It all started more than 400 years ago.

In 1616, a potter crossed the seas from Korea and made the first ceramics in Japanese history. This is the birth of the Arita-yaki ceramic style which originates in Arita-cho of Saga Prefecture.

After the Meiji era, his beautiful designs painted on near-transparent white porcelain took off around the world and overwhelmed the European continent. However, after the bubble burst, the ceramics scene became inundated with copies of older ceramic styles. As long as traditions are upheld, the product will sell.

“1616/Arita Japan” is a brand that aims to preserve the tradition of the Arita style while trying out a different approach in design. It is a new brand.

Up until now, the Arita design has always been very simple, but this new series is both modern and nostalgic, incorporating contemporary patterns and lines.
The leader of this brand is Pierre Charpin who is widely known for his drawings.

This project takes the traditional Japanese craft of Arita-yaki and puts it in a completely different context through the design of a foreign art. Through this, a new culture is born, which connects to the next generation, like an old folktale that changes as it moves from person to person.