Souvenirs and everyday items that you casually pick up while traveling can sometimes gently bring back memories of your trip even after you return to your daily life.

Among these, tableware is something we naturally come into contact with often in our daily lives. Every time we use it, the atmosphere of the place and our encounters are brought back to life, adding richness to the dining table. Ukiya Saisai, located in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, is a shop that delivers tableware that will accompany you in your daily life.

The space, which was renovated from a Kyoto townhouse that is over 90 years old, is lined with ceramics by ceramic artists from all over Japan. In this quiet space, where the passion of the makers lives on, you will find ceramics that will add color to your daily dining table.

Vessels filled with the artist's thoughts

The shop is filled with pieces made with love by ceramic artists from all over Japan. Each piece embodies the artist's individuality, with pieces that have adorable paintings and shapes that make you want to pick them up and look at them.

The limited-time solo exhibitions attract pottery lovers from all over the country. In solo exhibitions, the entire space is filled with the works of a single artist, allowing visitors to fully experience the creator's unique worldview.

There is also a cafe space in the back, so whether you're taking your time choosing by yourself or chatting with someone over tableware, there is a comfortable space for everyone to enjoy.

Can you love the whole worldview?

The owner, Tsuruta Miwa, is the one who selects the pieces to carry.

"Rather than judging an artist based on just one piece of work, I value whether I can fall in love with the artist's entire worldview."

Tsuruta says that what he values most when choosing tableware is intuition. He says he is strongly drawn to pieces that are not too perfect and have slightly irregular shapes, as well as pieces that are hand-twisted to give a sense of playfulness.

He personally visits pottery markets around the country, meets and speaks with the artists themselves, and decides which pieces to display in the store. The pieces that have been lined up on the shelves after such a careful process convey the warmth of handmade items and the love that the makers have for their work.

"I want to convey the maker's commitment and the background of their creation through the pottery," says Tsuruta. In what place, by what hands, and through what process was it made? By knowing the background, the time spent selecting pottery becomes a moment of confrontation with one's sensibilities.

I've been able to continue because I love it.

Ukiya Saisai has connections with around 50 ceramic artists from around the country. It all started as an online shop set up by Tsuruta. While working as a company employee, Tsuruta traveled to pottery markets around the country and gradually built relationships with artists.

Eventually, he felt a strong desire to have people see his work in person, pick it up and choose it, and so he decided to open a brick-and-mortar store. Kyoto, where he has lived for many years, naturally came to mind as the place to set up his store.

Initially, they opened a brick-and-mortar store on the second floor of a building in the downtown area. Five years later, while searching for a location where they could hold both exhibitions and permanent sales, they came across a Kyoto machiya townhouse that was over 90 years old. They carefully renovated the house, making use of as many of the old materials, pillars, and beams as possible, and created a store that retains the calm and warmth that only a machiya can offer.

On the first anniversary of the store's opening, the store held its first solo exhibition focusing on an artist. This exhibition led to an increase in the number of visitors, and the store has continued to operate for 15 years.

"I've just been doing what I love without forcing myself," says Tsuruta quietly. The time he has spent working without straining himself is gently supporting Ukiya Saisai to its current state.

The tableware you encounter on your travels becomes a part of your daily life that reflects your memories

"I want customers to have fun and pick up something that they intuitively feel they like," said Tsuruta in closing.

Ukiya Saisai is a shop that displays carefully selected pottery pieces, along with the thoughts of ceramic artists from all over Japan. Encountering a piece of pottery during your travels and letting your heart immerse yourself in its background and worldview is sure to be a memorable experience.

The vessels you bring back will subtly reflect the afterglow of your trip and may even remind you of the scenery at your destination at some unexpected moment.

---

器や彩々
電話：075-366-3643
住所：京都府京都市中京区三条大宮町263-1 
アクセス：阪急京都線「大宮駅」から徒歩5分、JR嵯峨野線「二条駅」から徒歩12分 
HP：https://saisai-utsuwa.com/ 
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/kyoto_saisai/ 

*For details about opening hours and closing days, please contact the store directly.