Tobe-ware is a tradition in blue and white ceramics in Ehime, on Japan’s Shikoku island. It began in the 18th century as an off-shoot to the large porcelain making regions in Arita. Separate, and distinct, it characteristic today is for small, family run kilns and a dedication to hand painting and craft techniques.

There is much to discover among the 100 or so kilns that make up modern Tobe-ware, with innovators and classic exponents of the styles that have formed its identity since the Edo period.