On August 1, 2026, a film screening and talk session titled "White Porcelain, Overglaze Enamel Porcelain, and Dyed Textiles: The Brilliant Flowering of Craft, Beginning from Three Kinds of 'White'" will be held at Tsuchiura Kameki House, a building designated as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tangible Cultural Property. The event is co-hosted by PO Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Yasuhiro Fukuda) and the POLA Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Culture, a public interest incorporated foundation.
At the center of the program is a screening of a short film (approximately 15 minutes) documenting the creative process and thinking of Akira Wada, an up-and-coming white porcelain artist who has drawn wide attention for his contemporary forms. This is followed by a talk session bringing together three artists working in the distinct fields of white porcelain, overglaze enamel porcelain, and textile dyeing. Joining Wada on stage are Imaizumi Imaemon XIV, holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Overglaze Enamel Porcelain" (Living National Treasure), and textile dyeing artist Ei Miyairi. Using "white" as a lens, the talk explores the differences in materials, techniques, expression, and thinking across the three fields.
About "White" in Craft
In craft, "white" is more than just a color.
In white porcelain, it highlights differences in form created by clay, glaze, and carving. In overglaze enamel porcelain, it serves as the foundation on which color is built. In textile dyeing, white thread is dyed using plant-based dyes and other materials, and the expression of white itself shifts depending on the thread's structure, the weave, and how light passes through it. Through the meaning and role of "white" in each of these craft fields, the program introduces the breadth of technique, sensibility, and creative thinking found in Japanese craft.
The "White" of Tsuchiura Kameki House
White is also one of the defining features of Tsuchiura Kameki House, the venue for this program. In addition to the white, box-shaped exterior characteristic of modernist architecture, the bright, open living room is notable for the soft white seen in its interior materials and round lighting fixtures.
Making use of a space that resonates with the theme of "white" across the three crafts featured, each session is limited to just 20 participants, creating an intimate setting where film, craft, architecture, and words intersect at close range.
Event Overview and Program
Applications can be made through Peatix at https://kogei3.peatix.com.
Applications open on Friday, July 10 at 10:00 AM, the same time the event page goes live.
Notes and Requests
Tsuchiura Kameki House was originally a private residence and is also a cultural property building, so participants are asked to review and agree to the following conditions before applying.
- There will be no time to tour the interior of the house on the day of the event. Please do not enter areas outside the designated entry and exit routes and the seating area.
- The venue is not barrier-free. Wheelchairs and canes cannot be accommodated, and preschool-age children are asked not to attend.
- Additional notes regarding entry to the house also apply. Please refer to the details here.
- The content, speakers, and schedule are subject to change due to unavoidable circumstances.
About the Speakers
Imaizumi Imaemon XIV (Holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Overglaze Enamel Porcelain")
Born in Saga Prefecture in 1962.
Recognized in 2014 as a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Overglaze Enamel Porcelain" (Living National Treasure). Vice Chairman of the Japan Kogei Association.
Akira Wada (White Porcelain)
Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1978.
Winner of the Tokyo Governor's Award at the 64th Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 2017, among numerous other awards. Full member of the Japan Kogei Association.
Ei Miyairi (Textile Dyeing)
Born in Nagano Prefecture.
Winner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Award at the 46th Japan Traditional Kogei Textile Dyeing Exhibition in 2012, among numerous other awards. Full member of the Japan Kogei Association.
About Tsuchiura Kameki House
Address: 2-5-13 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Original design: Kameki Tsuchiura and Nobuko Tsuchiura (1935, Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku)
Restoration and relocation design: Yasuda Atelier
Building overview: 2 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground; building area 66.39 sqm, total floor area 191.36 sqm
Photo ©Tomoyuki Kusunose
