About Shigaraki Rough Clay by Masaki Tachi
This page introduces "Shigaraki Rough Clay", teaware fired in a reducing flame by Masaki Tachi from a clay of the same name.
How Water, Kettles and Teaware Change the Taste of Tea
Effect on taste
Tea brewed in this pot gains spread in flavor, and tastes round and gentle. The finish, its depth, is medium.
Recommended teas: It goes very well with Japanese tea, black tea, pu-erh and Taiwanese oolong. The one exception is Phoenix Dan Cong, Anxi oolong and Wuyi oolong, which it does not suit, so please avoid using it for those.
Choosing the right kind of kettle matters as much as choosing the teapot. There is more at the link below.
How to choose a kettle for better tea
About Masaki Tachi
Masaki Tachi is a potter and a certified Traditional Craftsman living in Yokkaichi. He won the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award in his early twenties, and in Yokkaichi he was called a genius from a young age.
His work is also designated an intangible cultural property of the city of Yokkaichi.
He says that while most artists come to ceramics from the art side, he trained under traditional craftsmen when he was young, and that is what his technique is built on.
He is the last generation of Traditional Craftsmen carrying that craft technique forward.
His teaware is valued for how well it works as much as for how it looks.
Masaki Tachi profile
Traditional Craftsman
Designated intangible cultural property of the city of Yokkaichi
Yokkaichi Banko Ware Traditional Techniques Preservation Society
Awards
Banko Teapot Competition, Minister of International Trade and Industry Award, twice
Banko Teapot Competition, Governor's Award, twice
Banko Teapot Competition, Mayor's Award, three times
Yokkaichi General Competition, Prefectural Assembly Chairman's Award, three times
Japan Sencha Crafts Exhibition, selected
Exhibited at a ceramics exhibition in Philadelphia, USA
Dedicated to Meiji Jingu
Masaki Tachi specializes in teapots in Banko shidei ware, and HOJO wanted a clay that would perform better still. Since he lives in Yokkaichi in Mie, we asked him to try clay from Shigaraki in neighboring Shiga.
Among the many Shigaraki clays, one particular brownish rough clay fired in a reducing flame turned out to perform very well.
This teapot looks rugged, and the tea brewed in it is very round and gentle, rich going down, with the flavor staying around the throat for a long time.
It goes very well with oolong, Japanese tea, black tea and pu-erh, and makes the flavor very full.
The clay is very porous, so when you brew tea in this pot you can smell the tea from the outside as well.
At first the tea soaks in quickly, and crystals of tea compounds may appear on the surface of the clay. Wipe them off lightly with a dry cloth.
With use the color deepens and the pot grows into something with real character.