Great effort goes into shaping a perfectly round rim so that glaze can melt into a sea of clouds.

The sea of clouds is seen in the running glaze, floating on the porcelain. This ethereal appearance is possible only with uniform solidity of materials (the molds and clays) and perfectly even handling and firing. Combined with its thorough technical mastery, Maruasa is able to craft the flawless shape of UNKAI pieces.

The Maruasa Porcelain Factory was established in 1916 at a time when coffee and black tea were becoming popular in Japan. It initially specialized in manufacturing cups and saucers. After a few decades, Maruasa had grown to become a mass producer of tea and coffee ware and began exporting overseas. As the company matured, it refocused its efforts on developing in its domestic market, offering airline dinnerware as well as porcelain for restaurants and hotels. Maruasa has continued to modernize its factory to be capable of large-scale manufacturing.

Maruasa keeps the prototypes of every piece it has ever manufactured, resulting in an overwhelming collection of cups and saucers.

The cup handle is scored so that it will fit over the rounded surface of the cup. The cup handle is then attached by hand.

Customers love UNKAI for two reasons: every single UNKAI piece is manufactured with the highest quality standard; UNKAI is designed to withstand the rigors of heavy-duty daily use and can even be used in restaurants. What's surprising is UNKAI pieces can also be manufactured in large volumes.
It's the high-level craftsmanship of Maruasa Porcelain Factory that allows it to manufacture durable porcelain with breathtaking designs.

The Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel hangs on the wall of Maruasa's showroom. The president of Maruasa is also a coffee connoisseur.

UNKAI pieces are designed to showcase the brilliant motifs created by running glaze. Rather than a typical everted rim, UNKAI pieces have a 1-mm inverted rim.
Normally, this inverted shape can be shaped only by hand, yet Maruasa is able to create this unique UNKAI shape with an automatic roller machine, proving Maruasa's technical mastery as a large-scale manufacturer.
The clay used for UNKAI pieces is very delicate, requiring perfect control of drying time, whereas typical clays demand less attention. The machine-molding method presses the air out of the clay, which keeps the piece from deforming during the drying process.

The automatic roller heads on the roller machine stretch the clay so that Maruasa Porcelain Factory can create a perfect, beautiful circle without the slightest deformation.

A bisque-fired UNKAI mug. The glazing and glaze-firing processes are taken over by another pottery manufacturer, Sinkougama.

Mr. Matsubara, the president of Maruasa, is proud of the UNKAI bisque-ware his factory manufactures and has full confidence in the product: "A porcelain connoisseur would understand the level of master manufacturing involved." The pieces are machine molded and bisque fired by Maruasa, then sent to Sinkougama to be glazed and fired once more.

Click on the Sinkougama tab to continue learning about the creation of UNKAI.

The liquid motifs created by the melted enamel evoke a sea of clouds (Unkai) appearing at daybreak and nightfall in the mountains.
The full, round shapes fit naturally to the hollow of your hand. The height of the stems creates the illusion of a sea of clouds floating above your table, taking you to a world of marvels.

UNKAI