Responsibility and Joy

Hanada: Your family owned a pottery kiln. Did that influence your decision to choose this path?

Kosei Kobayashi : Initially, the driving force was a sense of responsibility—the feeling that, as the eldest son, I had to take over the family business. However, the reason I continue doing it today is entirely different. When I was a child, I drew Pokémon characters on some leftover biscuit-fired small plates we had at home and gave them to my friends. They were absolutely delighted. That simple joy of making people happy with something I created remains my core support even now.

Hanada: So you grew up watching your father work and seeing firsthand what it takes to run a pottery shop.

Kosei Kobayashi : The workshop was my playground; it was just a natural part of daily life. Because my siblings and I were always running around, we would be handed clay bodies and told, “Here, play with these and draw some pictures.” While I have no personal memory of it, I was told that I once stuffed stones into the kiln’s draft damper during a reduction firing, completely ruining the entire batch. According to my parents, I was made to sit on my heels and received a massive scolding…

Hanada: Oh dear, that sounds like it was a major disaster! (Laughs)

Meeting Mr. Hata

Hanada: Did you naturally expect your career path to lead to ceramics?

Kosei Kobayashi : When I entered high school in Arita, I actually chose the design department rather than the ceramics department. At the time, I was interested in interior design, particularly spatial design using lighting. It wasn’t until university that I tried the pottery wheel for the first time, since my family’s workshop specialized exclusively in hand-painting. Rather than thinking “I love this,” I felt “I might have a knack for this.” I suppose that was the turning point. However, I didn’t plan on returning home immediately, and through an introduction from an acquaintance, I discovered Kutani Seiyo. When I heard they handle everything from shaping to painting in-house, I felt anxious about joining straight away. Fortunately, the late Mr. Hata, who ran Kutani Seiyo, introduced me to a training institute. While studying desperately there for two years, I also kept popping into Seiyo, even though I didn’t really have any specific business there.

Hanada: Right, you wouldn’t want them to forget about you while you were away at the institute.

Kosei Kobayashi : Exactly. It would have been troublesome if he had a change of heart! (Laughs) I went to show him my work and have him teach me throwing techniques. Mr. Hata would throw right in front of me, demonstrating, “This is how you do it.”

Hanada: That sounds like an incredibly precious experience.

Kosei Kobayashi : It truly was. Later on, everyone told me, “It’s so rare for Mr. Hata to throw on the wheel himself.”

Hanada: What was his technique like?

Kosei Kobayashi : At the time, I had nothing to compare it to, so I just thought, “Wow, he’s good.” Looking back now, though, it was… how should I put it… completely effortless. The form just emerged naturally. I don’t know how to describe that feeling, but the shape would just materialize in an instant.

An Immediate Order for 1,000 Pieces

Hanada: After spending two years at the training institute, you finally officially joined Seiyo…

Kosei Kobayashi : Actually, he turned me down once. Even though I had visited so many times! He told me, “You’re too serious, so it won’t work.” He was someone who believed creators should enjoy life more, so I understood what he meant, but still, my immediate reaction was, “Wait, seriously?!” (Laughs) I waited about a month and went back to tell him, “This is truly the only place for me.” He just replied, “Alright, I get it. Come on in then.”

Hanada: (Laughs) I’m glad it worked out. How were your first days?

Kosei Kobayashi : Since my time at the training institute, Mr. Hata had always told me, “Make sure you master the pottery wheel.” I practiced throwing more than anyone else, and I think I stood out completely at the institute. I could actually throw reasonably well. Perhaps because of that, on my second day at Seiyo, I was told, “Go ahead and throw 1,000 of these.” They were small plates, about 13.5 centimeters in diameter.

Hanada: Right from the very start…

Kosei Kobayashi : I had already heard that Seiyo was a place that produced high volumes, so I assumed that was standard practice. But when I mentioned it to others later, they were shocked and said, “He made you do that?”

Hanada: It’s very typical of the Seiyo atmosphere that the people around you didn’t even notice at first. (Laughs)

Kosei Kobayashi : They apparently noticed I was throwing an awful lot, but they had no idea it was 1,000 plates! (Laughs) Well, everyone was focused on their own busy schedules.

