In addition to Tetsuko Yoshinaga's stylish heat-resistant gratin dish and the "Sabi Asagi" series that complements your food, the simple and cool "Terusabi Series" has arrived!
In August, when summer was almost over, I visited Tetsuko Yoshinaga's studio in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture!
According to the explanation in advance, ``Please follow these directions as there are places where the road is impassable due to landslides!'' falling down.
I was excited and restless, but just when I was a little worried (!?) I arrived at Ms Noriko Yoshinaga's studio and home!
The 200-year-old traditional house that Ms. Yoshinaga with her husband moved into in the summer of 2019 is located on the hillside, where you can hear the trees chirping and the wind blowing from the mountains. My husband, chef Natsuki, and friends spent about a year slowly remodeling. We created a home and shop that lets in the bright sunlight and makes you want to walk barefoot. Mr. Natsuki runs a restaurant called " Shita Tamu " where you can have a reservation-only meal.
Ms. Yoshinaga is a person who wears a soft atmosphere that brightens up the place when he talks. At first glance, the work has an austere and slightly masculine impression with the texture of the clay, so I feel a wonderful gap. And when I talk with her, I realize that he is a person who has a strong sense of self and has found what she wants to do and what he wants to do without going against the flow of nature.
Ms. Yoshinaga encountered pottery when she was in college. I've always liked making things with my hands, and that's how I discovered pottery. Even after graduating, he helped out at a pottery class in Setagaya. However, at that time, he never thought that he would be working as a potter for the rest of her life. In 2008, the teacher of the pottery class will retire, and we will take over the classroom in Setagaya and start operating it. The classroom was a blast. Of course, it seems that there were difficult times, but each time someone helped me.
“The classroom was going well, and the students were all good people, so I think it was going well, but I suddenly started to wonder what it would be like to be busy paying the rent for the classroom, workplace, and home. The desire to have a place for
The building I moved to in Kakegawa belonged to a former potter, and there was a studio with a gas kiln on the premises. It was exactly the space we had envisioned.
Workshop on site
When the owner's shop has a reservation, I help the shop, and other than that, I am devoted to making pottery every day at this workshop.
The studio with a lot of windows is filled with bright light and looks comfortable!
Two cats I met in Kakegawa live together with a cat I brought from Tokyo.
While looking at the work, he greeted me with the feeling of "I will guide you". He's very friendly, and even when you're talking, he'll intervene and appeal to you. Perfectly looking at the camera (laughs)
Currently created with this electric kiln main.
Ms. Yoshinaga used to use a gas kiln to make pottery such as powdered pottery, but he is currently taking a break.
The gas kiln will be reopened soon. I'm looking forward to it!
The heat-resistant plates that we handle at our store.
Yoshinaga's stylish and austere taste is all shining.
Of course, it is heat-resistant, so it can be used on open flames and in the microwave. You don't even need to block your eyes.
The heat-resistant gratin dish can also be used as a normal dish to put side dishes and sandwiches in a stylish way.
We also have a new round type in stock!
The rounded form and handmade taste are irresistible.
Although it is a heat-resistant container (which can be said for all handmade vessels), it is vulnerable to sudden temperature changes and may crack or break, so please be careful not to cool or heat it quickly.
``Iron rust series'' using glaze containing iron.
Because it is applied with a brush, a vortex- like pattern is accented.
We also have dorayaki bowls that will be very useful for special occasions such as New Year's Day and home parties.
The more you use it, the deeper the black becomes and the more interesting it becomes.
This is an 8 inch plate. Not only one plate, but also appetizer platters and sashimi look great.
We also have rim plates and small plates in stock.
"Sabi Asagi" is a color created by Ms. Yoshinaga. The expression is very tasteful, and the natural color makes the food look nice.
Yellow and brown are expressively mixed in the greyish moss green, which matches the texture of the glaze and the burnt color, giving each item a unique taste. (Therefore, please understand that it is a work with individual differences.)
It's lighter than I thought when I actually took it, and above all, it's easy to use. Ms. Yoshinaga's "shape" is also reflected in the opinion of his husband, who is a chef.
At the owner's shop, you can have a meal in her bowl. On this day, we were treated to a very delicious dessert. Yoshinaga's plates are a perfect match. (Of course, the taste was also very delicious! Thank you.) Mr. Natsuki, who used to be a DJ and worked in IT. The story is interesting and draws you in. Reservations are required at this quiet restaurant, and it is a place where you can relax and enjoy food that you will want to come to during the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic . ( Shitatamu official instgram )
“I think that the main characters of both tableware and flower vases are food and flowers. Even in the house where I visited, there was a flower bud gently blooming in a single vase. Don't let the vase get in the way, and add seasonal colors with a casual presence.
Ms. Yoshinaga's work is one of the utensils that you definitely want to have as a "famous supporting role" that complements any dish.
Click here for Noriko Yoshinaga's plates