Traditional craft
Hagi Yaki
萩焼
Soft, absorbent pottery from Hagi in Yamaguchi, whose tea bowls slowly change colour with years of use, loved in the tea ceremony for 400 years.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 30 January 2002
- Type
- Ceramics
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 萩焼
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 萩市、長門市、山口市、阿武郡阿武町
A bowl that grows with you
Hagi clay is soft and only lightly fired, so it absorbs liquid. Over years of use, tea and sake seep into the fine crackle of the glaze and the bowl's colour slowly changes. Tea lovers call this cha-nare, and the changes are known as the seven transformations of Hagi. Shapes are simple and painting is rare. It is made in Hagi, Nagato, Yamaguchi and Abu in Yamaguchi.
Blended clays, soft glazes
Potters blend Daido and Mitake clays with clay from Mishima island and local earth. Pieces are thrown, pinched, moulded or built from slabs, then finished with slip, inlay or carving and bisque-fired. Clear or white glaze is applied, and where the flame touches it, the glaze changes in the kiln.
Brought from Korea
About 400 years ago, the lord Mori Terumoto, who had gone to the Korean peninsula with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, brought back two Korean potter brothers, Ri Shakko and Ri Kei. Ri Shakko opened the domain's kiln in Hagi. After his death Ri Kei took over and received the name Saka Koraizaemon, which is still passed down today. The early style was Korean, and later Raku influences shaped Hagi's own character.
Good to know
- Tea people rank tea bowls 'first Raku, second Hagi, third Karatsu'; a Hagi bowl is a classic choice.
- Soak a new Hagi cup in water before use; how you care for it changes how it colours over time.
Questions travellers ask
Why does Hagi ware change colour?
The soft clay absorbs tea and sake through the glaze crackle, so the colour slowly deepens with use.
Who founded Hagi ware?
Korean potters Ri Shakko and Ri Kei, brought to Japan by the lord Mori Terumoto.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.