Born in 1976 in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, Mr. Junzo Maekawa is the 4th generation of the Kenzan Kiln established in the early 20th Century. He graduated from the Kyoto Traditional Crafts College and worked at an Akatsu ware pottery for 4 years before joining the family business Maekawa Ceramics in 2008. He has been actively creating ceramics, winning several awards including the Prime Minister’s Award at the Tokonameyaki Promotion Exhibition in 2015 and the Tea Art Recommendation Award at the 2016 Taiwan International Golden Pot Awards. His tea wares cater to the modern lifestyle while preserving the ceramic techniques passed down from ancient times.