Kagetsu Banko Ware Donabe

Kagetsu Banko Ware Donabe:
Five Generations of Japanese Craft Ceramics
Kyle Cooper & Sachi Uchimaru

Hiroo Fujii (left) and Motoko Fujii (right) - credit: Takahide Urata.

Based out of Yokkaichi in Mie prefecture, Kagetsu has been a family owned and operated ceramics business for over 160 years. Hiroo Fujii, the 5th generation shokunin (craftsperson) and his daughter, 6th generation shokunin Motoko Fujii are continuing the family business of making soup and rice donabes while also developing novel ceramic products in an effort to reestablish traditional Japanese ceramics as everyday cookware in Japan and introduce the special shock resistant donabe to North America.

Both Fujii-san and his daughter initially sought careers outside of the family business; Fuji-san was a pottery wholesaler and Motoko-san, a food stylist. Both were drawn back due to a sense of duty to the family but also to continue producing a traditional Japanese craft –something they feel is in jeopardy in modern Japan. “We are keenly aware that both the donabe industry and Yokkaichi as a historical production area are on the decline. But that is exactly why I feel that being able to create this thermal-shock resistant technology is so valuable and wonderful.” says Motoko-san. 

Fujii-san and Motoko-san’s family is credited as the creators of the clay formula that’s used throughout the modern donabe industry. In the 1950s, Japanese households were transitioning from traditional wood-fire to gas stoves and donabes were cracking under the higher power of gas burners. To address this new problem, the 3rd generation Kagetsu shokunin identified petalite as a key ingredient needed for higher heat tolerance while studying NASA research articles. Petalite is an ore that was discovered in 1800 and was first widely used in glass ceramic cookware. NASA used tiles containing petalite on the exterior of their rockets to protect them from extreme heat exposure during spaceflight. 

Historically, the family was known in the region as experts in glazes. Their proprietary glaze formulas aid in making Kagetsu donabe more efficient and more durable than other donabes. As the moisture is released during the firing process, both the clay and the glaze will shrink and fuse together. If they do not shrink at the same rate, the glaze and clay can both crack during production and in use. Kagetsu glazes are formulated specifically to match the shrink rate of their petalite clay. 

Kagetsu Glazes - credit: Takahide Urata

Passed down from their predecessors are notebooks filled with these glaze recipes, which Fujii-san has carefully re-organized and archived to leave for future generations to continue their work. Motoko-san energetically states that she wishes “to create an attractive company and [crafts making] society that the next generation will want to take over.” 

Fujii-san laughs that his ancestor was a generous man, so much so that he openly shared his improved petalite clay recipe with everyone even while the patent process was pending. By the time the patent was finally approved 8 years after filing, many other donabe makers were also using the improved formula thanks to their ancestor’s unselfishness. Unfortunately this created a dilemma– the other donabe makers would have to stop using the now patented formula, which would have undoubtedly led to many donabe manufacturers having to close shop. The 3rd generation shokunin made the decision to take down the patent request, so anyone could use the clay formula and the donabe industry could survive. 

Bernal Cutlery’s relationship with Kagetsu began on one of Josh’s earlier trips to Japan. He was impressed by a Kagetsu donabe he found and decided to reach out to see if they would be interested in allowing us to sell them in our shop. Motoko-san was excited to hear that a company outside of Japan was interested in Japanese culture and was eager to build a relationship.

Motivated by her fondness for American culture and a report from her brother who was studying abroad in the States that there was not a mainstream culture of nabe (or hotpot), an arrangement for Bernal Cutlery to be the exclusive North American retailer was quickly reached. To Motoko-san though, entering the North American market is more than selling more donabe. “We make pottery every day with the vision of weaving, conveying, and connecting harmony… we would like to spread the word about Japanese culture together with Bernal Cutlery's product lineup.”

Hand shaping rice donabe bowls and lids. - credit: Takahide Urata

Every step of Kagetsu’s production is done in-house; forming the bowls, lids and handles into shape, glazing application and firing is all done in their Yokkaichi facility. “Many of the tasks involve carving on a potter's wheel and making things by hand, so it's more like being an artist than a craftsman,” says Motoko-san. It takes Kagetsu’s 7 employees a minimum of 7 days to complete a full run of donabe if they focus only on making one style at a time. Their usual production schedule includes several styles and can take anywhere from two weeks to 2 months for one piece to go from start to finish, with a maximum of only 30 donabes able to be finished each day. Aside from the dedication to craft and artistry, what differentiates Kagetsu donabe from other donabes are their glaze formulas and use of a higher ratio of petalite than their competitors. 

Kagetsu donabes have higher heat retention with very consistent heat distribution with more durability and shock resistance than what’s available from other manufacturers. Thanks to their thermal shock resistant properties, it’s possible to take a Kagetsu donabe from a refrigerator straight to direct flame or a preheated oven without the risk of cracking, an unprecedented occurrence prior to the development of Kagetsu’s petalite clay formula. Modern donabes without the higher ratio of petalite are still at risk of damage under the same circumstances.

Evidence of even heat distribution  - credit: Takahide Urata

Cooking time and end result is improved with the petalite rich clay formula. The heat retention of the clay and glaze replaces low temperature finish cooking by keeping the temperature inside the donabe around 203 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes after turning off the gas. Being able to turn off the heat while allowing the donabe to continue cooking removes the risk of scorching. This industry leading heat retention is shared by Kagetu soup donabe and makes them ideal for nabe or family meals where tabletop burners are not suitable or available to keep warm at the table.

