At the end of the Edo Period, in the reign of Tempou the second, 1831 in the northeast of Japan(called Dewanokuni at that time), the ruler of Nagatoro domain, Masayoshi Yonekitsu sent some porcelain stone products from Kaminohata village,(now located around the upper part of the Shirogane waterfall at the Ginzan hot spa area in Obanazawa city,Yamagata Prefecture) to Osaka. (Misayoshi Yonekitsu worked at Osaka castle as a security guard under the assignment of Tokugawa Shogunate as well.) Masayoshi Yonekitsu asked ceramist, Shinkozan Nagano to make a trial production of underglaze cobalt blue teacups. After making some very good teacups, he invited two ceramists, Saichi Nagano and Tokubei, a descendant of the Old Koimari Pocelain lineage to build a climbing kiln based on the idea of simple balance at Kamainohata village in the reign of Tenpou the 4th, 1833. After building the kiln based, two ceramists worked hard to make porcelains using the stone product of they area. This is the origin Kaminohatayaki porcelain.
Some excavations at Old Kaminohatayaki have proved that the porcelain made there was a high quality similar to Kozome, Shonzui(Xiangrui), Fuyoudc(Foo yong) and Iroc(multicolored). It is remarkable such high quality porcelains were made at a mountains snowy region. Kaminohatayaki Porcelain was one of oldest kiln the four porcelain makers(Yonezawa Narushimayaki, Yamagata Hirashimizuyaki, shinzyo Higashiyamayaki) in Yamagata Prefecture. Also Kaminohatayaki Porcelain has the third longest history of porcelain making in the northernmost six prefectures of the main island of Japan called Tohoku. Though the Old Kaminohatayaki Porcelain was designed in underglaze cobalt blue and other graceful coloration like Old Koimari Porcelain, it only lasted ten years. After that, Old Kaminohatayaki Porcelain became extremely rare works.
The potter Hyodo Ito, originally from Obanazawa, has finally brought Old Kaminohatayaki Pocelain back to life again using the same porcelain stone from Ginzan after five years passionate and experimentation starting in the 55th year in the reign of Emperor Showa, 1988.
Consequently he not only reproduces Old Kaminohatayaki Porcelain as it was, but he also creates a modern porcelain based on the tradition as well. And, as one of the traditional arts crafts of Obanazawa , he has recreated Ginzan Kaminohatayaki Porcelain; Tou-zanyo named after the Old Sign of Kaminohatayaki.
Hyodo Ito, his ceramic works eamed him high reputation and honor.
Japanese Emperor and Empress paid a special visit to a cherry farm Higashine in Yamagata prefecture 18th June 2015. At that farm, they took a tea break with Japanese teacups. these teacups were the very things Hyodo Ito made for them.
