HINOMIYA: Delicately Designed Translucent Minoware Ceramic

HINOMIYA is a special series of Minoware tableware that has a special design that becomes visible when light hits it. Using a glaze called Kokkoh, which we created in-house, with our developers testing various prototypes to degrees of 0.001g differences in the various elements and changes between single degrees of heat, we had control over the textures, colours, and crystallisation.

We first launched the white HINOMIYA series in Japan, with the design being able to enhance the value of Minoware. With this new series, using the Kokkoh glaze, we have been able to layer this specially designed glaze onto the original piece of art found on the tableware. This series’ theme is the coexistence of yin-yang, with the matte black colour existing together with the shining white, creating a truly awesome set of tableware. It is different to the white pieces and gives a more elegant impression. In order to create the HINOMIYA, a series that hasn’t been seen before, we have brought together the traditional techniques behind the mass producing of Minoware, together with the artist's creativity. So to bring this series to the attention of as many people as possible, we have looked towards Kickstarter, to bring it to the world’s stage!

For this project, we are bringing the HINOMIYA series to Kickstarter, together with special exclusive prices.We hope that you take this chance to support our new HINOMIYA lineup!

An elegantly designed plate that can be placed in the microwave, dishwasher, and up to 150°C in the oven!

The plates are extremely versatile, and can be used in high-heat situations without problem! You can use them in the oven at up to 150℃. You can also clean them in the dishwasher without worry! These beautifully designed plates are perfect for a party, while also offering you convenience when you clean up! They look delicate but are in fact extremely safe and sturdy, and will bring a whole new style to your table!

This series is the first lineup that Shota Miyashita has made that uses the Kokkoh glaze and is exclusive to Kickstarter. When held up to the light, you can see the glaze make various colours. It is a metallic-looking black that also shines in different colours, creating a coexistence of two opposites.

A beautiful matte white finish creates a beautiful stage for any type of dish, from fancy French cuisine, or delectable Italian cuisine, to wonderful homemade dishes!

HINOMIYA is tableware that is made using Minoware techniques, which allows light to pass through. We have used a design that is said to bring good luck, the cloisonne pattern, to show this off. This pattern is said to be a good sign for the prosperity of descendants & for close relationships as the circles represent overlapping of human relations which can go on forever. In Japanese, it is known as the Shippo pattern, and it is also another word for the seven treasures of the Buddha.We had the idea in mind that relationships are as important as these treasures, and so we wished to use this design with various deep meanings.

The HINOMIYA series is made to have a beautiful design, while also having a minimalist shape, that allows it to be used in a whole variety of situations. Perfect for both everyday use, as well as special occasions, the HINOMIYA series will be there for you!

HINOMIYA is made using a whole variety of parts of Minoware. Minoware or Mino yaki in Japanese, is the pottery and porcelain that comes from the Tono Region, which consists of Tajimi City, Toki City, Mizunami City, and Kani City. It is the largest produced ceramic in Japan. The region is also known for being an area which has produced the largest number of Japan’s living national treasures. Minoware has been around for over 1300 years and has changed with the times, taking inspiration from Western ceramics in the Meiji era, with most of the ceramics being produced being a white colour. Mino ware has continued to produce ceramics of various shapes and designs according to the fashions and needs of the times, continuing its tradition to the present day.

For the softer layer of packaging, we have decided to use high-quality washi paper that is in line with the HINOMIYA concept, and what we see as being a textured white.

We have asked Mihagi Kougei to make individual packaging by hand from wood in the form of traditional handicrafts that can protect the tableware.

The HINOMIYA project is the culmination of artist’s amazing designs based on their own originality, and the traditional Minoware craft that uses mass production techniques and special materials, in the region that Shota Miyashita is based. The HINOMIYA project took over a year to bring to life, and it looked at joining these two parts, bringing together their strengths and creating a new form, which is a mass production that is labour-intensive.

The design was commissioned by Hijiri Tougane, an artist who works in the Minoware making region bringing amazing art to places all over the world, and was created using 3D CAD, which they also use for creating art. We take a blank high-quality item after it has been fired, and then carefully polish it, we are able to create a new type of product that allows the light to shine through.

HINOMIYA was inspired by the white clay that is used to make Minoware. Yamaka Ceramics Co. since 1979 have been pioneers when it comes to the production of high-quality white porcelain clay. For pottery and ceramics, the structure, consistency, and liquidity of the material are extremely important, and a balance between the three is necessary. By focusing on this balance, they can control the clay and fire it white via oxidisation. Ceramics are made from natural raw materials. Each is unique in its composition. By conducting daily tests, they are able to create the highest quality clay possible.

The person who brings shape to the HINOMIYA tableware is Yasuaki Kuroda , the second-generation operator of Kuroda Manufacturing, a company that started in 1978. When it comes to mould making, it has a major supporting role in the ceramic industry. Mr Kuroda takes pride in supporting the local ceramic industry, and using local techniques and technology, he looks to pass it on to future generations.

The clay that has been made into a muddy consistency is poured into plaster moulds and left to mould. Although everything is done in a factory, outside of the pouring of the clay, every process is done by hand. The HINOMIYA Cup have a specialised shape, which is rather complicated, and so only the skilled Mr Mizuno can make these moulds.

Using a glaze called Kokkoh, in which he created various prototypes that tested combinations of elements to degrees of 0.001g differences in the various elements and changes between single degrees of heat, he could control the textures, colours, and crystallisation. Taking the baton from various craftsmen, he fires the products in a custom-built kiln. The HINOMIYA tableware is born thanks to the special firing techniques that he uses as well as the special polishing that he does.

Preserving a Fading Art