Hagi Yaki Shochu Cup | Yohen

This stunning shochu cup features a part in the ash glaze, exposing the clay body underneath. The shallow carve line on the opposite side allows the cup to fit comfortably under your thumb. The flames of the woodfire kiln changed the white ash glaze to a gorgeous shade of pink, a process referred to as yohen.  

Capacity: 280ml

The cup comes in a custom made wooden box signed by Makino-san.

Handcrafted in Hagi 

MASANORI MAKINO

On our most recent trip, Makino-san and his wife welcomed us into their studio in the quiet outskirts of Hagi City. Positioned at the entrance of his gallery store, Makino-san proudly displays his certificate as a Certified Master of Traditional Crafts (Dentōkugei-shi). A true custodian of the traditional art form of Hagi Yaki, Makino-san is recognised as one of the hardest work Hagi Yaki artisans in the city. Only firing once per year, he spends the rest of the year preparing the materials and vessels for the next firing. He carries out every step of the process by hand, including digging his own clay, cutting down the trees and collecting the rice straw for his ash glazes, and crafting every unique piece by hand on his kick wheel. In 2018, Makino-san built the newest climbing kiln in Hagi, maybe the last step kiln to be built in the region.

No two pieces by Makino-san are alike, every vessel a rare taste of a centuries old art form.