Meeting Yotaro Takemura & Shigeo Takemura – The Spirit of Dainichi Kiln

n Yamashina, on the quiet edge of Kyoto, lies Dainichi Kiln—a place where the old rhythms of Japanese pottery are alive in every breath of the kiln’s fire. It is here that I had the privilege to meet Yotaro Takemura, one of Kyoto’s most promising contemporary ceramicists, and his father, Shigeo Takemura, a master steeped in tradition.

The workshop, founded by Shigeo over forty years ago, sits near the serene Kansyu-ji Temple. Its atmosphere is one of patience and devotion, where each vessel is shaped not just by human hands, but by time, fire, and the quiet dialogue between father and son.

Yotaro Takemura – The Language of Color and Form

Born in 1981 in Kyoto, Yotaro studied at the Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Technical College and advanced his craft at the Kyoto City Industrial Testing Center’s Ceramics Training Course. He quickly rose to prominence, earning repeated selections for the Japan Traditional Crafts Kinki Exhibition (40th–45th editions), the Newcomer Encouragement Award (2017), and the Excellence Award at the exhibition’s 50th anniversary. His work has been acquired by the Chiba City Museum of Art, and he is an associate member of the Japan Kōgei Association.

His artistic voice is unmistakable—sprayed color gradients and precise masking techniques that produce flawless tonal transitions, often paired with delicate geometric patterns. Shades shift like the Kyoto sky at dawn, from the palest celadon to deep crimson. While visually modern, his vessels remain deeply functional, intended for the tea table as much as for the display shelf.

Shigeo Takemura – Keeper of Tradition

Shigeo Takemura is celebrated for his natural-ash glaze work, especially using grapevine ash to achieve earthy greens, warm browns, and smoky grays. Each firing embraces the unpredictability of the kiln, allowing nature’s alchemy to decide the final character of the piece. His philosophy is simple yet profound: let the materials speak, and the work will carry its own quiet dignity.

A Dialogue Across Generations

During my visit, I watched Shigeo shape clay with the measured calm of decades of experience. Nearby, Yotaro worked in bursts of focus, applying fine layers of color with the precision of a painter. Together, they embody the meeting point of two worlds—heritage and innovation, restraint and experimentation.

Before leaving, Yotaro placed a Deutsai vase in my hands. Its seamless gradient from white to red seemed to glow from within. “It doesn’t need flowers,” he said. “It already has its own life.”

It is a sentiment that lingers—reminding me that in the hands of the Takemuras, clay is more than material. It is memory, tradition, and a living art form.

Yotaro Takemura and Shigeo Takemura with Gustavo Romang in Kyoto