Tōzan Shudei Fujisangata Ushirode Kyusu

A fully handmade unglazed teapot made by master Yamada Tōzan III using the extremely rare slab-building method. Because this traditional pottery technique is entirely hand-formed rather than wheel-thrown, each piece is unique in its shape and dimensions. Natural variations in the clay also result in subtle differences in color. If you'd like to choose a specific piece, ask us for photos of the available pieces.


Master Yamada Tōzan III (Naohiro Yamada):
• Born in 1946
• 1973: Began his apprenticeship under Yamada Tōzan II.
• 2000: Succeeded to the hereditary title Tōzan III.
• Widely regarded as the last remaining master of the traditional Pan-pan forming technique in Tokoname.

The Slab-building or in Japanese, "pan-pan" method:
The Pan-pan (パンパン) method is a traditional hand-forming technique for making unglazed teapots, derived from the Yixing (Yixing zisha) pottery tradition of Jiangsu, China. It was introduced to Tokoname in 1878 by the Chinese potter Jin Shih-heng (also rendered Kin Shikō in Japanese), whose techniques profoundly influenced modern Tokoname teapot production.

Rather than throwing the vessel on a potter's wheel, the body is first formed from a thin clay slab rolled into a cylinder. The potter then repeatedly strikes the clay with a flat wooden spatula, producing the characteristic pan-pan sound that gives the technique its Japanese name. This rhythmic paddling compresses and refines the clay while gradually shaping the vessel into its final form, resulting in exceptionally thin, strong, and precisely proportioned teapots.

Today, the technique has largely disappeared because of its complexity and the many years of training required to master it, making Yamada Tōzan III the sole remaining practitioner of this important Tokoname tradition.



About Tokoname pottery:
Tokoname is a historic pottery town in Aichi Prefecture and one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, with production dating back over 1,000 years. It’s best known for unglazed, high-fired stoneware made from iron-rich red clay.
A large prehistoric body of water often called Ancient Lake Tōkai covered much of the region millions of years ago. As the lake repeatedly expanded and shrank, it laid down thick layers of fine sediments mixed with iron-bearing minerals from surrounding mountains. Over time, those sediments compressed into the iron-rich clays found today around Tokoname.
That ancient lake environment is a big reason the Tōkai region became such a strong center for ceramics.


Place of Origin: Tokoname, Japan

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☆ HANDMADE PRODUCT - Please note that the item we have in stock might not be the same piece shown on the pictures above. Each piece is unique and slightly different from each other. If you are particular about either the size, the capacity or the appearance, contact us, and we will share photos or the exact details of our available pieces in stock.

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