Kusube Yaichi 楠部彌弌 1897-1984

1897  Born in Kyoto, the son of Sennosuke, father who ran the Kusube Trading Pottery Factory

1912  Entered the pottery training school at the Kyoto Municipal Ceramics Testing Laboratory

   Learned with Yagi Kazuso and Kawamura Kitaro at the same school

1915  Started his career in Mt. Awata 

   Awarded the prize of encouragement at the exhibition organized by the Youth Ceramic Society

1918  Moved to a studio in Awataguchi

   Established friendships with Kawai Kanjiro,Kawakami Setsui, Kuroda Tatsuaki, Mukai Junkichi, and others.

1920  Joined a group of potters, “Sekido-sha”, with Yagi Kazuo (八木一艸),

   Michibayashi Toshimasa (道林俊正) Kawai Einosuke (河合栄之助),

   Kawamura Kitaro (河村己多良,喜多郎) and Aratani Yoshikage (荒谷芳景)

   Held the 1st exhibition of Sekido-sha at Takashimaya, Osaka

   Held the 2nd exhibition of Sekido-sha at the Kyoto Prefectural Library

1921  Held the 3rd exhibition of Sekido-sha at Hoshi Pharmaceutical, Tokyo

   Held the 4th exhibition of Sekido-sha at the Kyoto Prefectural Library

1922  Held a two-person exhibition with Yagi Kazuo at Tsuboya, Osaka

1923  The “Sekido-sha” ended

1924  Awarded the prize for “One Hundred French Decorated Vase”百仏飾壺

   at the Universal Exposition in Paris, France

1925  Becomes interested in Yanagi Sōetsu's Mingei (folk art) movement

   Began collecting Mingei objects

1926  Exhibited at the Japan Crafts Art Exhibition

   Purchased by the Ministry of the Imperial Household

1927 Founded the Yoyo-kai with Yagi Kazuo, Kawamura Kitaro,

   Kawai Einosuke, Michibayashi Yoshimasa and others

   Selected for the 8th exhibition

1933 Awarded a special prize at the 14th Imperial Exhibition,

   Purchased by the Ministry of the Imperial Household

1934 Nominated to be unexamined for the Imperial Exhibition

1935 Exhibited at the 1st Kyoto City Exhibition

1937 Won the prize at International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life, Paris, France

1938 Moved his atelier to Enjoji temple

1943 Established Jakuchu-kai with Isamu Yoshii, Chikukyo Ono, and Omotesenke tea master

1948 Formed the Kyoto Craft Artists Advisory Committee

   Exhibition “Reminiscence of Red Clay Ceramics” at the Hojo garden, Kyoto

1951 Awarded the Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize at the 7th Nitten

   Served as a juror for the same exhibition

1952 Became a counselor of Nitten

1954 Awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize

1956 Held first solo exhibitions at Mitsukoshi Department Stores in Tokyo, Osaka

1958 Became a trustee of Nitten

1959 Held his second solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Department Stores, Tokyo,Osaka

1962 Became a member of the Japan Art Academy

1963 Held his third solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Department Stores in Tokyo, Osaka

   Received the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon

1964 Participated in the “Contemporary International Ceramic Art Exhibition

      at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto

1965 Moved his atelier to Yamashina, Kyoto

1968 Held the 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Kusube Yayoi's Ceramics

   Mitsukoshi Department Stores in Osaka, Tokyo

               Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art

          Wrote a series of articles, “To the Earth and Fire,” for the Mainichi Newspaper

1969 Awarded the “Person of Cultural Merit” by the City of Kyoto.

   Became Managing Director of Nitten

1971 Held “The Top of the Japanese Ceramic World: Kusube Yaichi's Self-Selected Works”

   Hanshin Department Store, Osaka, and Mitsukoshi Department Store, Tokyo

1972 Awarded the Mainichi Art Prize

   Held the exhibition "Kusube Yayoi's New Works" at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Tokyo, Osaka

1973 Became an advisor to Nitten

1974 Held the exhibition "The Beauty of Irozuchi: Sixty Years of Irozuchi" 

   Tokyo Department Store, Shibuya and Hanshin Department Store, Osaka

1975 Became an honorary citizen of Kyoto

1977 The "Japanese Beauty: The Masterpieces of Kusube Yaichi" ceramic exhibition

   The Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

1978  Awarded the Order of Cultural Merit

1980 Exhibited Kusube Yaichi exhibition at Takashimaya Department Stores,Tokyo,Osaka

1982  Held the exhibition "Kusube Yaichi's teabowls" 

   Mitsukoshi Department Store, Tokyo,Daimaru Department Store, Kyoto

   Became Honorary President of the Japan New Craftsmen's Association

1984  Died