Hirokazu Furutani – Furutani Pottery, Shigaraki

Hirokazu Furutani (born in 1979 in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a contemporary ceramic artist and the third-generation potter of Furutani Pottery. Trained at the Shigaraki Ceramic Research Institute and Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Technical College, Furutani continues his family’s long tradition of craftsmanship while bringing a refined, modern sensibility to everyday tableware.

His work is rooted in the Japanese kohiki technique — a red clay body coated with a thin layer of white slip and glaze, creating a soft, luminous surface with subtle depth. Each vessel reflects a quiet balance of warmth, simplicity, and functionality, designed to complement the beauty of daily life.

Every piece is shaped and glazed by hand in his Shigaraki studio, where natural variations in color, iron specks, and texture emerge through the firing process. These small differences are not imperfections, but signs of life — the expression of clay, flame, and the maker’s touch.