Interview with Hiroshi Sakaguchi of Miyama Kiln

The origins of Miyama Kiln, rooted in Tajimi

Oyabu-cho, Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture - a lush, hilly area off a busy national highway. A gently curving gravel road leads to a spacious site, leading to ceramic artist Hiroshi Sakaguchi's studio, Miyama Kiln . Nearly 20 beehives line the garden, a hobby that has become something of a side business, and swarms of bees bustle about, hovering in the early summer air. The studio is meticulously maintained, with not even the dirt floor or potter's wheel at all dusty. The tasteful wooden fittings and floors, and the lustrous, heavy beams give the impression of age.

It was about 20 years ago, after a 15-year apprenticeship, that Sakaguchi took over the studio built by his master, Seiji Chikada . His encounter with Chikada, a ceramic artist who was also a teacher at the specialized course at Tajimi Technical High School, marked the beginning of Sakaguchi's life as a ceramic artist.

Sakaguchi, who loved making things such as arts and crafts from an early age, vaguely envisioned himself becoming a craftsman in the future. When he was in his third year of junior high school and began thinking about his future, he happened to come across information about Tajimi Technical High School and learned that there was a department where students could study the ceramic manufacturing process. Looking back on that time, he says, "I made an immediate decision to go to school." "Although I couldn't read the kanji for 'ceramics department,'" he says with a laugh.

At the age of 15, he left his parents' home and lived with relatives, commuting to school from afar by train. He gained knowledge and basic techniques related to ceramics during his three years at high school, and after graduating he went on to study ceramics at a specialist department to acquire more specialized techniques. "I considered getting a job, but I couldn't give up," says Sakaguchi. He learned the basics of pottery from Chikada, a talented artist whose works were repeatedly selected for the Nitten exhibition.

After graduating from the specialist course, he became an apprentice to Chikada, but in fact, it was only the second time he asked that he received approval. "Maybe the teacher was testing my seriousness," says Sakaguchi. "Taking on an apprentice means taking on a life. I think Chikada also needed to be prepared." In fact, this was the opportunity for Chikada to retire from teaching at the specialist course and spend the next 15 years working with Sakaguchi, imparting everything he had learned as a ceramic artist.

"A solo exhibition in a year" - the first step as a ceramic artist

From then on, Sakaguchi's days were very regular, starting with driving Chikada to and from work, then spending half the day helping his teacher with things like kneading the clay, the other half working on the potter's wheel, and in the evening cleaning up and leaving the studio. "Cleaning comes first, tidying up comes second." Apparently, he was taught that keeping the studio tidy is a hobby that comes before even touching the clay. The moment you step into the studio, it's easy to imagine that he always takes care of even the smallest tools used in pottery making.

Chikada also said that taking care of one's body was important. He fondly recounted an episode in which one day, shortly after starting his training, he saw Sakaguchi with a bandage around his fingertip, and noticed the injury before even looking at his face. He scolded him severely, saying, "You won't be able to touch the clay like that!"

Following his teacher's guidance that "you should acquire skills from a young age and take part in public and solo exhibitions," he set his sights on holding a solo exhibition one year from now. In fact, when Sakaguchi was 21, he held his first solo exhibition at a community center in his hometown of Kamioka-cho, Hida City, which was followed by numerous solo exhibitions at famous department stores. Furthermore, with each passing year, he has been selected and awarded more and more at public exhibitions. Sakaguchi describes himself as "the type of person who, once he starts something, goes all out." I sensed his strong determination to faithfully follow his teacher's teachings and continue to face them sincerely.

Pursuing unique glazes while respecting the traditions of Mino ware

"In order to create works that only I can make, it is necessary to learn the techniques based on tradition," says Sakaguchi.
Sakaguchi has been creating pottery using traditional Mino glazes such as Oribe and Shino, mainly using ash glaze, which has a texture similar to that of yellow Seto and is characterized by orange spots, but since around 2015 he has been experimenting with new works.

