Hamada Shōji

Shōji Hamada (濱田 庄司, Hamada Shōji^?, December 9, 1894 – January 5, 1978) was a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement, establishing the town of as a world-renowned pottery centre.

Hamada was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1894.

He studied ceramics at Tokyo Institute of Technology with Kawai Kanjirō under Itaya Hazan. As the sole students in the school interested in becoming artist-potters, Hamada and the slightly elder Kawai were soon friends, touring the city in search of inspiration. Hamada was deeply impressed by a Tokyo exhibition of ceramic art by Bernard Leach, who was then staying with Yanagi Sōetsu, and wrote to Leach seeking an introduction. The two found much in common and became good friends, so much so that Hamada accompanied Leach to England in 1920 when the latter decided to return and establish a pottery there. Having spent three years in St Ives with Bernard Leach, he returned to Japan in 1923 and eventually established his workshop in Mashiko, about 100 km north-east of Tokyo. Here, he built his own pottery and committed himself to using only locally sourced materials, not only in the clay he used, but also the glazes he created and the brushes he manufactured himself from dog hair and bamboo.

In 1955 the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology designated him a "Living National Treasure".

Hamada Shoji was very supportive of young artists who moved to Mashiko such as his student Shimaoka Tatsuzō, and Kamoda Shōji, and was also important in establishing Mashiko as a destination for day tourism.

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