogo, Koushungama has its fairytale-like workshop. Pottery in different production stages can be seen everywhere.
A gallery, showcasing the personal works of the staff will test your power to resist spending everything you got.
The main kiln is being fired multiple times a day, producing pieces of a lot of famous brands.
Glazes of different mixtures are waiting to be put on the pieces by the artisans.
Witnessing how the professionals of every field work hand in hand to finalize our cups, surrounded by this beautiful landscape shines another light on every single pice of work that we receive from them.