Ojiro-yaki Fumoto Workshop
Located at the foot of Mount Kodai in northern Kumamoto Prefecture, Ojiro-yaki Fumoto is renowned for its Shojiro wares. Their charm lies in the sturdy, hollow form made of quality clay, with beautiful glazes: deep blue, pale medicinal ash, candy glaze, and yellow glaze.
Recipe for 7-8 people
Ingredients :
- 1 green onion
- 2 celery stalks
- Sesame seeds (to sprinkle)
- Soy sauce or ponzu
- 200 g dried radishes
- 100 ml of oil
- 1 liter of water
- 1 bag of konnyaku
- 5-6 rehydrated shiitake mushrooms
- 1 piece of fried nankan
- 100 ml of sake
- 100 g sugar
- 200 ml light soy sauce
- 1 kg sweet potato powder
- 2 carrots
- 5-6 taro potatoes
- ½ Chinese cabbage
- 2 small bamboo shoots
Preparation :
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Dried radishes: Soak them in water for 1 to 1.5 hours. Sauté with oil, add 1 liter of water and bring to a boil. Add the konnyaku, mushrooms, nankan, sake, sugar and soy sauce. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
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Broth: Squeeze sweet potato powder with 2 liters of water. Boil a broth of kelp and bonito, then add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, bamboo shoots and nankan. Once cooked, stir in sweet potato, season with soy sauce and sake. Serve when the dumplings float, garnished with green onions.
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Miso Mix: Boil green onions. Mix 3 tbsp barley miso with 2 tbsp Okinawan millet sugar, then stir in black vinegar and rice vinegar to taste. Add ground sesame seeds and serve over the onions.
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Accompaniment: Serve with pickled mustard greens, dried radishes and rice.
Utsuwa
- Candy glaze bowl : 7 cm
- Pot : 12 cm diameter x 5 cm height
- 8 inch plate : 24 x 8 cm
- Ochazuke tea bowl : 16 cm
- Sliding square bowl : 14 cm
- Two-eared cup : 10 cm
- White high glaze rice bowl : 13 cm
These creations combine aesthetics and functionality, enriching your culinary experience.
Inoue and Shojiro Pottery
Naoyuki Inoue, preparing a meal with his parents, celebrates the family tradition and art of pottery. His masterpiece, slipwear, is a traditional British pottery decorated with slip (covering clay) patterns. He aspires to create a pattern that he can draw for 10 years. The dough for dango, essential to dagojiru, is prepared in a kneading bowl designed by his father, Yasuaki, also a master potter. This design allows women to work more easily in their creations, because "creations with a purpose will last a long time."
The Importance of Food
Inoue emphasizes the importance of experiencing the joy of eating, expressing that Shojiro utensils have endured for 400 years because they harmonize with the local diet. "A good pottery is only complete when it is used to serve food."
Family Tradition
In the family kitchen, the scene is comforting: his mother serves a large bowl of dagojiru, a Kumamoto specialty. The Fumoto kiln, opened 50 years ago by Yasuaki, produces about 3,000 pieces a year, made from local clay. Inoue creates slipwear plates with bold patterns and beautifully glazed bowls.
The soup, rich in jiggly dumplings, warms the heart and body. Next to the rice, a light blue bowl contains freshly picked watercress, whose luxurious taste invites one to continue eating.
Reflection on Eating Habits
Inoue shares a profound thought: "The important thing is the joy of eating, whether or not there is excess in the body." This sentence sums up his approach to cooking and pottery. He questions people's eating habits by observing utensils: "What kind of food is there? What do you like and how much do you eat?"
Conclusion
Shojiro pottery and Inoue's home cooking come together to create an enriching taste experience, celebrating tradition, creativity and the joy of sharing a good meal.
The Art of Inoue Pottery
Inoue creates slipware that highlights the colors of the ingredients. Located in the wilderness, the Fumoto kiln uses local clay and chemicals for its glazes. Fresh herbs like watercress, parsley, and green onions are harvested nearby, bringing an authentic touch to its cooking.
Table Elements
In the foreground is a plate made by Inoue 20 years ago, accompanied by a teacup made by his father, Yasuaki. The deep blue glaze, a symbol of Shojiro wares, pairs perfectly with rice bowls and small bowls glazed with seaweed. Yasuaki and his son share a beautiful bond, reflected in their work.
Passion for Food
Inoue describes himself as a glutton, able to imagine a variety of dishes when preparing a plate. For him, Western tableware can seem uncomfortable, especially for Japanese food lovers. Looking at sake bottles and cups, he feels the irresistible appeal of sake. "Sometimes, people tell me that my plate looks delicious, and that makes me incredibly happy."
