Hira Kyusu flat side-handle teapots on a glass tray with wooden surface and blurred background.

Indoors setting with storage boxes, tools, and plants near a window.

Seiji Ito

Seiji Ito (Jinshu) is a master of Tokoname teaware with over 40 years of experience, known for his refined flat kyūsu and deep connection to the culture of tea.

Available Pieces by Seiji Ito

About Seiji Ito (Tokoname, Japan)

Jinshu's teapots reflect a mastery of form and function. Each piece is shaped with clarity and subtlety, often characterized by perfect balance, elegant spouts, and carefully fitted lids. His subdued aesthetics reflect years of quiet refinement, drawing from the traditions of Tokoname while incorporating his own sensibilities. His most famous topology is his increadibly simple yet refined Hira (flat) Kyusu, which he won several awards for.

View of Seiji Ito's garden, seen from his tea room.

"We sit together in his simple tea room, with a view onto a small, meticulously arranged garden — gravel, stone, a single maple. Every detail reflects attention, yet nothing feels forced. The tea, a Taiwanese oolong, is both floral and deep."

My impressions when visiting Seiji Ito in April 2023.

Ceramicist Seiji Ito pouring tea from a silver kettle into a teapot on a wooden table in his owm tea room.

Short Bio

Born in 1949 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Active for over 40 years under the name Jinshu (甚秋), part of a long ceramic lineage.
Recipient of multiple awards, including prizes at the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and the Choza Prize Exhibition, recognizing his mastery and contribution to Tokoname ceramics.
Exhibited widely in Japan and internationally, including in Taiwan.
Known for a quiet, understated aesthetic that prioritizes function and tactile experience.

Unglazed red clay (Shudei), sometimes blended with other Tokoname clays all wheel-thrown. Many pieces are fired in traditional oxidation firing but some are also partly reduced and showcase excellent examples of Yakishime effects. Some of his works reflect influences from Taiwanese teaware aesthetics.

Seiji Ito attaching Ceramesh filter to Hira Kyusu teapot body.

You can feel in his pieces that Seiji Ito has a deep, lived engagement with tea culture. His vessels are not just shaped for brewing tea — they are born from a quiet, precise understanding of the way tea is shared and experienced.