Riso Porcelain

In the late Meiji era, a ceramics artisan was invited to lead a craft school in the Arita area. His name was Mr. Shinichi Terauchi, the founder of Riso Porcelain and the great-grandfather of the current president, Mr. Shinji Terauchi. The company’s name originated from the area of residence of Yi Sam-pyeong who was the founding father of Arita porcelain. Arita is known as one of the most famous areas for porcelain in Japan. The street where Riso Porcelain is located is called “Tokkuri Dori” or “Sake Bottle Street” as there were many porcelain manufacturers producing tableware such as sake bottle, sake cup and chopstick rest during the olden days. Through periods of mass-production, mass-consumption and the bubble economy caused by the rapid economic growth in Japan, Mr. Shinji Terauchi continues his pursuit to create beautiful forms independent of trends with the belief that “beauty is forever”, designing and making products by himself.

Mr. Shinji Terauchi is devoted to pottery. However, Arita porcelain did not interest him initially. It was through a chance encounter with a beautiful Imari ware plate (Imari ware is the origin of Arita ware) that peaked his interest and he began to study the tradition of Arita ware. Subsequently, he thoroughly studied the Sometsuke style which is his family’s traditional technique and he also improved on the techniques of wheel throwing and glazing. As a result, he was able to develop his own technique. Always thinking whether he can move people with what he makes, Mr. Terauchi works hard on his creation every day.

The traditional Sometsuke style products which are white porcelain painted in blue with a cobalt pigment called gosu serve as the main items of Riso Porcelain. Inherited traditional styles such as Ko-imari are made by skilled artisans one by one. On the other hand, for the “Shinogi” series which was designed for daily use, the company adopted the latest digital technology while referencing a traditional scraping technique called shinogite which creates ridge lines on the surface making it easy to hold in hand. Having a small and highly capable set up which is a structure that they have maintained since the founding, Riso Porcelain is continuing to produce a wide range of tableware in the traditional Sometsuke style, as well as creating modern and innovative designs. Their products are acknowledged as being well-designed and made with highly skilled techniques and this has led to collaborations with famous chefs and restaurants. Riso Porcelain is always thinking about the relationship between porcelain and food and they constantly challenge themselves to attain higher standards.