Artist Visit - Manabu Suehiro
During my recent trip to Japan, I had the privilege of visiting several remarkable ceramic artists and stepping into their creative worlds. My first stop was Okayama, home to the talented potter Manabu Suehiro.
Journey to Manabu Suehiro’s Studio in Okayama
The journey from Tokyo to Okayama was smooth and peaceful—just under four hours by Shinkansen. With a bento in hand, the ride felt almost leisurely. When I arrived at Okayama Station, the bustling department stores and large shopping mall made the city feel surprisingly similar to Tokyo.
The Countryside Beyond the City
Yet the scenery soon began to change. Just thirty minutes outside the city, rice fields stretched to the horizon, their golden grains ready for harvest. Small mountains covered in deep green rose gently around them. The landscape felt almost like stepping into Totoro’s backyard—quiet, beautiful, and deeply calming.
Meeting Bizen Potter Manabu Suehiro
After about an hour, I arrived at the Samukaze Pottery Center, where I had the pleasure of meeting Suehiro-san. He welcomed me warmly and shared his deep knowledge of the region’s pottery history, which stretches back to the Heian period (794–1180).
Although I had learned about this era in school, hearing about it through the lens of everyday pottery brought the past to life in a completely different way. Through the story of these humble vessels, I could almost glimpse the lives of ancient Japanese people.
Fire, Kilns, and the Revival of Sue Ware
Across from the Samukaze Pottery Center stands Suehiro-san’s workshop. Here he has built everything himself—from small anagama kilns to larger traditional climbing kilns. When firing his work, he tends the flames constantly, sometimes for five days to a full week. Even then, only about half of the pieces survive the firing process, sometimes even fewer.
Suehiro-san explained that the distinctive color of Sue ware comes from reduction firing, a process in which oxygen is restricted inside the kiln. In ancient times, kilns were packed tightly with pottery destined as offerings for the capital in Nara. Over generations, potters refined this technique, eventually giving rise to the flame-colored surfaces that later defined Bizen pottery. Okayama, often called the “Land of Fire,” remains deeply connected to this tradition.
What impressed me most was the movement among younger artisans, led in part by Suehiro-san, to revive Sue ware—the ancient precursor to Bizen pottery. It is both a return to the roots of this craft and an exploration of how those traditions can evolve today.
A Passion That Began with Curiosity
Suehiro-san was not the brooding artist I had once imagined. Instead, he carried a calm and flexible passion for making things. When I asked whether he had ever doubted becoming a potter, he simply replied, “Doubts? Not really. It’s just so interesting.”
For him, the fascination lies in discovering how Sue ware was made centuries ago, recreating those techniques today, and exploring how far they might still evolve. I look forward to seeing where his sense of “interesting” will lead next.
Explore Manabu Suehiro's Pottery
Discover a selection of Manabu Suehiro's ceramics available at WAZA Tokyo.