Takasuke

Takasuke – ceramics from Tokoname

Takasuke Pottery is based in Tokoname in Aichi Prefecture, one of Japan’s six historic ceramic centres. From the workshop we carry the soy sauce pot in black clay – designed by Osamu Saruyama after an original design by Tetsuro Kaneko from the porcelain town of Arita.

The soy sauce pot on the Japanese table

Shōyu-sashi, the little soy sauce pot, stays out on the table and is used every day. Takasuke’s version holds 84 ml, has a loose lid and a short spout that cuts the stream off, so the last drop doesn’t run down the pot. Just as suited to vinegar, ponzu and thin dressings as to soy sauce.

Kogei products are made in very limited quantities by small workshops in Japan and may therefore be sold out from time to time. Contact us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk if you would like to know the delivery status of a sold-out product.

Takasuke

Soy sauce dispenser in black clay, 84 ml – Japanese soy pot

€54,95 EUR

Kogei means craftsmanship – things meant to be used

Kogei (工芸) is the Japanese word for craftsmanship: objects made by hand and meant for everyday use. The term covers a wide range of regional craft traditions – metalwork, ceramics, lacquerware, wood, textiles and paper – passed on from one generation to the next.

Five criteria for a recognised craft

Since 1974, the Japanese state has officially recognised the craft traditions that meet five criteria:

The object must be made for everyday use
The main stages of production must be done by hand
Traditional techniques must be used
The materials must be traditional to the craft
The craft must be practised in the region where it historically belongs

The recognition ensures that the techniques are passed on to the next generation and that the workshops can keep making things that would otherwise disappear. The most accomplished practitioners can also be named “Living National Treasures” – a personal honour that dates back to the 1950s.

Kogei at Rune-Jakobsen Design

This is why Japan has craftspeople who, drawing on centuries-old traditions, create beautiful and functional objects of exceptional quality. We have selected a number of them: Shinko makes copper tea and coffee caddies in Tsubame, Sakami Kogei shapes brass trays and forks in Tokyo, Shiratake Gama throws citrus juicers in Amakusa stoneware, Matsuda turns chestnut-wood trays on Kyushu, Nishitame builds bento boxes in hinoki cypress, and Osamu Saruyama makes knives, cutlery and trivets in steel, brass and cast iron.

All products are sourced directly in Japan – selected by us personally and passed on without middlemen.

Inspiration: Japanese craftsmanship: the difference between handmade and industrial production · Crafts with origins