Take a closer look at the exhibition Hyakkō: 100+ Makers from Japan through the work and perspective of featured ceramicist Yamada Yōji, in a guided gallery tour led by Yamada and Japan House London Programming Director Simon Wright.
While the exhibition presents works by over 120 makers from across Japan, this tour places a particular focus on Yamada’s practice, exploring how his ceramics sit within the wider landscape of contemporary making represented in Hyakkō. Guests are invited to view selected works while hearing directly from Yamada about his influences and approach to making.
During the tour, Yamada reflects on his time working with British potter Lisa Hammond MBE at Maze Hill Pottery in London, tracing how these experiences continue to inform his slipware-inspired ceramics, created using locally sourced materials in Shigaraki, where he is currently based.
Hyakkō: 100+ Makers from Japan is on display in the Gallery at Japan House London from 3 December until 10 May 2026.
*Please note that filming and / or photography may take place at this event. Photos and footage of the event may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.
About the Speaker
Yamada Yōji
Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1980, Yamada Yōji studied ceramics at the Shigaraki Ceramic Research Institute. Inspired by historic British slipware, he moved to the UK in 2007 and trained in soda glazing under Lisa Hammond MBE at Maze Hill Pottery. After returning to Japan, he worked at Furutani Seitō before establishing his own practice in Shigaraki. His work explores functional ceramic forms and the traces (patterns) left by unforced, improvised hand movements, drawing on the inherent qualities of materials. He is engaged in the production of slipware-inspired ceramics using familiar raw materials and local kilns.
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