Behind the Pottery We Carry - Visiting Hasami and Maruhiro -

One of the places I most wanted to visit during my Kyushu trip was Hasami.

Arita and Hasami sit next to each other and together form one of Japan's most important pottery regions, with histories stretching back roughly 400 years.

Arita ware became known for refined porcelain and elaborate decoration, while Hasami ware has long been loved for its durable, practical tableware made for everyday use.

As we drove through the area, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Kilns. Everywhere.

I have visited other famous pottery towns in Japan, including Shigaraki and Mashiko, but I had never seen this many pottery businesses concentrated in one area.

For me, though, there was another reason this visit was important.

I was finally going to visit Maruhiro.

Visiting the People Behind BARBAR and HASAMI

If you've shopped with okappa for a while, you probably recognize BARBAR and HASAMI. Both have become part of the shop, and Maruhiro is the company behind these brands.

Hasami ware has traditionally been made through a network of specialized craftspeople rather than entirely under one roof. Different workshops take on different parts of the process, from making molds and forming clay to glazing and firing. Maruhiro brings this network together while giving each collection its own strong creative direction.

Under CEO Hiroki Baba, the company has also taken Hasami ware into unexpected territory, bringing traditional ceramic production together with contemporary art, fashion, music, and street culture.

I had wanted to visit their headquarters for a long time.

Their flagship store sits alongside a public park created by Maruhiro, and the whole place feels very different from a traditional pottery showroom. Ceramics, apparel, art collaborations, and community space all coexist there in a way that feels casual and natural.

I also finally got to meet the Maruhiro representative I'd been communicating with only through email. He kindly took me behind the scenes and showed me around their warehouse.

And that's where things got especially interesting.

When the Same Design Isn't Really the Same

Some of you may have noticed that several BARBAR pieces disappeared from okappa.

The kiln that had been producing this particular series closed, and production had to stop.

While walking through the warehouse, I learned that Maruhiro had finally found a new artisan who could take over the series. And then he told me they already had samples there that I could see.

Wait, really?!

Of course I wanted to see them.

Seeing the new pieces side by side was fascinating. They were based on the same designs, but the differences were immediately noticeable. The shapes, the details of the patterns, and the character of the brushwork had changed. They still belonged to the same BARBAR series, yet they had a distinctly different feel.

It was such a clear reminder of how much the hands of the maker become part of handmade and small-scale production. Even with the same design to follow, a different artisan brings something of their own to the finished piece.

And then came another surprise.

They still had some remaining stock from the original kiln.

Ahhhhh!!

I honestly thought these pieces were gone.

So yes, some familiar BARBAR pieces are back at okappa for now: the ramen bowls, small cups, and rice bowls. Unfortunately, no plates.

This is the remaining stock from the original kiln, so once it's gone, it's gone.

The Harder Part of the Story

During our conversation, the Maruhiro representative also told me about a growing challenge in Hasami: the shortage of craftspeople.

Many of the workshops involved in Hasami ware are small, family-run businesses, and fewer people are choosing to continue the work. Pottery making is physically demanding, and it can be difficult to make a sustainable living from it. When a craftsperson retires or a workshop closes, finding someone with the skills to take over their part of the production isn't always easy.

He even told me that he and Maruhiro's CEO may eventually need to learn some parts of the production themselves in order to support the craftspeople they work with.

Hearing this felt especially close to me because it connects to one of the reasons I started okappa in the first place.

I love Japanese housewares and the simple pleasure of living with things that are well made. But I've also thought for a long time about the people behind them, especially the craftspeople whose skills may quietly disappear when there is no one to continue their work.

I shared this with him, and we talked about how important it is for these crafts to have a place in people's lives today. For me, carrying their work at okappa is one small way to be part of that connection between the people who continue to make these objects in Japan and the people who will use and appreciate them here.

Seeing the Other Side of the Shelf

I've spent a lot of time choosing the pottery I carry at okappa, learning about how it's made and the people behind it. But being there in person gave me a perspective I couldn't have gained from product descriptions, catalogs, or emails.

After traveling through Kyushu, visiting pottery villages and studios, and finally seeing the network behind Hasami ware firsthand, the pieces that arrive on my shelves feel more connected to the places and people they came from.

The trip also made me think more seriously about what supporting these makers can actually look like from my side of the world.

I'm still figuring out what that can really mean. Perhaps part of it is simply helping this work reach more people—introducing it to those who might appreciate and choose it, sharing why it is worth paying attention to, and showing that these skills still have a place in the way we live today.

I don't know exactly what difference one small retailer can make. But I do know that I want to keep learning about the people behind the objects I carry, sharing what I learn, and finding a place for their work here.

It's a small part of a much bigger story, but after this trip, I understand the value of that role a little more clearly.