Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan by Yuki Ijichi

Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan by Yuki Ijichi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Emas in Desain Piranti Panggang, Piranti Meja, Piranti Unjukan lan Piranti Pawon Competition Category.

EmasPiranti Pawon· 2025

Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan

by Yuki Ijichi

Client: MATHERuBA

A' Design Award Emas Winner in Piranti Pawon Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan

Iki minangka desain ulang saka kurojyoka, teko keramik shochu tradisional Kagoshima, supaya cocog karo gaya urip modern. Kurojyoka tradisional kawangun adhedhasar sistem pemanas tungku Jepang, lan wujude tetep padha sanajan gaya urip wis owah-owahan. Proyek iki minangka kelanjutan budaya shochu Kagoshima lan karajinan tradisional kanthi ngowahi aspek kasebut lan nganyarake kurojyoka supaya pas karo gaya urip modern.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Emas

Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan menang A' Design Award Emas, pangenalan sing prestisius banget sing diparingake marang desain kelas siji, nggumunake lan unggul. Pemenang Emas iku ciptaan sing inovatif banget, visioner lan sumunar nggumunake sing nggambarake kejeniusan, kawicaksanan lan kaprigelan para desainer. Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan dikarepake dadi panemuan sing dipuji banget, pelopor tren lan monumental sing nyedhiyakake nilai sing durung tau ana. Desain sing menang A' Design Award Emas iki iku proyek sing nggumunake lan dihormati sing paring manfaat gedhe lan nyurung maju wates seni, sains, desain lan teknologi. Redesign of Kurojyoka Piranti Unjukan nuwuhake perasaan kekarepan sing kuwat, nggugah semangat, nyengkuyung kreativitas lan narik kawigaten kita.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This is a redesign of the Kurojyoka, a traditional Kagoshima ceramic earthenware teapot for shochu, to fit modern lifestyles. The traditional Kurojyoka was shaped based on heating in a Japanese hearth, and the Satsuma ware craftsmen did not revise the Kurojyoka to fit their changing lifestyles, but this project is characterized by its sublimation into a modern Kurojyoka by revising this aspect of the project. The fact that the shape has been modified for the modern age.
Dimensions & Packaging: Kurojyoka, Width 120mm x Depth 146mm x Height 160mm
Cup, Width 75mm x Depth 75mm x Height 45mm
Warmer, Width 114mm x Depth 102mm x Height 63mm
Pitcher for Maewari, Width 80mm x Depth 84mm x Height 205mm
Tags: Product Design, Redesign, Tableware, Sakeware, Kurojoka, Kurojoka6442, Satsuma ware, Earthenware shochu teapot
Production Technology: The redesigned Kurojyoka has a mass produced design so that it can be used as a modern earthenware teapot for shochu and as an everyday household item for enjoying shochu. It is made using casting molding, a technique for mass producing ceramics, in which muddy ceramic clay is poured into a plaster mold.
The material is porcelain, which is durable and can be used for commercial purposes.
The glaze uses shirasu from the Shirasu Plateau, a characteristic of Kagoshima's soil, with the aim of it becoming an everyday household item made from local materials.
Design Challenge: In redesigning the Kurojyoka, we tried to make it a mass production type for easy general use, but there was a difficulty in that Kagoshima does not have mass production technology. Therefore, we asked a Nagasaki potter with mass production technology to manufacture the product, but used Kagoshima materials for the glaze, thereby creating a Kurojyoka with elements of the production area.
Inspiration: The project began with a request from MATHERuBA, which operates a cafe and store in Kagoshima, to redesign the Kurojyoka, a traditional Kagoshima porcelain earthenware teapot for shochu, to suit modern lifestyles and create an original product.
We therefore researched the origin of the shape of Kurojyoka for shochu traditionally used in Kagoshima, and found design inspiration in the abacus shape described in literature, which we redesigned into a shape that fits today's lifestyle.
Project Duration: The project began in Kagoshima in February 2018 and ended in November 2019 and has been sold.
Image Credits: Image #1 : Photographer Masahiko Kukiyama
Image #2 : Photographer Masahiko Kukiyama
Image #3 : Photographer Masahiko Kukiyama
Image #4 : Photographer Masahiko Kukiyama
Image #5 : Photographer Masahiko Kukiyama