"I've always liked red and wanted to use red glazes, but I was hesitant to try it because I was unsure about the strong color," he says. He also says that the "red" he created using ordinary copper turned out to be a vivid color, which he felt "wasn't the red I wanted." He had used up all the ash used in the ash glaze that was the core of his pottery making, and was unable to obtain any new raw materials. In search of the "ideal red," he came up with the idea of ​​applying the chrome-tin pink glaze he had used in the graduate school's final exhibition.
Chromium oxide and tin oxide are added to the base glaze, which is primarily composed of ash, which flows easily and therefore changes color. "I've been mixing glazes since high school," says Sakaguchi. By changing the mixing ratio of chromium, it became possible to create a gradation from pale pink to a purplish red, and he named this unique glaze "Koushi." In addition to his many years of artistic activity, his attitude of continuing to take on new challenges has been highly praised, and he has continued to evolve his "Koushi" works, winning multiple awards.

Sakaguchi spoke about the process of completing his work, giving us a glimpse into his dedication to it.
When submitting a piece to an open exhibition, he turns seven or eight pieces of the same shape on the potter's wheel. He then puts the second shape he likes first into the kiln. He says he does this to check how the glaze flows and develops color in unexpected ways depending on the subtle difference in shape. "You never know until you try firing it," he says, and this is both the difficulty and the depth of pottery.

"I didn't fail, that's why I studied."

Even though your life as a potter seems to be going smoothly, has it not been without failures and setbacks?
Sakaguchi says, "I didn't fail, which is why I researched it."
He explained the significance of this. Previously, Shino ware was fired regularly in an outdoor wood-fired kiln, but thanks to Chikada-sensei's firing recipes, it had gone smoothly even in a wood-fired kiln, where temperature control and timing are particularly difficult. In other words, the constant presence of his master was a great learning experience, but at the same time, it meant losing the opportunity to learn from failure. "First, I researched firing Shino ware in a gas kiln, and I was frustrated many times when the entire kiln failed," Sakaguchi-san recalls.
The wood-fired kiln was designed by Professor Chikada and built with bricks by his students. It has been exposed to the elements and has deteriorated over time, so it is currently unusable, but Sakaguchi said, "I'd like to repair it someday and put firewood in it again."

What is a master and what is Mr. Chikada like?

"My teacher was never harsh, but always treated me with patience," Sakaguchi said. "He would say my works that I thought were good were no good, and I would think, 'Damn it!'" However, he also said, "I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't met my teacher." It was only thanks to Chikada that the young man who came to Tajimi alone at the age of 15 was able to continue despite being put into a tough world.

Less than a week after he began his apprenticeship, the teacher suddenly said to him, "You have to keep going ." "I felt it was a heavy word, and that I shouldn't just say 'yes' right away," says Sakaguchi. As he stood there, confused and without replying, the teacher said to him, "The only way to make it in the world of pottery is to keep going," and , "It's not that persistence is power, but persistence is power." These words have become the driving force behind Sakaguchi's continued pottery.

The goal is to be "Professor Chikada himself"
Tell us about that person

Now teaching at his alma mater, Sakaguchi teaches two things in his first class when students enter school: "hand care and handling of soil." Protect your fingertips to prevent injury. Treat the soil with care and don't waste it. These are the only things that Mr. Chikada was strict about.
Everything Sakaguchi teaches in his classes is the exact words of Professor Chikada. "I have to convey in words what I have unconsciously acquired by watching and imitating... Teaching is an opportunity to rediscover things and is a learning experience," he says.

And in the final class before graduation, I always tell students to "keep going."
He says that even if they don't pursue a career as potters, they should continue to touch the clay and turn the potter's wheel.

It seemed to me that conveying the important words of his master, who had guided him, was not only nurturing potters but also helping to preserve the traditions of Mino ware.

(April 2025, Interview: Chika Shimura)