Seto ware is a globally rare pottery tradition that has continued uninterrupted for approximately 1,000 years. The Japanese word "Setomono," which refers to pottery in general, originates from Seto ware, which has long played a leading role in Japan’s ceramic culture.
Its roots trace back to the late 5th century, when the Sanage kilns in the present-day Higashiyama Hills of Nagoya were producing Sueki (unglazed stoneware). By the late 12th century, Seto had begun producing Koseto—glazed ceramics using ash-based glazes derived from plants—making it the only region in Japan at the time producing glazed pottery.
About 15 kilometers north of Seto lies the Tōnō region, known as the production center of Mino ware. Due to their geographic proximity, these two regions have long had active exchanges among their artisans. In the early 17th century, during the Momoyama period, potters from Seto relocated to Mino, where they developed a new glaze that remains highly regarded to this day: Oribe glaze.