Tōko

Tōko (陶庫) is a pottery retailer and gallery specializing in Mashiko-yaki, located in Mashiko, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Its corporate name is Yūgen Gaisha Tōko (有限会社 陶庫). The shop traces its origins to a fertilizer business, Tsukamoto Kikujirō Shōten, founded in 1889, which later became a dealer of Ashinuma stone — the raw material for the traditional Mashiko glaze known as kakiyū (persimmon glaze). In 1974, Tsukamoto Nakaba opened the pottery shop "Tōko Jōnai Tsukamoto" by converting an Ōya-stone rice storehouse. The current company was established on August 1, 1992, and is led by representative director Tsukamoto Noriyuki. Tōko operates several gallery spaces within its historic buildings, including the Kura Gallery (Ishigura), the Japanese-style room gallery, M-style Gallery, and Art Space Jonaizaka. It sells works by numerous Mashiko and Kasama ceramic artists, as well as its own-brand wares from its affiliated kiln, Sayado Wadagama (道祖土和田窯), established in 2007. The shop also runs the Gōda Yoshimichi Memorial Room, preserving the legacy of the Mashiko artist Gōda Yoshimichi. Beyond retail, Tōko hosts exhibitions, workshops (including kintsugi and bonsai), and events under the "TOKO CLUB EVENTS" banner. It has been involved in promoting Mashiko-yaki, including the development of the new brand "BOTE&SUTTO" in 2019 with product designer Naoto Fukasawa and others. The company's philosophy centers on seeking "true richness" and aiming for a world of coexistence.

The history of Tōko begins with the fertilizer business Tsukamoto Kikujirō Shōten, founded in 1889 by Tsukamoto Kikujirō, the second son of Tsukamoto Rihei, founder of what is now Mashiko-yaki Tsukamoto. Initially a kimono shop, it began selling fertilizer in the late Taishō period. Kikujirō's second son, Tsukamoto Shigeichi, took over in the Shōwa era and also served as a Mashiko town councilor. In the mid-Meiji period, a stone used to cover climbing kilns was found to melt under high heat and produce a reddish-brown glaze. This stone, a tuff called Ashinuma stone mined in Ashinuma, was crushed into "red powder" and used as a glaze. Tsukamoto Shigeichi began dealing in Ashinuma stone, which became widely sold. The glaze made from it was named "kakiyū" (persimmon glaze) by Hamada Shōji. Its iron content gave a distinctive bright reddish-brown color prized as unique to Mashiko. Kakiyū became a representative Mashiko glaze, used for water jars, pickling pots, and even roof tiles in snowy regions. After World War II, the fertilizer business declined due to agricultural cooperatives, rice acreage reduction, and the general decline of agriculture. The family explored new businesses, including a sewing factory and a tourist vineyard. In the 1960s, Mashiko experienced a mingei (folk craft) boom influenced by Hamada Shōji, attracting tourists. In 1966, the Mashiko-yaki Kiln Cooperative Sales Center opened, and the pottery market (later Mashiko Tōkiichi) began. Tsukamoto Nakaba (1929–2023), third-generation head of the fertilizer shop and third son of Shigeichi, foresaw the decline of the fertilizer industry. Through his connections with potters from selling Ashinuma stone, he was encouraged to sell pottery. The family's storehouse was renovated, and with help from relatives at Tsukamoto Seitōsho (now Mashiko-yaki Tsukamoto), the pottery shop "Tōko Jōnai Tsukamoto" opened on October 8, 1974, in a converted Ōya-stone rice storehouse, with Nakaba as representative. In 1995, the shop was renovated to preserve the historic buildings while adding gallery spaces, and reopened on April 22. It received the Marronnier Architecture Award that year, along with Nasunogahara Harmony Hall. Tsukamoto Noriyuki, born in 1962 as Nakaba's eldest son, joined Tōko in 1986 after university. He became the fourth-generation head of the family business and second-generation head of Tōko. Concerned about the decline of the Japanese pottery industry since the late 1990s, he shifted focus from artistic expression to practicality, using local Mashiko clay and glazes for stable supply from the company's own kiln. He also worked to brand Mashiko-yaki, organizing trade fairs and promoting its use in local restaurants. In the 2000s, Tōko provided a monthly gathering space for young potters from Mashiko and Kasama, including Iwaami Shinsuke, Takeshita Shikamaru, and Aiba Takamasa, fostering discussion and nurturing future talent. Noriyuki also inherited the Gōda Tōki Kenkyūjo, founded by his father to support Gōda Yoshimichi, and opened Wada Kiln to honor Wada Yasuo, a Mashiko potter and close associate of Gōda. In 2007, Wada Kiln merged with Yūgen Gaisha Tōko to form Sayado Wadagama, which develops and produces Tōko's own-brand products. In January 2019, Tōko participated in the development and launch of the new Mashiko-yaki brand "BOTE&SUTTO" with product designer Naoto Fukasawa, Hamada Yō (third generation of Hamada Kiln), and Ōtsuka Kazuhiro (second generation of Kiyo Kiln). In 2021, Tōko adopted the corporate philosophy of "seeking true richness" and "aiming for a world of coexistence." The traditional kakiyū glaze, once avoided as old-fashioned, has been reevaluated since the 2000s, and Tōko regularly holds exhibitions on Ashinuma stone and kakiyū to explore new possibilities.

• 2021

  Tōko adopts the corporate philosophy of 'seeking true richness' and 'aiming for a world of coexistence'.

• 2019

  Tōko participates in the development and launch of the new Mashiko-yaki brand BOTE&SUTTO.

• 2007

  Sayado Wadagama is established through a merger, becoming Tōko's own kiln brand.

• 1995

  Tōko renovates and reopens on April 22, receiving the Marronnier Architecture Award.

• 1992

  Yūgen Gaisha Tōko is established on August 1.

• 1974

  Tōko Jōnai Tsukamoto opens on October 8 in a converted Ōya-stone rice storehouse.

• 1889

  Tsukamoto Kikujirō founds Tsukamoto Kikujirō Shōten, the predecessor of Tōko.

A long-established Mashiko-yaki specialty retailer and gallery offering both curated artist works and its own kiln brand, rooted in the history of Mashiko ceramics and the traditional kakiyū glaze.

• Sayado Wadagama ceramics

  Tōko's own-brand ceramics produced by its affiliated kiln.

• Kakiyū-glazed ware

  Ceramics using the traditional Mashiko persimmon glaze made from Ashinuma stone.

• Artist works

  Works by numerous Mashiko and Kasama ceramic artists.

1. 1陶庫｜益子の陶器と作家のギャラリーmashiko.com
2. 2会社概要・採用情報｜陶庫mashiko.com
3. 3店舗の紹介｜陶庫mashiko.com
4. 4陶庫 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
5. 5Tōko - Wikidatawikidata.org