Inspiration and Creation
Trained in Fukuoka and Kumamoto, Inoue draws inspiration from master craftsmen and their history. He believes that the best designs have already been made by his predecessors. “When you think about the shape and design of a piece of pottery, you often discover something familiar. I have an image etched in my memory of a design I saw one day, and I reproduce it in my own way.”
He sees nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from previous works as long as he strives to create his own forms. For him, the important thing is to find containers that are suitable for his family's food, a quest that reflects truth and functionality.
Family Collaboration
Inoue attaches great importance to his personal feelings and preferences when it comes to size and shape. When he makes a prototype, he asks his wife and mother for their opinions. “The main role at the table is to cook. No matter how much effort you put in, your contribution is only 20 to 30 percent of the presentation. However, having beautiful pottery can make all the difference. That’s why I put my all into my art.”
Conclusion
Inoue pottery transcends aesthetics to become an essential part of the culinary experience, enriching meals shared with family.
The Inoue Workshop in Kanazawa
Welcome to Inoue’s studio, a charming Japanese home that exudes tradition! The dining table, adorned with antique utensils and everyday ceramics, invites a warm feast. Each place setting comes alive with a deep black bowl and a brick plate, ready to host homemade delicacies.
Recipes
1. Cabbage and Clam Soup (serves 4)
Imagine yourself in a busy kitchen: pour oil into a pan, heat it up, and add 400g of fresh clams dancing in the heat! Add 1 cup of sake, then 3 cups of water, and simmer with a wedge of cabbage. After 7 minutes, you’ll have a comforting treat filling your home with aromas!
2. Carrot Salad
Grate 1-2 crunchy carrots and toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon yuzu juice for a tangy touch. Finish with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and you're done!
3. Hanamaki
For these steamed buns, mix together all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Knead, let ferment for 1 hour, shape, and steam for light and fluffy bites!
4. Pickled Garlic Gyoja
Boil a bunch of Gyoja garlic with a little salt. Tie it up and dip it in a tasty marinade of soy sauce and miso, let it sit overnight. The next day, the result is an explosion of flavors!
5. Pork Loin
Boil the pork loin in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, sugar and ginger slices. After an hour of gentle cooking, reduce the broth and spoon over the meat for a juicy dish that will have your guests salivating!
6. Komatsuna Namul
Quickly boil 1 bunch of komatsuna, season with salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Gently mix with your fingers for a crunchy finishing touch!
Utsuwa
- Zelkova High Leg - 12.8 x H12 cm: Elevate your table with elegance!
- Large Iron Bowls - 20.5 x 9.2 cm: Ideal for generous portions!
- 3-Tier Hiba Box - 16.5 x 16 x 6 cm: Perfect for a refined presentation!
- Iron Pot - 620 x H7 cm: A pretty pot that highlights your culinary creations!
- Hiba Square Trays - 42 x 9.5 x H1.8 cm: Serve in style!
- Daikoku Round Ginkgo Plates - 30 x H5.3 cm: Every dish deserves to be highlighted!
Conclusion
With Inoue's creations, cooking becomes a real spectacle! These utensils combine tradition and modernity, transforming each meal into a celebration of flavors and aesthetics. Ready to taste? Bon appetit!
The Art of Lacquer by Sugita
At the center of the table, a large square plate by Yoji Yamada, a potter from Shigaraki, captures the attention. Sugita shares, “To take care of my tableware, I just use it every day and dry it well before going to bed.” In his townhouse in Kanazawa, where he lives with his family, Sugita lacquerware is part of their daily routine.
The dark color of these pieces blends perfectly with any table, while evoking the charm of antiques. Sugita is seduced by the lightness of the shapes and by the beauty of the dishes when garnished. His containers, made by the lacquer artisan Akihiko Sugita, offer a softness to the touch that makes each meal even more special.
He remembers his childhood, surrounded by lacquerware at his parents' wholesaler in Tokyo. While studying art history, he discovered inro and its fascinating aesthetic. Sugita likes thick pottery and looks for abstract shapes that go well with his style.
Each piece is the result of a meticulous process, with layers of lacquer and ground powder, creating a unique texture. As a former soba noodle chef, Sugita has a keen sense of cooking, making his dishes even more delicious.
Its soft and shiny lacquer is perfectly suited to Japanese homes, especially in subdued lighting. “Lacquer adapts to all dishes, hot or cold, and its shine changes over time. It has this irresistible charm that draws us in, even if it is sometimes impractical. That’s what makes lacquer so captivating!”