A Desire to Work with My Hands

Hanada: Could you tell us how you first got involved in making tableware?

Kenichi Muso : Initially, I was working in an internet-related field in Osaka. However, in my late twenties, I decided to return to my hometown in Fukui. That was when I began considering a career related to handcrafts, and I spent time visiting various craft production areas across Fukui Prefecture—lacquerware, cutlery, Japanese paper, and ceramics. In the end, I narrowed my focus down to paper and pottery.

Hanada: Had you always been interested in handcrafts?

Kenichi Muso : Since I was young, I had always enjoyed drawing, art classes, and playing music. I suppose I have always loved the process of creating something with my own hands.

A Fateful Encounter

Hanada: So, paper and pottery were your final choices.

Kenichi Muso : I had actually been deeply fascinated by Japanese paper before and had visited various paper-producing regions. As for pottery, there is a facility near my home called “Creative Forest.” While I was touring the site, someone invited me to join a pottery class. Over time, I became good friends with the instructor and started visiting his home. I found his lifestyle incredibly captivating. We also shared the same taste in music and even went to live concerts together. I listen to a wide range of genres, like black music, Latin, and jazz, and he was someone who appreciated a broad variety of music as well. Perhaps it was just his personality, but his way of living felt so relaxed and free. Before long, I was helping him stoke his wood-fired kiln and kneading clay while listening to reggae music.

Hanada: Working while listening to your favorite music sounds wonderful. For something considered a traditional craft, there is a unique appeal to working with that kind of music in the background.

Kenichi Muso : Exactly. He primarily focused on Echizen pottery, and seeing someone do that kind of work with such a relaxed vibe felt just right to me. It really clicked. He told me about the Echizen Ceramics Guidance Center, and I decided to enroll there as a trainee.

Hanada: What kind of instruction did you receive there?

Kenichi Muso : It was basically just the pottery wheel, along with a little bit of glazing. We had a fair amount of freedom, but there were specific assignments. Once you finished making teacups, you moved on to plates, and after that, narrow-necked vases. Fast learners could keep moving ahead, but since the program was only one year long, slower students might not finish all the tasks. It went by in a flash. After that year, I had this strange, unfounded determination that I was going to set out and work independently right away. It wasn’t even that I had a lot of confidence (laughs). On top of that, near the end of my training, someone who was quitting pottery offered to sell me their entire setup, including the kiln and the wheel. Even though I was still just a student, I thought, “I might as well buy it,” and I did. I was still only learning the basics at the time.

Kenichi Muso : That was how I officially went independent. I was thrilled for a brief moment, thinking, “Yes, I’m on my own now.” But naturally, there was absolutely no work coming in. I didn’t even have my own glazes yet, so I decided to start making them. However, the kiln I had bought turned out to be so large that even when I tried to make test pieces for glazes, I could never fill it up. In the end, I had no work for six months and couldn’t even finish making my glazes. I realized, “This is bad, I need to do something or I’ll be in trouble.” Just as I was reconsidering things and thinking about putting it on hold, a local pottery workshop invited me to come and work for them.

Hanada: How was that experience?

Kenichi Muso : I am so glad I went. Beyond the actual making of pottery, I learned the crucial importance of selling the work.

What I Want to Make, What I Love

Hanada: And then you finally established your independence for real. Was your style similar to what it is now?

Kenichi Muso : I had always loved Joseon dynasty ceramics. Since I had been practicing constantly with the local red clay and was surrounded by many artists who made kohiki (white slip ware), creating kohiki myself felt like a natural progression. It also reflects the imagery of the snow in Fukui.

Hanada: You seem to have a deep affection for your local landscape.

Kenichi Muso : The yellow represents the earth, and the gray represents the cloudy skies of Fukui. Though a cloudy sky might sound like a slightly unusual theme (laughs).

Hanada: Does the blue represent the clear sky?

Kenichi Muso : It represents the sea.

Hanada: Your shiboride (brush-marked slip) work is also very charming.

Kenichi Muso : I adapted that from Annam (Vietnamese) ceramics, which I have always admired.

Hanada: You have various old items displayed in your home.

Kenichi Muso : I love tools and items that have been used for a long time, not just antiques. Things like these drawers or cedar wood boards. I also love the patterns found in Islamic and Iranian pottery.

Staying True to Myself

Hanada: What do you value most when making your tableware?

Kenichi Muso : Being original. I want to create things that only I can make, and above all, I want to remain true to myself. While I am creating functional tableware meant to be used, I also want to infuse a sense of playfulness and mischief—making pieces that leave people wondering, “What on earth do I use this for?”

Hanada: Could you give us an example of what kind of pieces those are?

Kenichi Muso : I absolutely love miniature objects. I love the feeling of something being densely concentrated into a small form. I enjoy making things so tiny that you catch yourself asking, “What could I possibly put in here?”

Hanada: That sounds like a wonderful variety. After all, a person’s creative desires can’t always be contained within just one single thing.

Kenichi Muso : Exactly. When you keep doing the same thing for a long time, you naturally feel like trying something completely different. I also pay close attention to how a piece feels when you pick it up. For items that are held frequently, like teacups and mugs, I deliberately try to make them feel slightly lighter than they look. Another thing I focus on is maintaining my initial creative energy as much as possible. With ceramics, it can take about a month from the time you start making a piece until it is fully fired. To keep from losing that initial motivation and focus, I listen to music, work in the garden, or take walks to look at plants. Sometimes, I end up spending more time refreshing my mind than actually working (laughs).

Hanada: That focus seems essential, even when you are producing the same type of items continuously.

Kenichi Muso : Yes. For example, with the inka (stamped pattern) work I’ve been doing for a long time, it can easily start to feel like repetitive labor. When you have to make thirty or fifty mugs, it is easy to slip into just going through the motions. I believe that kind of mindset shows through in the final product. To maintain that creative energy, taking time to refresh your outlook is incredibly important.

Continuing Onward

Hanada: Are there any new projects or directions you would like to explore in the future?

Kenichi Muso : My original dream was simply to be able to continue doing this work, so that is already coming true. In addition to that, I have a strong desire to keep making pieces that only I can create. I am currently running various glaze tests, so I look forward to introducing new types of work soon.

Hanada: We look forward to seeing them. Thank you very much.

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