Japan Heritage story
Kasamashiko: the sibling pottery towns of Kasama and Mashiko
かさましこ
Kasama in Ibaraki and Mashiko in Tochigi sit either side of a range of hills and share a pottery history going back 1,200 years. Kasama ware is the older brother and Mashiko ware the younger, and today more than 600 potters work across the two towns.
Key facts
- Theme
- Castles, Food and sake
- Era
- Edo, Meiji
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- かさましこ
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- ～兄弟産地が紡ぐ“焼き物語”～
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 栃木県（益子町）・茨城県（笠間市）
The story
Finds from 8th to 10th century kilns show that both areas once shared the same pottery skills. In the late 18th century, Kuno Hanemon opened a kiln in Hakoda village, the start of Kasama ware. In the 19th century Otsuka Keizaburo learned there and built a kiln in Mashiko, the start of Mashiko ware. Through the Meiji and Taisho eras the two towns cooperated, selling sturdy, cheap jars, mortars and earthenware pots across eastern Japan.
When everyday wares went out of style, each town reinvented itself. In Mashiko, Hamada Shoji, later a Living National Treasure, led the mingei folk-craft movement. In Kasama, the prefecture set up a ceramics institute and an artists' village, and Matsui Kosei raised the neriage technique of layered clays to fine art. Their open, free spirit now draws potters from all over Japan.
What to see
- Mashiko Sankokan: Hamada Shoji's home and his collection of crafts from around the world.Google Maps 益子参考館 (opens in a new tab)
- Kasama Inari Shrine: a shrine that has long supported Kasama's potters, with a shopping street of Kasama ware.Google Maps 笠間稲荷神社 (opens in a new tab)
- Kasama Art Forest Park: the ceramics park where you can try making pottery.Google Maps 笠間芸術の森公園 (opens in a new tab)
- Jizoin: a temple with a Pure Land garden from the Utsunomiya clan's era.Google Maps 地蔵院 益子 (opens in a new tab)
Plan your trip with the Ibaraki prefecture guide and the Tochigi prefecture guide, and see more museums.
Good to know
- Try the wheel or hand-building at a pottery class run by local kilns and potters.
- Visit an open atelier to watch potters at work.
- Look out for ceramic murals and wave-shaped tiles along the town walkways.
Questions travellers ask
What is the link between Kasama and Mashiko ware?
Mashiko ware was founded by a potter who trained at the Kasama kiln, so they are called older and younger brother wares.
Can I make pottery there?
Yes. Local kilns and potters offer wheel-throwing and hand-building classes.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.