Hiroyuki Mizuno 

Hiroyuki Mizuno was born into a family in Tokoname that has been engaged in ceramics for generations, as the seventh successor.
His father, Hiroshi Mizuno, is recognized as one of the leading masters of Tokoname today.
His teapots are made mainly fromTokoname clay, with clay from other regions being added depending on the piece, and are fired in a gas kiln

In each teapot, the artist infuses his own sensibility, grounded in the dedication he has inherited.

While form and function are often considered opposing elements, he seeks to balance both, grounding his work in meticulous study of how tea leaves move inside the pot.
A small spout may look elegant but hinders pouring, while a large lid is convenient for adding tea leaves but not always pleasing in appearance. A protruding strainer makes it easier to remove the leaves, but if it protrudes too much, cleaning becomes difficult. A thin teapot is light in weight, yet fragile and less reassuring to use.

The handle, too, presents a dilemma: the longer it is, the easier it becomes to use, but it loses elegance and is more prone to breakage. Artist A keeps it as short as possible, widening it toward the end to secure enough surface area, achieving the same ease of use as a longer handle while creating a graceful form.
The body is crafted as thinly as possible, but strength is ensured by thorough firing.

The strainer is made in a hemispherical shape, allowing tea leaves to settle in the lower half while tea flows smoothly from the upper half.
The holes of the strainer are largest where it connects to the teapot body and gradually become smaller toward the outer edge. Furthermore, the holes at the junction with the teapot are made semicircular, allowing the very last drop to flow out and making the differences between the first and second infusions, or the second and third, more distinct.
While teapot parts and strainers are usually prepared in quantity and assembled later, he shapes the body first and then makes each strainer individually to fit it.

Born in 1979, Hiroyuki Mizuno worked as a salaried employee for about twenty years after graduating from university.
As bottled tea became the norm and fewer people used teapots, he began to feel a sense of loss. In his late thirties, a strong desire arose: he wanted people to experience the taste of tea brewed in a teapot. This led him to envision opening a café where Japanese tea would be served from teapots, and at the same time, his interest in teapot making deepened. From his young age, he grew up watching his father work up close, and after deciding to make teapots, he learned by watching his father make teapots and practiced diligently. Also, he gradually trained, learning how to use the potter's wheel from ceramic artists from around the region.
In 2022, he enrolled for one year at the Aichi Prefectural Nagoya Technical High School of Ceramics in Seto City, where he studied the fundamentals of ceramics.

In 2023, he opened the Japanese tea café “Chaden” in Tokoname. Traveling across the country, he directly sources teas he personally finds delicious from farmers, and at the café, he serves them in the handcrafted teapots created together with his father.
If you would like to immerse yourself further in the world of teapots and sencha, you might consider stopping by Hiroyuki Mizuno’s Japanese tea café “Chaden”.

1979     Born in Tokoname

2021     Ended his career as a company employee

2022     Entered Aichi Prefectural Nagoya Technical High School of Ceramics

2023　 After graduating from the ceramics school, began making teapots under his father, Hiroshi Mizuno

Opened Japanese tea café “Chaden”

2025     Selected for the Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition
2025     Selected for the Japan Sencha Crafts Exhibition

2026     Selected for the Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition