Kaneko Kohyo was founded in 1921 by Kohyo Kaneko in Gifu Prefecture and is now in its fourth generation under president Kazuya Kaneko. The company sits at the heart of Mino-yaki (美濃焼), Japan's largest ceramic production region and a METI-recognised traditional craft with a history spanning over 1,300 years. Where Mino's scale sometimes favours uniformity, Kaneko Kohyo has carved out a more considered position — a family business that bridges industrial efficiency with the individual touch of hand-thrown and hand-finished work.
Their signature is the Giyaman (ギヤマン) series: porcelain finished with a deep, glass-like glaze that captures the lustre of Edo-period glassware in ceramic form. Chrysanthemum motifs catch the light differently at every angle, and the colouring shifts from rich jewel tones to softer edges depending on how the glaze settles during firing. Each piece is glazed on site and fired in gas kilns, with smaller runs still shaped on the wheel by hand. Mino's network of METI-certified Traditional Craftsmen (伝統工芸士 dentō kōgeishi) sets the standards for glaze chemistry and form that underpin every Kaneko Kohyo piece.
At iromizu, Kaneko Kohyo's Giyaman collection brings a certain glow to the table — medium-sized plates in three colours that make even a simple weeknight dinner feel like something worth sitting down for. The kind of pieces guests notice and quietly admire. See the collection below.