A bridge connecting Nagasaki and Iwate. A specialty shop for Hasami-yaki pottery curated by ceramic designer Kutarō Abe. | feature

A gateway to learning about Hasami-yaki.

—So, tell me about your store. Why did a company based in Nagasaki choose to open a store in Hanamaki rather than in a city like Tokyo?

I used to live in Hasami Town, where our company is based, but I returned to my hometown of Hanamaki because of the pandemic and had been living between Hanamaki and Hasami Town. During that time, I started wanting a space in Hanamaki—something like a showroom—where I could display samples and products. When I discussed this with the president, we decided that we might as well open a store. It’s really nice to have a base right here in my hometown.

—Where does the store name “C.P.D.” come from?

The name comes from the “Comprador bottles”—Hasami-yaki ceramic bottles used during the Edo period to export soy sauce and sake. The letters “CPD” are engraved on these bottles, and that’s where the name comes from. It is said to be an abbreviation of the Portuguese word “comprador,” which refers to a trade intermediary.

The ”C” stands for ”Ceramics,” the ”P” for "Porcelain," and the "D" for "Design"—it's a play on words with a double meaning.

—What is the purpose of the space on the first floor where we are right now?

We’ve designed it as an event space where we can host exhibitions, workshops, cooking classes, and more. Since you can only truly appreciate the beauty of tableware once you use it, we’d like to increase the number of food and drink events we hold here. Our ideal scenario is for visitors to think, “I really like this piece,” and then be able to buy it right there in the second-floor shop. We commissioned the design collective “UM,” which is based in Tokyo and Brussels, to handle the spatial design.

—Could you tell me the highlights of the second-floor sales area?

We carry the full lineup of Hasami-yaki from all eight brands, including the ones I mentioned earlier: *Essence of Life*, *Common*, and *Hasami Porcelain*. I don’t think there are many places where you can actually hold and examine such a wide variety of Hasami-yaki pieces in person.

For our display fixtures, we use containers known as “santenas,” which are commonly used in pottery-producing regions to ship ceramic goods. Since Hasami-yaki pieces tend to be small, the santenas used here are shallower than those in other regions.

—Finally, could you tell us about your future plans?

To date, we have collaborated with Iwate-based individuals and organizations, including *HERALBONY*, the café “Untitled” located within “ISAI PARK,” and “Hotel Mazarium (HOTEL MAZARIUM), among others. We plan to continue building connections with the local community, and our first goal is to introduce Hasami-yaki to the people of Iwate. We hope that “C.P.D.” will serve as a gateway for people to actually hold Hasami-yaki in their hands and feel a personal connection to it.