This traditional kyusu is made from natural clay in the famous Tokoname region, by the respected Studio Isshin. The studio was founded in 1980 by Sadao Tsuchihira, who now runs it together with his son Eiichi. The focus at Isshin is on the creation of kyusu and dobin with ash and irabo glazes. The yohen firing technique was used for this kyusu in order to achieve a special, unique colouring. The studio has already won several awards for its work.
Tokoname is one of the six ancient ceramic centers in Japan. High quality earthenware has been produced there since the 12th century. The clay deposits that are still there contain iron, which is responsible for the characteristic red shade of the clay which, together with the oxidation burn, is so crucial for optimising the taste of the tea. A special feature of the production of kyusu from Tokoname are the hand-ground and precisely fitting lids.
The tokoname are unglazed inside to emphasise mild, basic aromas. Particularly suitable tokoname for basic-mineral and mild-balanced green teas of the second and later harvests, such as bancha, genmaicha, hojicha, sannenbancha.