Mr Marunaka?s family kiln can be found by negotiating a series of narrow, winding roads and precarious bridges spanned over small creeks. The kiln was originally opened by his father to exclusively produce vessels for ?chawan mushi? (a savoury egg custard dish). Now, 30 years on, Marunaka-san produces a limited range of artisan tableware including his classic shape for tea and coffee - the ?rounded? cup.

Slight irregularities in size, glaze and texture reflect the artisan nature of the product and are embraced. This glaze varies between batches, and can be different shades from a milky white to a rich oatmeal. Please see current photo for the shade currently available.