Shobido Honten

Shobido Honten traces its roots back to 1948, just three years after the end of World War II. Founder Ritsushi Kamochi, who had run a kimono store called "Kamochi Gofuku Hyakkaten," decided to change his business and start dealing in Arita ware in his hometown of Arita, which had already been producing porcelain for more than 300 years. After his eldest son Shozo joined the company, Shobido Honten was incorporated as SHOBIDO-HONTEN CO., LTD. in 1959. Shozo personally travelled throughout Japan with a backpack full of Arita ware to develop sales channels with tableware shops, ryotei restaurants and inns.

In the 1970s, while managing the company, Shozo worked with local leaders to bring back Ko-Imari pieces that had been exported to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. He visited museums and collections in East Germany and other European countries and arranged for more than one hundred pieces of Ko-Imari, Kakiemon and Meiji Imari to return to Japan. Exhibitions held around the country sparked a "Ko-Imari boom" and convinced him that the traditional beauty of Ko-Imari could transcend time and borders. This experience led to the theme "Timelessly Beautiful," which became the core of Shobido Honten's product development.

To embody this theme in products, the original brand "Kisen" was launched. The name "Kisen" comes from the pen name of Ritsushi's biological father, while the bamboo grass motif in the logo is derived from the pen name of his adoptive father. Series such as "Gokunishiki Kinsai Ko-Imari Style," which reflects the gorgeous character of Ko-Imari, and "Rinpa Ko-Imari Style," inspired by the Rinpa art tradition, received high praise and became long-selling signatures of the brand. Many traditional-pattern series created under Shozo's direction continue to be produced today.

In 2000, the founder's third daughter Momoko Kamochi became president. Based on insights gained by serving customers in the store, she began to develop Arita ware from the user's point of view. The "Cacomi" series of small bowls with a step for condiments, and the "Kudamono" series combining traditional patterns with fruit motifs, are examples that inherit the Kisen tradition while fitting modern lifestyles. In 2018, the company launched "momoco," a porcelain figure brand that expresses Arita ware techniques as interior pieces, expanding the possibilities of Arita ware beyond tableware.

Today, through its online shop and its flagship store in Arita Sera as well as the Nakanohara store, Shobido Honten showcases around 500 standard items along with outlet and discontinued pieces, allowing visitors to experience the breadth of Arita ware. Shopping guides, care instructions, gift proposals and publishing activities such as the book on enjoying Arita ware at the table support customers in their daily use. Guided by the principles of creating beautiful products, acting with integrity, conducting beautiful business and building a beautiful organization, the company continues to deliver Arita ware that people will be happy to use for generations to come.

A trading company rooted in the production area of Arita ware

Located in Arita, Saga Prefecture, Shobido Honten works as a trading company that connects many makers, including kilns, with customers in Japan and abroad. By listening carefully to both the production side and users, the company selects and develops products that bring out the 400-year history of Arita ware in modern life, and sees it as its mission to act as a bridge between the region and customers while returning profits to the local manufacturing environment.

Original brand "Kisen" that embodies timeless beauty

"Kisen" is an original brand produced by Shobido Honten. Its lineup ranges from the Traditional line, which revives the aesthetic styles of the Edo and Meiji periods such as "Rinpa Ko-Imari Style" and "Shunju-mon," to Modern lines that adapt traditional patterns and colors for today's lifestyle, and Casual lines that emphasize functionality for daily use. Every piece is created together with highly skilled kilns and external designers, consistently guided by the concept of being "Timelessly Beautiful."

Online shop where you can search by series, shape, color and style

The official online shop features representative Kisen series such as "Rinpa Ko-Imari Style," "Shunju-mon," "Shiroji Kikuwari," "Iroe Nabeshima Asanoha-jimon," "Kudamono," "Yui-karakusa," "Cacomi" and "hoval." Customers can search products by series, by shape (plates, bowls, rice bowls, teapots, cups and more), by color, or by styling themes like "Traditional," "Modern" and "Casual." Videos, articles, seasonal features, gift pages and shopping guides help customers enjoy choosing tableware at their own pace.

A three-representative structure that sustains and evolves the brand

Today Shobido Honten is led by Chairperson Momoko Kamochi, President Takuya Kamochi and Executive Director Asa Kamochi. Momoko oversees product development for "Kisen" and "momoco" and works on projects such as the book "Enjoying Arita Ware at the Table and in Recipes." Takuya focuses on improving the working environment of the company and responding to changes in the production environment of Arita ware, with the aim of sustainable growth for both the firm and the region. Asa is involved in product planning and brand management to pass on the spirit of "Timelessly Beautiful" to the next generation.