Words by: Tanya Singh
Photo Credit: ASAHIYAKI

With over 400 years of history, ASAHIYAKI has played an important role in cultivating the tea culture in the Uji region of Japan. 

Based in the Uji region of the Kyoto Prefecture, known as the center of tea culture in Japan, ASAHIYAKI has a 400-year-long history and has been passed down from father to son for generations. Dedicated towards keeping traditional techniques and the generations of tea culture knowledge alive with their products, the brand creates minimalistic and timeless teaware.

ASAHIYAKI has a very long and interesting history. Could you share the generational story with us and talk about how the brand has evolved over the years?

ASAHIYAKI was born about 420 years ago (during the Keicho period, 1596 to 1615). The Uji region in Kyoto prefecture where we are still located was a good location for pottery production due to the availability of high-quality clay and an abundance of water and firewood. At that time, tea culture was already established in Uji, and it is believed that Kobori Enshu, one of the three tea masters who led the tea world at that time, along with Sen no Rikyu and Furuta Oribe, was the voice behind the birth of ASAHIYAKI. On his instruction, my forefathers began making matcha bowls.

Traditionally, at that time, kilns were often sponsored by an established clan from the region. However, ASAHIYAKI was unique in the fact that it was backed by the knowledge of Kobori Enshu and exquisite craftsmanship alone. It was also the tea master that came up with the idea of the "Asahi" seal, which we continue to use today, as a mark of our brand name and its promise to cultivate tea culture in the region. The values (continuing tradition) and aesthetic (embodying kirei-sabi, meaning simplicity) that marked the beginning of brand have been passed down from generation to generation and have resulted in thousands of timeless designs.

The Celadon Tea Pot by ASAHIYAKI.

ASAHIYAKI has also seen its ups and downs over the years. From the first to the third generation, we enjoyed a period of prosperity. The products were highly prized by feudal lords, court nobles, and tea masters. However, as the center of culture shifted from Kyoto to Edo, sales of matcha bowls declined and the scale of the business shrank. The generations that followed had to take up making tiles for roofs and farming to continue to survive. When the Genroku period began and the sencha culture took hold in Kyoto and Osaka, ASAHIYAKI started to produce bowls again. We had used Uji clay to make the matcha, but we also started utilizing porcelain to create the sencha bowls. By the ninth generation, ASAHIYAKI had become prosperous again and started gaining momentum as a symbol of tea culture in the region.

We also saw difficult times during the Meiji period and the wars that followed. However, we kept the kiln fire burning, and now the 16th generation aims to continue on the same journey of passion and tradition.

Could you talk about the history of tea culture in the Uji region and how it has shaped ASAHIYAKI as a brand?

Uji has maintained its position as the center of tea culture since before the Edo period. Located in this special place, ASAHIYAKI has naturally imbibed the values and traditions the region has to offer. The marriage between Uji tea and ASAHIYAKI vessels has come to be a beautiful union. Our products and craftsmanship have become an extension of the hard work that tea farmers put in to nurture the most exquisite taste and aroma. We work together as a community to keep traditional tea culture alive in the Uji region. 

ASAHIYAKI products are meticulously made by hand.

Tell us about the manufacturing process, from conceptualization to final finishing.

Design: We are always conscious about maintaining the traditional aesthetic but also ensuring that it stays relevant to the times. We work as a team on design ideas – from the head of the company to the craftsmen. Having inherited generations of knowledge from my family, I make the final call based on the design that best reflect the values, aesthetics, and traditions of our region.

Concept: Our mission with every product is to enrich the lives of those that use it. We achieve this by creating textures and forms by hand, resulting in timeless, inspired designs.

Firing: We use two types of kilns – a climbing kiln and a gas kiln. The climbing kiln produces vessels that are more expressive while the gas kiln is used for everyday items. The process from design to finishing is unique to each product. We also have to careful about timing because while the gas kiln is fired regularly, the climbing kiln is only fired thrice a year.

Could you tell us a little bit about your artisans?

We currently work with four artisans, all of whom are older than me and have been with ASAHIYAKI for much longer than I have. Our longest-serving artisan has been working with us for more than 35 years. He joined the company during my grandfather's time when I was still a child. The relationship that I have with my artisans is unlike any typical company – we are a family that share the same passion for the brand and its name.

As one of the youngest members of the team, I feel fortunate to have the guidance of the artisans around me. They help me focus on the journey and ground me every time I try to move too forward too fast. We work together on integrating new ideas with traditional ones – we balance each other out. 

The firing process.

What is next for ASAHIYAKI?

We are actively working towards promoting initiatives that nurture tea culture and complement our work as potters. We hope that by broadening our own perspectives through new initiatives, and by bringing in new perspectives from outside, we can become a driving force to further promote the tradition of ASAHIYAKI.

Taking cue from that objective, we recently created a tea set as a souvenir for the G20 Summit in Osaka. The tea set was created with the concept of "enjoying the process of brewing tea" in mind. The unique tea pot had no lid allowing users to observe the tea leaves expand slowly and release their beautiful aroma.