When asked about his ideal dish, Narita Shuhei, who is popular for his thick, round mugs and rimmed plates, thought for a moment before answering, "Something cute." On the other hand, Samejima Haru, who creates modern soup plates and sexy vases using carbonization firing techniques, said, "A round silhouette seen from the side is important. I have a clear image of the shape I want to create."
The couple, ceramic artists with different techniques and personalities, live in Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture. The studio they share is a dirt floor space renovated from part of Narita's parents' house. They each have their own work desk, where Narita hand-builds and Samejima shapes on the potter's wheel.
Samejima's thin yet richly rounded forms are the result of her physical abilities as an athlete and her outstanding potter's wheel skills.
"The shapes that I consider beautiful will never change, but I'm currently in the mood for a softer look in the pottery, fired at a lower temperature. I want to preserve the softness of the clay before it is fired."
The shaped vessels are not glazed, but are fired in a kiln together with rice husks. A gradation reminiscent of a sumi-e painting is created using carbon. "Every time I make a vessel, I feel like I'm seeing a beautiful world through it."
Samejima's popular items are wide-rimmed plates and vases. The beautiful scenery is created by chance through the carbonization firing process using rice husks. 
Samejima's pottery, made from Seto's white clay, is characterized by its beautiful appearance created by carbonization firing.
On the other hand, Narita sublimates the primitive texture and thickness of hand-formed pieces into charming shapes. He uses a technique called "tamazukuri," in which he shapes large lumps of clay in his hands.
"A thinner rim on a mug makes it easier to drink from, but a thicker rim makes it look cuter. However, we try to give the rim a certain amount of "edge" to avoid making it too cute."
It takes more than 30 minutes to shape a single mug, as the craftsman finds the perfect fit in his hands. After that, he applies pigment dissolved in water and polishes it with a stone or pestle, and after firing, he applies a thin layer of lacquer and bakes it at a lower temperature, and by taking the time to do so, he creates a texture that is truly pleasing to the eye.
Narita's work desk. The walls are lined with domestic and international folk crafts and Dogon masks. 
With its bumpy texture and earthy color, Narita's rimmed plates make food stand out. 
The pieces are hand-formed and the glazes and pigments are applied with a time-consuming brush. "That's what I enjoy," says Narita.
The bumpy finger marks are also a distinctive feature of the piece. "I don't intentionally leave them, but having a moderate amount of unevenness gives it a nice look when I apply pigments and lacquer and polish it. If I were to completely remove these unevenness, it would end up looking flat."
Recently, they have also been working on white glazed dishes. The flat white, reminiscent of paint or paper clay, has a pop look that suits Neapolitan pasta and omelets. Both Narita and Samejima love cooking, so food really stands out in both dishes. Narita's rimmed plate filled with bright red tomatoes and Samejima's soup plate filled with potage are both mesmerizingly beautiful. It's amazing how ordinary vegetables can look so delicious.
"We are most pleased when our pieces are used as many times as possible," say the two. Although the construction methods are different, their attitude towards the clay is the same. They aim to create pottery that will make someone happy.
Narita's pottery. Made with a lightweight clay mixture, it is thick but not too heavy. The white glazed oval dish is a type that I have recently started making. 
Samejima's potter's wheel. On the wall in front of you, there is a shelf where vessels in the process of being shaped can be temporarily placed to check their shape.
