Whereas most Japanese pottery traditions predate tea and have adapted to it, Asahi-yaki was created over 400 years ago not far from Kyôto, in Uji, the historical centre of Japanese tea, in order to create tea ceremony accessories under the guidance of the tea master, Kobori Enshu. Asahi-yaki has also been making sencha accessories for 150 years.

This Asahi-yaki tea cup was fired in a wood-burning noborigama kiln. It was made using clay from Uji and covered in an ash glaze of Japanese red pine (“akamatsu”).