Yoshitaka Umehara
ARTISTS & CRAFTSMEN AT ORYOKI
"Under his artist name Gyokko, Yoshitaka Umehara has been extensively awarded for his art. He is a grand master of classical Japanese pottery. His passion is primarily dedicated to the Japanese teapot, Kyusu, which he crafts as Tokoname Yaki. This is a world-renowned style for which Japanese teapots from Tokoname are highly valued."
"Each teapot is a uniquely handcrafted masterpiece."
Yoshitaka Umehara
ARTIST AT ORYOKI
Known for its Delicate Details
Gyokko masters the art of "baking" like few others, referring to firing in Japan's traditional kilns. With "reduction firing," he achieves unusual, iridescent tones as well as beautiful, uniform colors. The clay required for this, high in iron content, is a pure natural product: Shudei, a red clay with high iron content directly from Tokoname.
However, Gyokko's pottery is also practical: To be able to pour the tea comfortably, Gyokko integrates a ceramic sieve with over 400 hand-pierced holes, which tea connoisseurs appreciate even more than stainless steel sieves.
President of Gyokko
Our designer Yoshitaka Umehara is the current president of the manufacturer. From his father Hirotaka Umehara, who is also a master potter and designer, he learned the techniques for unique pottery at an early age. The years of experience of both have since been incorporated into the company, which is globally renowned among tea experts for its Kyusu.
