Since its establishment in 1598, Mikawachi ware has been revered, with pieces presented to the imperial court and shoguns, reflecting a long-standing commitment to producing high-class pottery, ranging from daily necessities to interior decorations.

Mikawachi ware pieces elevate a tabletop setting, presenting the elegance of sculptures or paintings. Characterized by its translucent and exquisite white porcelain, this ware is renowned for achieving the pinnacle of pure white color. The craftsmanship in Mikawachi ware, evident in delicate dyeing, intricate openwork, and fine detailing on the white porcelain, along with a pearly sheen achieved through high-temperature firing, exudes graceful luxury. These pieces are indeed treasures, meriting status as art.

Today's Mikawachi ware, inheriting the skills and spirit of its forebears, continues to be celebrated as a traditional national craft, demonstrating an enduring legacy of excellence. 

Mikawachi ware is a pottery production area known for its outstanding porcelain modeling techniques and picturesque paintings. It has a history of nearly 400 years in Nagasaki, Kyushu region, where many kilns, including Arita ware, are located.

Mikawachi ware was founded by a potter named Geo-gwan, who was brought back from Korea by Shigenobu Matsura, a feudal lord of the Hirado domain, at the end of the 16th century. He changed his family name to Imamura and became a naturalized Japanese. Geo-gwan moved to Mikawachi and built a kiln with Goryeo-tteog, a potter who initiated the Karatsu ware that was born in northern Saga Prefecture at the same time, and 127 other potters.

In 1662, Imamura Yajibei, a grandson of Geo-guan, began full-scale production of porcelain. The high-quality three-dimensional work that can still be seen today, such as openwork, also started to be produced at that time. Overseas exports of these beautiful Mikawachi wares, with their outstanding techniques, began in 1831. They were exhibited to high acclaim at the Paris Exposition and the Chicago Exposition. From the late Meiji period (1868–1912 CE) to the early Showa period (1912–1926 CE), numerous master potters of Mikawachi ware appeared, and the area grew to become one of the leading porcelain production centers in Japan.

Openwork is a type of modeling technique in which a pattern is formed by hollowing out the base material. Since the 17th century, Mikawachi ware has challenged the limits of the technique to make the entire surface of porcelain look like basket mesh, and has produced works that have mastered this complex technique to the present day.

In this technique, porcelain is carved down to a thickness of less than one millimeter, so that it glows when light shines through it. This technology is called egg shell, or rankakude in Japanese, because these works are as light and thin as an eggshell.

In this technique, known in Japanese as kikka-kazari zaiku, individually hand-carved chrysanthemum flowers are are affixed to vases and lids as decorations. These chrysanthemum flowers are made of porcelain, the same material as the body of the piece, making them an integral part of the vessel.

Okiage is a technique for creating reliefs by creating slip using the same porcelain clay as the body, and using it to paint layers over and over with a brush. Established in Japan for a long time, this technique is the same as the pate-sur-pate cameo technique.

Mikawachi Ware's painting is described as being “like art” because of its realistic three-dimensionality and perspective, achieved through delicate brush strokes and skillful use of color shading. In particular, Mikawachi ware’s best-known motif is karako, or Chinese-style paintings of children.

Source: Mikawachi Ceramic Industry Cooperative Association