KŌBŌ DAIDAI
工房 橙
SUZUKI TAKASHI
鈴木 隆
At a Glance
| Ort | Nebukawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Founded | 2001 first exhibition, 2006 creation of the Studio and Gallery Kōbō Daidai |
| Style | Celadon (Shiraji), Kaiyū Ash Glaze |
| Kiln | Oil |
| Clay | Local mixed clays |
| Glaze | Celadon (Shiraji), Mikan Kaiyū Ash Glaze |
Citrus trees, snowflakes, and guitars
Suzuki Takashi of the studio Kōbō Daidai is an extraordinary career changer with a surprising life path. Formerly a bookstore employee, Suzuki-san—an avid blues guitarist—initially had no connection to ceramics. Nevertheless, he began his new professional life as a ceramic artist at the age of 35.
On a rainy afternoon, I visited Suzuki Takashi at his small workshop Kōbō Daidai in Nebukawa, just under an hour south of Tokyo, near Odawara. I had come to learn more about his ceramics and the connections he draws between citrus trees and snowflakes. With the sea view from the studio blurred by the rain, our attention naturally turned entirely to Suzuki’s work.
An unusual career path
Suzuki Takashi began his career as a salaried employee (salaryman) at a bookstore chain, where he repeatedly encountered ceramic art through specialist literature. In the late 1990s, he discovered his true passion and calling during a pottery course. With the digital transformation of the publishing industry underway, Suzuki-san made the decision in the early 2000s to take a new professional direction and retrain as a ceramic artist.
His Mikan ash glaze and celadon creations were met with great acclaim, leading him to open his own workshop and gallery, Kōbō Daidai, in Nebukawa in 2006. Today, Suzuki Takashi exhibits his work both in galleries and at prestigious department stores such as Takashimaya, as well as internationally. Alongside his work as a ceramic artist, Suzuki remains an enthusiastic blues guitarist.
The origin of the name of the studio Kōbō Daidai and the Mikan ash glaze
Suzuki Takashi decided at the time to establish his studio, Kōbō Daidai, in his hometown, even though the area is not traditionally associated with ceramic production. There, he found the ideal resources for his mikan ash glaze: the ash from local mikan citrus trees—a type of mandarin—proved, after countless experiments, to be the perfect base.
It seems almost fated that Suzuki Takashi found his inspiration in the Shōnan region, once well known for its extensive cultivation of mikan citrus. Suzuki-san’s own family was also formerly involved in growing these fruits.
Although mikan groves have significantly declined today due to climate change and import trade, the family still owns several hectares of land. These provide Suzuki-san with the necessary material to produce his distinctive mikan ash glaze.
Suzuki Takashi’s studio is today located in one of the former mikan storage warehouses. The name of his studio, Kōbō “Daidai,” also refers to citrus fruits and their vivid orange colour. In Japan, mikan are furthermore considered auspicious fruits and are often used as New Year decorations.
TWO DISTINCT LINES
Mikan Kaiyū 蜜柑灰釉 (Citrus ash glaze)
Suzuki Takashi’s Mikan glaze takes its name from the ash of local mikan citrus trees, a special mandarin variety cultivated in the region by Suzuki-san’s family. During firing, this distinctive ash glaze vitrifies, forming a glass-like surface known in Japan as bidoro (ビードロ), a term derived from the Portuguese word for “glass.”
Characteristic of the Mikan ash glaze is its shimmering blue-turquoise colouration, which can range from deep and intense to soft and translucent depending on the thickness of the glaze layer. Like the Shiraji celadon glaze, the Mikan glaze is also distinguished by a fine network of crackles (craquelure), which enhances its distinctive character.
Shiraji 白瓷 (Celadon)
Celadon is regarded as one of the most demanding ceramic types and originates in China. In particular, celadon wares of the Song and Yuan dynasties (11th–14th century) were highly sought after far beyond China’s borders for their elegant forms and jade-like, smooth glaze. There are many variations of celadon, including Suzuki Takashi’s Shiraji celadon. This celadon features a scale-like crackle pattern—kan’nyū (貫入)—which Suzuki-san masterfully interprets and describes as a snowflake-like crackle.
Kan’nyū (貫入) is formed by the temperature difference between the reduction firing and the subsequent cooling process. As the glaze contracts more strongly than the clay during cooling, fine cracks develop through which the clay becomes visible, giving the layered glaze the appearance of overlapping snowflakes.
This distinctive pattern varies: the thicker the glaze, the larger the “flakes”; at the edges, where the glaze is thinner, the kan’nyū cracks are finer, creating an impressive colour gradient.
This technique requires a high level of knowledge, patience, and precision. Even the slightest fluctuations in temperature or changes in the chemical composition of the clay or glaze can affect the quality of the kan’nyū cracks and often result in a high rate of loss. Suzuki Takashi’s meticulous research and uncompromising dedication—each firing lasting 18 hours, during which he continuously monitors the kiln—give his Shiraji celadon creations an unparalleled elegance and refinement.
Clay, technique, firing
Clay
The choice of clay body is crucial to the quality of the ceramics. In order to achieve the ideal consistency and chemical base for his Mikan ash glaze and celadon works, Suzuki Takashi combines different types of clay.
For his Mikan creations, Suzuki Takashi uses a blend of unrefined, coarse-grained red Seto clay and light Shigaraki clay. The contrast between the pale, slightly granular clay with iron specks and the intense blue glaze gives the colours a particularly vivid and lively appearance.
For his Shiraji celadon ceramics, Suzuki Takashi blends white, red, and dark Shigaraki clay with kaolin-rich porcelain clay. The fired, smooth black clay accentuates the white, snowflake-like crackle patterns of the celadon glaze, creating a strong contrast that brings out the fine details particularly well.
Technique
Suzuki Takashi’s ceramics are characterised by their minimalist lightness and timeless elegance, regardless of the glaze used. His precision on the wheel is remarkable and gives each piece a distinctive expressive quality.
To enhance the depth and layered character of the Mikan ash glaze, Suzuki Takashi intentionally adds incised details along the rims of his pieces. This refined craftsmanship accentuates the glaze at different levels, creating a striking sense of movement and vitality.
To emphasise the contrast between clay and glaze in his Shiraji celadon works, Suzuki Takashi uses the Shinogi decoration technique—fine incisions into the clay that further accentuate edges and forms. This attention to detail and his mastery of craftsmanship highlight the exceptional quality and aesthetics of his works.
Firing
Originally, Suzuki Takashi aimed for more earthy ceramic styles and therefore chose an oil-fired kiln. Although this kiln is less suited to fine celadon work, as it does not offer the same precision as a gas kiln, Suzuki Takashi has, over time, perfected its optimal use. The oil-fired kiln gives his celadon creations a distinctive “flavour”—a signature style reminiscent of the expressive character of wood-fired ceramics, but in a more subtle way.
Suzuki Takashi typically fires his ceramics in his Kōbō Daidai kiln over a period of around 18 hours, continuously monitoring temperature, reduction, and oxidation. The first eight hours in particular, during the reduction phase, require constant adjustments, meaning Suzuki rarely takes his eyes off the kiln. This demanding and high-risk process calls for the utmost precision, yet the results are striking, giving his ceramics their distinctive elegance.