Learning from Senior Potters

Hanada: It must have been excellent training for your wheel skills.

Kosei Kobayashi : I had been confident at the institute, but at Seiyo, the two most skilled potters were positioned right next to me, and I keenly felt the gap between myself and the professionals working on-site. The speed, accuracy, and physical stamina were on a completely different level. While I was desperately struggling to shape each piece, they threw effortlessly, filling up their drying carts one after another. I closely observed their movements, touched their actual pieces to see exactly how much thickness they left in the clay, and even broke defective pieces to examine their cross-sections.

Hanada: Was there a significant difference compared to your own work?

Kosei Kobayashi : In appearance, they didn’t look that different. The real distinction lay in how the clay was compressed. Because they compressed the clay thoroughly while throwing on the wheel, the pieces fired beautifully without warping.

Hanada: So you improved by closely following the examples set by your seniors.

Kosei Kobayashi : I copied everything they did. Potters at Seiyo don’t use wooden ribs, but they used their hands like a tool to firmly compress the clay. The amount of water mattered too. Using too much water makes the surface slick and easier to throw, but it reduces friction, which prevents the clay from compressing properly. So, the key is to throw without using any unnecessary water.

Hanada: After throwing 1,000 plates at the beginning, any subsequent challenges must have felt much more manageable.

Kosei Kobayashi : We were often told, “If you can’t throw around 100 pieces a day, you can’t do this as a job.” However, I believe the quality of the final piece is entirely different when someone capable of throwing 200 a day makes 100, compared to someone who can only manage 100 making 100. I think that initial 1,000-piece assignment was designed to give me a firsthand understanding of that difference.

Hanada: I imagine Mr. Hata offered you various other pieces of advice as well.

Kosei Kobayashi : The words that resonate with me most today are: “Always visualize how you want to use the plate yourself, and what kind of piece would be best when eating that specific dish. Never create something aimlessly.” He also frequently said, “Fall in love with something.” It could be an era, a production region, or a particular potter—it didn’t matter what, just find something to love deeply.

Hanada: And after that, you became independent.

Kosei Kobayashi : After various experiences, I decided to establish myself as an independent artist here in Ishikawa Prefecture.

What Matters Most

Hanada: What do you value most when creating tableware?

Kosei Kobayashi : I am always mindful that tableware is not complete when it is sitting by itself; it is only truly completed once food is served on it. I also try not to pour too much of my own ego into the pieces. If you overcomplicate things with too many thoughts, they can become difficult to use. I feel that if the tableware I make serves its purpose on the user’s dining table, my presence is no longer needed there. It really doesn’t matter who made it.

Hanada: How do your new designs come to life?

Kosei Kobayashi : I just bring a shape into reality first, and then I try using it myself. Using it always brings unexpected discoveries and sparks new ideas. Lately, I’ve been focusing closely on shinogi fluted patterns.

Passing on the Baton of Gratitude

Hanada: Is there anything specific you would like to work on in the future?

Kosei Kobayashi : The environment at Seiyo was something I was incredibly grateful for, and I would love to create a similar space myself. At the training institute, I saw talented people give up on ceramics simply because they lacked a supportive environment. Fortunately, my family’s property has extra space, so my long-term, eventual goal is to work with people like that to build a creative environment akin to Seiyo.

Hanada: Creating a place like that requires the right equipment and facilities, but experiencing that atmosphere firsthand must also be incredibly important.

Kosei Kobayashi : Absolutely. It is about what you have seen with your own eyes, heard with your own ears, and experienced with your own body. I don’t think there is any value in just copying the surface details of an environment like that. Seiyo possessed a strong, grounded creative philosophy, which is precisely why so many of its alumni are so successful today.

Hanada: That is a wonderful vision for the future. We are looking forward to the upcoming exhibition.

Kosei Kobayashi : Thank you. I would be delighted if people hold the pieces in their hands while picturing their own dining tables.

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