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New moon is the key for quality pottery and quality homesI: By the way, what are your production process patterns like at the moment?F: In my case, I fire my works around the end of winter at a time nearing spring or around the end of summer at a time nearing fall. Since the new moon brings me luck, I form all my works and place them into the kiln before the day of the new moon so I can start firing the kiln exactly on that day.I: So that means you create in line with the phases of the moon?F: Yes, that’s right.I: Wow, this is a surprise! There is something in common in architecture too. It is said that wood cut on the day of the new moon does not perish and lasts longer. So when you construct a house only with wood that was cut on the new moon day, the house has a long life-span. I realize now that when a pottery or architecture is authentic, they are affected by the natural law alike.F: It might be that breathing objects have the same properties. I often think about how I should express myself in accordance with the four seasons or the natural law. Actually, the truth may be that I would produce better pottery if I freed my mind of all thoughts, but I have this sense of professionalism that prevents me from simply going through the processes of forming and firing. I can’t help but think. And I create while hoping that my works will reflect at least 70% of my image when they are finished. After my work comes out of the kiln, I feel that the remaining 30% of the image can be nourished and completed by the user.I: I also feel the same way in that I want those who live in the house to nurture it once I hand the house over to my clients. But on the other hand I feel that when I design a house and hand it over to my client, the project was a failure if the completed house is regarded as achieving a mere 100% in terms of customer expectations and requests. When the completed house turns into something more than what was planned and is rated 120%, then it is a success. I want to enhance the quality to the maximum limit both with materials and the design, and want our clients to be delightfully surprised that the house is “above expectations!”Tableware must be used, not storedI: Is there a direction in which you want to pursue your creative activities?F: While Bizen ware has been created with clay from rice fields (hiyose) for centuries, the availability of hiyose has been declining in the recent years. Currently, about 90% of Bizen ware potters are using clay obtained from mountains. Luckily, my grandfather and father left me hiyose, and I also have pottery clay that has been left to History of Bizen WarePottery created for over 1,000 yearsBizen ware has a long history. Its roots can be traced back to Sue ware, a type of unglazed pottery, which was brought to Japan by potters from the Korean Peninsula around the late 5th century.During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), more practical and durable pottery for daily use was produced in large quantity and supported people’s everyday life activities. For example, it is said that Bizen ware mortars were regarded as luxurious items and were described by the phrase “throw a Bizen ware mortar and it will still be in perfect shape.” Bizen ware has been regarded as splendid pottery not just because of its practical utility. The simplicity of Bizen ware—no obsequiousness, no garishness—has something in common with the “wabi-sabi” world view of the Japanese tea ceremony, or, the “Way of Tea.” In the Momoyama period (approx. 1583-1600), Bizen ware was loved by tea ceremony masters and many masterpieces of tea ceremony utensils were created. During the middle ages of Japan (approx. mid-12th century to late 16th century), Bizen ware was regarded as one of the “Six Old Kilns of Japan” along with Seto, Tokoname, Tanba, Shigaraki and Echizen ware. Throughout the history of Bizen ware of nearly 1,000 years, fire has always been lit in the kilns of the town of Bizen.093