Shussai-gama was founded in Shimane by a group of five friends in 1947, inspired by the ideals of William Morris and Japan’s own folk crafts movement of the time. They aimed to work in traditional ways with local clays and glaze ingredients to make items that would bring the decorative artsto a wide audience.
There were ups and downs, but slowly Shussai-gama established an identity in combining techniques from Japanese ceramic culturewith new movements in product design.
The fifteen or so potters working today in Shussai-gama'sconverted rice warehouse, still do so by hand withlocally collected materials. Their large wood-firedkiln is lit three or four times a year.The ethosof Shussai-gama remains to provide unassuming and attractive items forlife through the work of the potter.
