Ceramics in Japan is more than craft—it’s a cultural language, shaped by centuries of tradition and reimagined by today’s most compelling artists. In this list, Top 10 of Asia spotlights the top ten Japanese ceramic artists (listed in no particular order) whose work is pushing boundaries and commanding international attention. From ancient kiln techniques to contemporary sculptural forms, these artists merge innovation with mastery, producing pieces that are both rooted in heritage and strikingly modern. Whether honoured as Living National Treasures or emerging as new voices in the field, each one contributes to a dynamic and evolving legacy, elevating Japanese ceramics onto the global stage like never before.

Konno Tomoko
Konno Tomoko graduated from a programme in fashion design before going to live in Hong Kong, where she encountered ceramics for the first time; she eventually moved back to Tokoname in Aichi Prefecture for twelve years of intensive work in clay. From 2012 to 2015 she lived and worked in Bali, where she found that her creativity resonated in unexpected ways with the island’s spirit and natural environment. For more than a decade Konno has made organic, otherworldly forms out of myriad components of marbleised, multicolored porcelain clay, worked by hand into masses of slender follicles or seed-like cells.
Hitomi Hosono
Hitomi Hosono was born in Gifu, Japan, a prefecture famous for its rich history of ceramic production. Following a degree at Kanazawa College of Art in Japan, Hitomi studied in Denmark before gaining an MA in ceramics at the Royal College of Art, London. She has since settled in England and captured the imagination and acclaim of both private collectors and museums. Hosono’s intricate porcelain works are inspired by childhood memories of nature in Japan, her grandfather’s tiling craft and the English landscapes she explores. Often, the porcelain itself guides her process, shaped by tactile memory and deep observation of the natural world.


Itō Sekisui V
Itō Sekisui V, a 14th generation ceramic potter, was recognised for his work in mumyōi in 2003, when he was designated a Living National Treasure. Mumyōi is a reddish brown, ferric oxide clay extracted from gold mines native to Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, where the artist was born. Itō is known for neriage ware characterised by delicate patterns and created by layering and patching clay of different reddish-brown tones.
Isezaki Jun
Isezaki Jun, the second son of potter Isezaki Yōzan, is one of the most renowned masters of Bizen pottery, a traditional ware that emerged nearly a thousand years ago in the Imbe district of Bizen, Okayama prefecture. He is the fifth artist of Bizen pottery to be designated a Living National Treasure by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Of significance in Bizen pottery production is the yakishime style glaze – glazes that are the results of natural wood ash and burn-products that occur in the kilns during the firing process.


Takemura Yuri
Takemura Yuri brings the eye of a painter to the world of ceramics, transforming traditional forms into vibrant, tactile expressions of colour and movement. Originally trained in oil painting, she discovered a deeper creative language in clay, using the curved surfaces of vessels, particularly teabowls, as dynamic canvases. Her works are known for their layered slip textures, subtle metallic sheens and intuitive colour harmonies that unfold like a visual melody. Born in Nagoya in 1980, Takemura is part of a new wave of Japanese ceramic artists redefining the field. Her award-winning pieces offer a fresh, contemporary take on time-honoured forms.
Kurokawa Tōru
Born in 1984 in Kyoto, Kurokawa Toru creates coil-built, hollow-core ceramic sculptures that evoke both organic growth and mathematical precision. Initially inspired by natural forms like coral and plants, his recent works draw on mathematical calculations, resulting in complex geometries with a mysterious presence. Fired in a traditional climbing kiln, their surfaces acquire a distinctive metallic, carbonic sheen. With a background in sculpture and advanced studies in ceramics, Kurokawa blends technical mastery with conceptual depth. His innovative approach has earned him early recognition, including the prestigious Chōza Grand Prix, and his work continues to stand apart in contemporary Japanese ceramics.


Imaizumi Imaemon XIV
Imaizumi Imaemon XIV (b. 1962) is the head of a distinguished lineage of Iro-Nabeshima ceramicists, succeeding his father, the late Living National Treasure Imaizumi Imaemon XIII. He specialises in Nabeshima porcelain adorned with bold, Rinpa-inspired designs that blend traditional techniques with contemporary expression. His work reflects centuries of family heritage while offering a fresh take on classical aesthetics. Recognised as a Living National Treasure himself, he has garnered numerous accolades and his pieces are held in major public collections worldwide.
Daisuke Iguchi
Daisuke Iguchi creates stoneware vessels that evoke a sense of the primordial, seamlessly integrating form, surface and decoration. Using rice husk paste—sometimes combined with ash, metal oxides, mineral pigments or silver slip—his works reference ancient forms while remaining distinctly contemporary. Their raw, elemental presence offers both nostalgia and quiet intensity. Rooted in traditional Japanese materials and aesthetics, Iguchi’s style bridges past and present with subtle power. His work has garnered critical acclaim, including prizes from the Mashiko Togeiten and the Eastern Japan Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition, and is held in major museum collections in Japan.


Kishi Eiko
Born in 1948 in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Kishi Eiko is renowned for her innovative saiseki zōgan technique, blending hand-built clay forms with embedded, multi-colored chamotte to create textured, stone-like surfaces. Working independently outside formal art circles, she has become a pioneering figure in Japanese ceramics, especially for women artists. Her intricately crafted sculptures, often resembling woven textiles or geological strata, are held in over 30 museum collections worldwide. Kishi’s dedication to craftsmanship and originality has earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Kyoto Art and Culture Award.
Yoshimi Futamura
A single leaf on a Paris sidewalk is enough to inspire Yoshimi Futamura’s striking ceramic forms. Trained in both Japan and France, Futamura blends traditional techniques with a distinctly contemporary voice, creating sculptural works that evoke nature’s raw elegance—roots, waves, and geological formations brought to life in clay. Her pieces, crafted from stoneware and granulated porcelain, are enhanced with feldspar textures and subtle glazes of cobalt and iron oxide. Based in Paris for over three decades, Futamura has earned international recognition for her ability to merge cultural influences into powerful, organic forms that resonate across both art and design worlds.