With individual kitchens having differences in stove strength, knowing the correct heat setting to use and exactly when to turn down the flame from high to low during finish cooking is the art of traditional donabe rice cooking. Even in Japan, where households cook rice every day, many people believe that using a donabe for rice is too difficult for regular use. A Kagetsu rice donabe mitigates the guess work by being able to begin and end with the same heat setting – right above medium, or just enough for the flame to cover the bottom surface of the donabe – and letting the steam trapped in the domed lid finish the rice to the ideal moisture level and bite.

Fig. 1 - The temperature progression of a Kagetsu rice donabe - credit: Takahide Urata

Figure 1 above illustrates how the cooking temperature of Kagetsu donabes progresses from soaking through resting. Starting at the intersection of the axes on the left, the first section from 0 to 着火 (ignition) represents the soaking phase, suggested to be between 30 mins - 2 hours. After ignition, the temperature slowly increases over the course of 7 mins from 0 degrees to 80 C/176 F. The gradual heating allows the rice to slowly absorb water which brings out the sweet flavor of the rice. The flat, inner lid also helps maintain the natural sweetness of the rice by helping prevent spillovers and keeping the starch in the cooking liquid. At 7 mins, the temperature quickly rises to boiling without needing to adjust the flame strength. This helps each grain to remain distinct and separate from each other. The stove can be turned off at the 10 minute mark and the rice will continue to boil and cook for 5 mins without having to be on direct flame thanks to the heat retention of the petalite clay and glaze formulas. 15 minutes after ignition, the temperature drops slightly to stop the boil and allows the steam to finish cooking the rice. Because of the resulting sweetness and grain definition, Kagetsu donabes have become popular with professional chefs and celebrities across Japan. (Even used by Takuya Kimura, the Jpop idol legend.)

Correct cooking time will vary slightly from kitchen to kitchen, but Kagetsu donabes make cooking without a timer easier; simply turn off the flame when steam starts to come out the vent hole located in the domed lid. The steam being released lets you know that the donabe is full of steam and will continue to cook the rice after it has been turned off.  Even if the flame is not turned off at the exact time the steam starts to come out of the vent, the rice can still come out cooked well from not sitting on direct flame for the entire duration of the cooking process.

Perfect rice is easier to achieve with Kagetsu’s temperature retention and steam-only finish - credit: Takahide Urata

Kagetsu’s mission of ensuring handmade ceramics continue to be a part of contemporary Japanese culture has required innovation to support tradition. There is a growing movement in Japan of people moving away from plastics, metals and coatings and towards tsuchimono (earthenware). “We wanted people to feel more familiar with thermal shock resistant pottery… with the aim of making them suitable for everyday use.” 

The typical Japanese kitchen is small and there is a standard occurrence of family members returning from work at different times, often after the rest of the family has eaten. The ability to cook or reheat single servings without needing a lot of storage space is valuable. To meet this need and the growing preference for tsuchimono, Motoko-san developed the Two Way Service donabe, a donabe with versatility to help introduce traditional ceramic cooking using Kagetsu’s unique properties.

Two Way Service Donabe collection  - credit: Molly DeCoudreaux 2022.

Motoko-san originally designed the Two Way Service Donabe with the intent for it to be used as a reheatable cooking and serving dish for single serving ramen. Unlike the ubiquitous dried packets, this popular go-to ramen meal can be bought frozen in broth. Being able to bring the ramen from frozen to table in one dish or having a single serving ready in the fridge to reheat for the late arriving family member is the start of its usefulness.

The Two Way Service Donabe takes two pieces, a bowl and a lid, and makes one multipurpose cooking vessel that’s ideal for smaller spaces and single servings. Like the rice and soup donabe, the Two Way Service Donabe can be taken from the refrigerator directly to flame without the risk of cracking, making it ideal for reheating leftovers without needing a microwave. The invertible lid can help trap steam and protect simmers and can also be turned upside down and used over direct flame as a saute pan. 

We’ve found that the Two Way Service donabe is great for less obvious dishes like an American style breakfast with oatmeal cooking in the bowl alongside the bacon and eggs frying on/in the lid. Because of the thermal resistance, soaking the steel cut oats or barley in the bowl can help to get a headstart in the morning by minimizing cooking time by soaking overnight in the fridge and taking straight to the stovetop in the morning to heat through. 
Its versatility has also found a place in restaurant service. We've shared a few with some of our restaurant friends in San Francisco and they have found it particularly useful in prepping dishes for firing then being able to run it knowing it will maintain its heat for a significant time after it’s delivered to a table. 

American style breakfast in Two Way Service donabe lid  - credit: Takahide Urata

Further home testing has shown the Two Way Service donabe to be a great substitute for a small enamel dutch oven or casserole dish. Its ability to withstand higher temperatures than other ceramic cooking vessels allows for complete preparation from sauteing to simmering on the stove top or braising, roasting and baking in the oven. If there are any leftovers, they can be put straight into the fridge unlike other earthenware. Its lighter weight makes cleaning more comfortable than with enameled iron cookware and they nest well for stacking a family’s worth of Two Way Service donabes without using up valuable storage space. 

Motoko-san’s earlier visits to America has made her curious as to how the American market can use the Two Way Service donabe for western foods and preparations, saying “There are still many differences between Japan and America,” but she hopes that the partnership with Bernal Cutlery can help “make the brand more in line with the American lifestyle.” 

Bernal Cutlery is proud to be the North American retailer of Kagetsu Banko Ware. We’re eager to support traditional Japanese craft ceramics and help Fujii-san and Motoko-san introduce the Kagetsu collection to our cooking and restaurant community.