Arita Ware

Crafted in the historic town of Arita, located in Saga Prefecture, Arita ware stands as the most venerable porcelain production hub in the annals of Japanese history. Characterized by its ethereal translucent white porcelain adorned with vibrant paintings, it has profoundly influenced the porcelain craft across Europe.

Within Japan, Arita ware is held in high esteem as a prestigious brand, with the town of Arita acknowledged as a quintessential porcelain production area.

Charm of Arita Ware

Arita ware is the premier porcelain of Japan, backed by 400 years of history. The division of labor in each process of production—clay refining, forming, painting and glazing—has resulted in process specialists with a very high level of technical skill, as well as top-quality products.

Arita ware is made mainly with a unique ceramic stone called Amakusa Toseki, and it is said that the whiteness of the stone is beautiful in itself. It is this ceramic stone that gives Arita ware its unique combination of highly sought-after qualities, making it light, thin and exceptionally resistant to breakage. Arita ware’s translucent surface when held up to the sun is also due to the ceramic stone.

Arita ware has a wide range of glazing techniques: from the sometsuke underglazing, which uses a dark blue pigment called gosu, to nigoshide overglazing, characterized by a variety of vivid colors on a base of clear, beautiful white porcelain.