Yasokichi Tokuda
1961 Born in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the eldest daughter of living national treasure, Yasokichi Tokuda III.
1980 Graduated from high school and studied at Jamestown High School in New York, U.S.A.
1983 Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College
1984 NHK Kanazawa Broadcasting Station (Newscaster until 1986)
1986 Accompanied her father, Yasokichi Tokuda III, as his secretary and visited many countries around the world
1990 Graduated from Ishikawa Kutani ware Technical Training Institute
1991 Completed her studio and began her production activities.
2010 Assumed the name of Yasokichi Tokuda IV (changed from Junko to Yasokichi)
2012 Became a regular member of the Japan Crafts Association
Kutani ware artist with soft and gentle tones. Yasokichi Tokuda is a famous Kutani ware artist in Ishikawa Prefecture since 1873.
She learned the traditional Kutani ware techniques from Yasokichi Tokuda III, and has been vigorously producing her works using the "Yosai" technique, which allows her to freely manipulate more than 100 colors.
Her works are based on the five-color technique, which is a characteristic of Kutani ware, and the charm of her works lies in the creative style in which various colors change beautifully on the vessel and combine with the shape of the porcelain. She continues to pursue the colorful expression of Yasokichi, which has been handed down from generation to generation.
Kutani ware is produced in Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region. Since ancient times, traditional Japanese crafts such as pottery, lacquerware, gold leaf, and Kaga Yuzen dyeing have flourished in this area.
Kutani ware is said to have originated in the early Edo period when Saijiro Goto, who learned pottery making in Arita at the behest of his clan, built a kiln in Kutani Village in Enuma District (present-day Kaga City).
Kutani ware is characterized by the use of the five colors (red, blue, green, yellow, and purple) in the painting process. In particular, the beautiful colors and powerful color painting produced in the early days of Kutani ware are known as "Ko-Kutani" and are highly regarded around the world.
Today, Ishikawa is a major production center of Kutani ware, where various artists are engaged in friendly competition while continuing the tradition.
2008 The 31st Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Technical Award
2009 The 71st Issuikai Ceramic Art Competition, Kinoshita Memorial Prize
2010 The 33rd Traditional Kutaniyaki Craft Exhibition, Grand Prize
2011 The 51st Ishikawa Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Encouragement Prize
2012 The 68th Ishikawa Contemporary Art Exhibition, FM Ishikawa President Prize