ABOUT - MORE

MASHIKO - A renowned pottery town in Tochigi, Mashiko is known for its rich mingei (folk art) tradition and connection to Shoji Hamada. Today, it remains a creative hub for many independent craftspeople.

At the end of 2019, we closed our physical shop after seven wonderful years in a beautiful historic building in the Azabudai-Roppongi district of Tokyo, where we had the pleasure of welcoming many lovely visitors from around the world.

In early 2020, just before the pandemic began, we relocated from our hometown of Tokyo to the small country town of Mashiko in Tochigi Prefecture, about 100 km north of the city.

Mashiko is one of Japan’s most renowned pottery towns and a center for Mingei (Japanese folk art), home to nearly 400 independent artists who have settled here from across the country.

While we no longer operate a physical storefront, UGUiSU now runs exclusively online—working closely with individual artists and small makers. From this beautiful, nature-rich town filled with creativity, we continue to introduce thoughtful pieces of Japan to the world.

WORKING WITH ARTISTS

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with incredible artists and illustrators from around the world—partnerships we truly enjoy and deeply value.

Some of the wonderful talents we've worked with include:
Hana Akiyama, Michelle Mackintosh, Flora Waycott, Beci Orpin, Alice Oehr, Mary Gaudin, Hanna Konola, Grace Lee, Renilde de Peuter, Natsuko Kozue, Ros Lee, Isabelle Boinot, EARTH.ROPE.POT.PLANT, Sigrid Volders, Aya Yamanobe, Good Morning Birds, Emma Cassi, and Justine Wong.

We’ve also hosted pop-up events, including one at T-Site Daikanyama in Tokyo (2015) and another at The Boroughs in Melbourne, Australia (2016).