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A ceramic mug with a flared rim and a vertical pattern of blue and white glaze over a dark brown base.
Close-up of the Blue Shodai Mug’s dripping white and blue glaze texture with a glossy finish.
Side view of the Blue Shodai Mug showing its handle and hand-applied gradient glaze details.
Shodai Ware Nakadera Kiln

Blue Shodai Mug

Sale price$99.00

Earthy, expressive, and quietly bold—the Blue Shodai Mug by Nakadera Kiln brings the beauty of Japan’s Shodai ware tradition into your everyday rituals. Its dramatic glaze, cascading in waves of deep indigo and soft ivory, evokes the flow of mountain streams against volcanic soil—a signature of the region’s natural palette.

The gently flared form and ridged texture offer both visual rhythm and a comfortable grip, while the rich clay base grounds each piece with quiet strength. Perfect for morning coffee or an evening cup of tea, this mug transforms a simple pause into a moment of intention.

As each piece is crafted and glazed by hand, subtle differences in shading and form are to be expected—and embraced—as part of its individual charm.
A ceramic mug with a flared rim and a vertical pattern of blue and white glaze over a dark brown base.
Blue Shodai Mug Sale price$99.00

Meet the Artisan

Shodai Ware Nakadera Kiln

Nakaderagama is a family-run Shodaiyaki kiln located in Arao, Kumamoto. Led by father-and-son artisans Kohei and Tomonari Nishikawa, the kiln continues a regional tradition that spans nearly four centuries. Drawing from the old techniques of ko-shodai (early Shodaiyaki), Nakaderagama produces tea bowls, plates, sake cups, and everyday tableware that balance the raw beauty of wood-fired pottery with refined form.

Each piece is fired in a climbing kiln (noborigama) over multiple days, with firewood stoked by hand to create rich, ash-laden textures. No two pieces emerge the same. Through this process, the Nishikawas aim to honor the imperfections that give handmade pottery its life—firing marks, glaze drips, and color shifts that tell the story of flame and earth.

While rooted in heritage, Nakaderagama’s work speaks to modern sensibilities: quietly rustic, humbly elegant, and made for daily use. It is pottery with soul—crafted not to impress, but to belong in your hands, your kitchen, and your life.