Noritake China ware

Noritake has served as a bridge between Japan and the U.S. since 1876 when Baron Ichizaemon Morimura established the Morimura-kumi company in Tokyo. In the same year his younger brother, Yutaka Morimura set sail for New York, setting up the Morimura Brothers store in the city two years later in 1878. This was the beginning of a long and successful trading relationship between the two countries. The company expanded rapidly with the building of its own porcelain factory and went on to gain recognition worldwide as a major producer of quality ceramics. The Paris Expo of 1900 with its Art Nouveau theme sparked a "Japonism" boom prompting the Morimura brothers to pursue their dream of producing western style tableware with an Eastern flavor. To this end they dispatched craftsmen to Europe to learn new techniques and in 1904 formed the Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha (later to become the Noritake company) in the village of Noritake, outside Nagoya. From this time on, the company committed to its ideal of producing fine quality Western style tableware, specialising in dinner services and tea sets. As well as the world-famous "Old Noritake" pieces (Art Deco porcelain ware and Noritake products from before the war including the Art Nouveau Style), contemporary Noritake ware enjoys great popularity both in Japan and abroad as tableware crafted to exacting standards. Designers continue to draw from their rich heritage, producing artistic, individual pieces displaying a wealth of cultural influences.

Noritake tableware

Okura China Company Okura China Company is an offshoot of the original Noritake company and remains part of the Noritake corporation to this day. Established in 1919 by Magobei Okura and his son Kazuchika who were both amongst the 6 founders of the Noritake company, the Ogura China Company set out to target the top segment of the market with its hand-made items created from choice material. Extremely successful to this day, its smooth,hard, white china is considered among the best in Japan and Okura China supplies tableware for use in the Imperial household Agency, State Guesthouses for VIP's as well as many top-class hotels and restaurants.

Gold Rice Sheaves tea set by Okura China

"Mt. Fuji & wave" design morning cup and saucer,
commeorating the 100th anniversary of Okura China SOLD


		#1, #2, #3 -SOLD
Totoro 23cm plate #4 SOLD		Totoro mug - #1 January/February - Speedwell, #2 March/April - Dandelion , #3 May/June Indian strawberry
		#4, #5, #6 -SOLD
Totoro 23cm plate #6 SOLD		Totoro mug - #4 July/August Convolvulaceae, #5 September/October Viburnum dilatatum, #6 November/December Smilax