Japanese ceramics began with Jōmon pottery, followed by Yayoi ware and Haji ware and haniwa figures of the Kofun period. In the 5th century, pottery techniques introduced from Korea led to the development of Sue ware, Japan’s first high-fired stoneware. During the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods, Chinese and Korean influences inspired glazed ceramics, including green-glazed wares and ash-glazed pottery.

From the late Heian period to the 16th century, durable unglazed stonewares such as Tokoname, Shigaraki, Bizen, Tanba, and Echizen were widely produced for everyday use. During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, Japanese potters often imitated Chinese ceramics, but the rise of the tea ceremony fostered distinctive Japanese aesthetics. In the Momoyama period, celebrated tea wares such as Raku, Shino, Oribe, Karatsu, and Bizen became highly valued.

In the Edo period, Kyoto’s Kyo-yaki stoneware flourished, featuring elegant overglaze enamel decoration. Around the 1610s, Japan began producing porcelain in Arita, using techniques introduced by Korean potters. Known as Imari ware, Arita porcelain evolved from Chinese-inspired blue-and-white designs into distinctive styles such as Ko-Kutani, Kakiemon, and Ko-Imari, many of which were exported to Europe. The finest Japanese porcelain, Nabeshima ware, was produced exclusively for the shogunate and became renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and refined decoration.