Making Kutaniyaki with Stickers at KUTANI SEAL

KUTANI SEAL and the New Wave of Kutaniyaki

Beautiful colors on Ko-Kutani porcelain

Kutaniyaki is known for its bold brush strokes and brilliant, vivid designs. It is painted with the five “Kutani-gosai” colors: green, yellow, dark blue, purple, and red, in addition to black. The unique beauty of its colors comes from its 360-year history.
It first became known outside of Japan after the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair and has continued to fascinate porcelain enthusiasts ever since. A notable example is when English fine china maker, WEDGWOOD, released a series imitating the Kutaniyaki style in the second half of the 20th century.

From Stickers to Kutaniyaki

KUTANI SEAL tableware

Originating in the southern region of Ishikawa Prefecture, today there are many Kutani potteries in the Komatsu, Nomi, and Kaga city areas. The traditional works of art and tableware that are produced here are sold all over Japan. However, the high prices can be daunting for many.

KUTANI SEAL’s fun, charming designs

This is where the KUTANI SEAL brand comes in. The founding company, Kamide Shigei LLC, created it in 2009 with the goal of bringing kutaniyaki closer to all of us.
KUTANI SEAL uses its ceramic paint transferring technique to print its charming designs on stickers. The stickers can then easily be placed on porcelain and fired in a kiln to create an original kutaniyaki piece. The designs which mix elements of traditional and modern Japanese styles have gained popularity through social media, especially among women. This new process has made the kutaniyaki craft more accessible than ever.

The Hands-On KUTANI SEAL Experience

Yaoyoroz Honpo’s charming store front

The KUTANI SEAL workshop can be found at the Yaoyoroz Honpo novelty gallery in Owaricho, Kanazawa city.
Ever since the Hokuriku Shinkansen began to operate in 2015, Kanazawa city has attracted much attention both domestically and internationally as a tourist destination. Yaoyoroz Honpo is located at the foot of the Asanogawa Bridge near the Higashi Chaya District, one of Kanazawa’s most popular sight-seeing spots.
Renovated from an old hardware store, the exterior keeps the nostalgic atmosphere that is particular to the townhouses in Kanazawa. Within it are six tenants, including a shop selling Hyakumansan goods (the mascot character for the Hokuriku Shinkansen), and KUTANI SEAL.

The six shops each have a theme based on Ishikawa Prefecture

Ducking under the curtains at the entrance, the KUTANI SEAL shop could be found just to the left. Charming and humorous goods, like the “Neko Jealousy Series” and “Pero Pero Chopstick Rests” featuring dogs with their tongues sticking out are available for purchase here.

Kutaniyaki capsule machines with chopstick rests inside

At the shop’s entrance are two capsule machines that are popular within tourists.
Both contain chopstick rests, one with bear character designs and the other with dog character designs. They are all so cute no matter which you get.

Flower-shaped plate(2,700 yen)

After confirming my reservation at the counter, my workshop experience started with the selection of a plain, white porcelain base. The six options include plates, rice bowls, mug cups, and soba chokos (a small cup to dip soba noodles into). I chose this lovely flower-shaped plate. This small plate is just the right size for side dishes or for when sharing dishes. Also, the flat surface is easy to put stickers on, so it is recommended for beginners.

There are over 30 kinds of stickers to choose from

Next I made my design by deciding which stickers to use and where to place them. It was challenging to decide which ones to use within over 30 kinds to choose from, especially since we can use as many as we like. There are animals from the Chinese zodiac like wild boars, monkeys, and rabbits and also butterflies, cats, ume (Japanese apricots), and even snowmen.

You can also choose one of three lettered stickers, “ISHIKAWA,” “KANAZAWA,” and “ANYATO” (thank you in the Kanazawa dialect).
The stickers can be cut and pasted freely to create original designs. For example, a snowman’s hat can be replaced with a heart or a star. Stickers can also be put on the back of the plate. The workshop staff’s advice is to use your imagination, be free, and have fun.
After 30 minutes of trial and error, my final design was one with wild boars playing soccer and as many other stickers as I could fit in.

Stickers are soaked in water before pasting

Now that my design was set, it was time to stick it to the plate.
First, the stickers are soaked in water with the backing paper still on to make them easier to peel. After one or two minutes, they can be placed back on the plate with forceps. You peel them by sliding off just the backing paper. The stickers can be moved while they are still wet so there is no need to worry about pasting it in the wrong place.

Flattening the stickers so air bubbles don’t affect the final product

Once all the stickers are in place, the last step is flattening them to remove any pockets of air that are trapped. A thick scraper wrapped in a sheet of paper towel is used for this. This step is crucial for getting a clean design on the plate. Flattening the stickers insures that bubbles of air won’t get in while the porcelain is being fired in the kiln.

Plate right before firing

The yellow areas around the stickers disappear when the porcelain is fired. They can overlap with no issue. However, the colors of the parts with drawings will not mix nicely so it is better to be careful there. The experiencing workshop lasts for 90 minutes. I just barely finished my plate.
After it is fired in the kiln, the finished porcelain will be delivered in about a month (shipping cost is separate, and overseas delivery is not available). Designing the Kutaniyaki yourself will make it truly special.

The workshop is held four times a day at the shop and must be reserved in advance. There is also a special workshop that is held in the tatami room on the second floor, which features stickers that can only be found there.

The Story Behind KUTANI SEAL

This year will be KUTANI SEAL’s tenth year. The founder, Keigo Kamide, told us why he created the brand.
“Kutaniyaki’s production numbers have gradually decreased and it is now disappearing not only from regular households, but also from Japanese inns and restaurants. I created KUTANI SEAL because I wanted the younger generations to be able to use Kutaniyaki without reserve, and because I want people to see what the transferring and hand painting methods are really like. By showing these different sides of Kutaniyaki, I hope to get people interested in knowing more.”

Head to Kanazawa and experience the new wave of Kutaniyaki!

The new styles of the traditional craft are casual enough to use every day. Adding one to your home collection is sure to add new colors to your usual table. Come visit Yaoyoroz Honpo to try the KUTANI SEAL workshop or just to make some memories in Kanazawa.