The name of the shop is Yamatada. The first Toubei named the newly set up branched shop Yamatada in 1794 because he wanted to give it a meaning of “Create Something out of Nothing” and also to caution himself for the future. As the name Yamatada (the founder is broke) implies, Toubei was flat broke when he set up the branched shop.

“Create Something out of Nothing” means that the founder Toubei had to make the klin first of all and then everything else such as tools for the klin by hand to start creating ceramics.
’Understanding the Soil of Takada’ as well as ‘Creativity and Innovation’. These two mottos are the philosophy passed down through the successive Toubei and also the soul of Yamatada brand.

Known as a spirited and energetic artist, Tomonari Kato is a multiple award winner at”Premio Faenza” –the international competition of ceramic Art, international exhibitions such as Choza Award Tokoname Ceramic Exhibition, Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, Ceramic Art Foundation Exhibition and Ceramic Biennale. It took him 8 years to come up with the idea of “Hamon Kushime”, the Radial Ridged Pattern scraped on the interior of the mortar.
“Hamon Kushime” is the original design created by Toubei Ceramic Studio the 7th in 2000 in order to improve the design of the textured surface of a mortar. While the lines of the textured interior are usually scraped linearly, the lines of this new design are swirling. By making the lines radial and ridged, they prevent ingredients from moving upwards of a mortar while grinding, therefore the ingredients get more finely ground. Furthermore, owing to the production process, it is easier to grind clockwise in the mortar whose textured interior is scraped linearly but this new swirling design can accommodate grinding both clockwise and anti-clockwise.