Discovering a Love of Cooking in Elementary School

Hanada: Before you began working with ceramics, you were involved in cooking professionally, weren’t you?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: For about ten years, I think.
My family ran a restaurant, so it felt like a natural path for me to go into cooking.

Hanada: So you watched your father cooking from a young age?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: No, not really. I’d come home from elementary school and cook for myself.

Hanada: Wow, that’s impressive for a grade schooler.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Well, it was just simple things, like fried rice.

Hanada: Did someone teach you how?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I learned by watching and copying. I even invited friends over and made oden once.
It didn’t taste very good, so it wasn’t especially popular (laughs).
I didn’t use any recipes—just relied on my instincts, which probably wasn’t a good idea.

Hanada: Still, I imagine your friends enjoyed it.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Regardless of the taste, I think they had fun.

What I Like, What I Want to Make

Hanada: How did you first encounter ceramics?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Through my work in cooking, I gradually became interested in ceramics.
I started attending a pottery class as a hobby, and before I knew it, I wanted to pursue it more seriously, so I enrolled in a ceramics school in Seto.
Even then, I still didn’t intend to make ceramics my profession.
After graduating from the ceramic training school, I had the opportunity to study under Mr. Nagae (Sokichi).
That was when I began to think about making a living through ceramics.

Hanada: You must have learned a great deal under Mr. Nagae.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Rather than “learning,” it was simply fascinating.
We went to places connected with Chinese Jian ware, handled clay, examined ceramic shards and analyzed the glazes…　So I was strongly influenced by Chinese ceramics, and at first, those were the works I was most drawn to.

Hanada: From the Northern Song period?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes. At the time, I was attracted to things that felt crisp and taut.

Hanada: Were those the kinds of works you wanted to make?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Not exactly. I admired them, but I knew I could never make something like that.

Hanada: So more of an aspiration. You also became interested in Joseon and Goryeo ceramics.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I liked visiting antique shops, and as I saw more pieces, I gradually became drawn to those works.

Hanada: True—you can’t really buy Song pieces yourself, but Joseon ware might be possible.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Well, you can’t really afford them either. And if you see one at that price, it’s almost certainly a fake (laughs).

Hanada: What is it about Joseon ceramics that appeals to you?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: The texture—the softness. It’s quite difficult to express that quality.

Hanada: Many Japanese people are drawn to Joseon ceramics not only for their forms and designs, but for that atmosphere—something hard to put into words.
You moved from cooking to ceramics. Do you see any common ground between the two?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I like natural materials, so in that sense they’re similar—raw clay, natural ash, and so on.

Hanada: Why choose natural materials?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: When you use today’s highly processed materials, you can easily make something that looks clean and beautiful.
But after using them for a while, I start to feel that something is missing.

Hanada: Do you get tired of them?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes. They catch your eye at first because they’re beautiful, but…

Hanada: Would you describe your work as a “reproduction” of old ceramics?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: It’s reproduction plus something of my own.
Even so, I’m not aiming to make them look exactly the same.

Hanada: What is it that you want to add?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: That “something of my own” is the hardest part.
Perhaps making things is the process of continually searching for that.

Moments of Joy, Time Well Spent

Hanada: In that process, what are the moments that make you happiest?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: When a piece comes out of the kiln. That moment when you think, “Yes, this is good.”
In my early days, when I was experimenting a lot, I felt that kind of excitement more often.
Recently, I’ve started working on Ido ware.

Hanada: That’s quite a challenging direction.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I’m in the middle of various experiments right now. I hope they turn out well.
In another direction, I’m also thinking of trying something fun and cute—drawing motifs in a Mishima-style inlay manner.

Hanada: Do you enjoy the meticulous work of inlay?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: …

Hanada: Maybe not so much… (laughs)

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Honestly, I enjoy the time spent thinking about patterns more.
I like combining different classical motifs and ideas.

Admired Ceramics and My Own Work

Hanada: Finally, what ceramics do you admire most?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: For Ido ware, it would be Kizaemon—or perhaps Shibata.

Hanada: Do you prefer Ao-Ido?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes.　With Shibata, it’s the rise of the form, the energy of the wheel marks, and that khasan texture.　The shape and the surface, I suppose. I’ve never held one, but it gives me chills just thinking about it.
I also love the large white porcelain jars at the Folk Crafts Museum.　 Recently, when I visited the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, I saw many pieces of Chinese Ding ware.
There were mountains of them—pieces you’d never see in Japan.
The level of labor involved is on a completely different scale from today.

Hanada: They weren’t the work of individuals alone, after all.
You travel quite a bit, don’t you?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Since I make Joseon-style ware, I go to Korea, as well as Taiwan, Thailand, Laos…mostly around Asia.

Hanada: And within Japan?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: (after a pause) Hot springs, maybe…

Hanada: (laughs) Sorry.
I was hoping for a slightly more “ceramic-artist-like” answer.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Ah—I did go to Arita.
Miyaoka (his wife Maiko Miyaoka, who also makes ceramics) wanted to go.

Hanada: Thank you for the suitably ceramic-artist-like answer (laughs).
You’ve made many pieces over the years. Are there any that stand out in your memory?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: There are sake bottles and cups that turned out particularly well and still stay with me. Hakeme, Gyeryongsan…there was also an ash-glazed sake bottle.
I sometimes wonder where they are now, and who is using them. As for celadon, I often make a five-sun molded bowl—it’s a standard piece I’ve made for years.

Hanada: It’s very practical, and also has presence.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Some people even use it as a matcha bowl, or as a serving bowl. I use it myself quite often—it goes with just about anything.

Celadon for Summer Dishes

Hanada: Finally, could you share a few words for the August exhibition?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: This time, I changed the firing slightly—especially for the Mishima inlay pieces, leaning more toward oxidation.
Compared to before, the surface has a slightly yellowish tone; the patterns come out more clearly, and it’s quite interesting. I’ve also made many works with more distinct motifs this time. And I think celadon works well with summer dishes. I hope visitors will enjoy these expressions that feel appropriate for August.