Morimura Brothers store on Broadway in New York (1884-1890). Morimura-gumi sent Toyo Morimura to establish its business hub in the United States in 1876.
NORITAKE CO., LIMITED
Within walking distance of Nagoya Station, a large green swath of land stretches next to the headquarters of Noritake Co., Ltd., a leader in the history of Japanese ceramics. Nestled in the lush greenery are a group of red-brick buildings dating back to the Meiji Era (1868-1912).
This is the birthplace of the modern Japanese ceramic industry and where Japan’s first Western dinnerware set was produced a century ago.
These red-brick buildings were part of the original factory site of Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha, Noritake’s predecessor established in 1904. The company’s roots, however, can be traced back to the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, when a young Japanese merchant had a vision of the future of the country. His name was Ichizaemon Morimura, the founder of Noritake.
In 1853, the arrival of a squadron of four American warships under Commodore Matthew C. Perry brought about a major change in Japan’s closed-door policy under the Tokugawa shogunate, which had maintained stability for over 200 years in the nation.
Amid the turmoil at the end of Edo period (1603-1867), Morimura was one of the few merchants who started buying products from foreign traders and selling them to government officials very soon after the opening of Yokohama port. Young Morimura witnessed the drain of gold from Japan through foreign exchange and the resulting large monetary loss.
Before long, Morimura met with Yukichi Fukuzawa, a lower-class samurai who traveled to the United States in 1859 as an official government interpreter and would later establish Keio Gijuku (present day Keio University). As one of the most informed people in Japan about situations in other countries, Fukuzawa answered Morimura’s question about the disparity between Japanese gold and Mexican silver at the time.
“In order to bring gold back to Japan, we must acquire foreign currencies by exporting goods from Japan,” Fukuzawa said.
Deciding to start overseas trading by himself for the good of the country, Morimura established the trading firm Morimura-gumi in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1876. The same year, Morimura sent his younger brother Toyo Morimura to New York City to establish Morimura Bros. & Co. there.
Japan’s first Western-style dinner plate created in 1913
NORITAKE CO., LIMITED
Morimura-gumi’s export items were initially Japanese antiques and general merchandise. However, ceramic sales gradually increased, which gave the company confidence about the future of ceramic.
In 1889, Ichizaemon Morimura and his colleagues visited the World Exposition in Paris and were impressed by the fine European porcelains there.
Returning home with the desire to “make such beautiful and exquisite porcelains in Japan,” they strove for new production. Eight years later, Ichizaemon dispatched engineers to Europe to study the latest manufacturing methods, kicking off company’s goal of producing white porcelain in Japan.
Morimura-gumi began working aggressively to build a modern porcelain factory in Japan. After carefully considering several locations, land was purchased in the village of Noritake (present-day Noritake-shinmachi in Nagoya), Aichi Prefecture. The village name “Noritake” was later adopted as the brand name of the company’s porcelain products.
In 1904, Morimura-gumi established Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha, predecessor of Noritake Co., Ltd., with its headquarters in Noritake, where the company remains to this day. Kazuchika Okura, 29, the youngest among the founding members, was named president of the new company.
At the ceremony to lay the cornerstone for the porcelain factory’s kiln in March 1904, a pledge signed by the company’s founders was baked onto a porcelain plate and buried under the cornerstone. The original pledge is translated as follows:
“For over 20 years since its founding, Morimura-gumi has made great efforts toward improving the quality of the substandard porcelain products previously made in Japan. In order to manufacture products by our own hands that will be on par with the finest porcelain products made in Europe, and which will contribute toward promoting the nation’s exports, we lay the cornerstone here for Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha.
We, the undersigned, pledge to apply ourselves diligently and earnestly to this business endeavor. In carrying out this pledge we resolve to always work in the nation’s best interests and for the well-being of the Japanese people.”
Even after starting operations, it took many years of efforts, including a visit to a chemical laboratory for the pottery industry in Berlin, to get analysis and advice from German experts, before producing a perfect dinner plate. After much trial and error, what emerged from the kiln in July 1913 was an unmistakably pure white dinner plate. All the time and effort into research had finally paid off. One year later, in 1914, Japan’s first Western dinnerware set was finally completed and exported to the United States.
Since then, dinner sets have been the mainstay products of Nippon Toki. Under the brand name Noritake China, the porcelain dinner sets from Japan gradually built a position in the global tableware market, particularly in the U .S. market, even surpassing those products from Europe.
Bunshodo Building 2F, 3-4-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Noritake Ginza is a 1-minute walk from Exit A13,
Ginza Station on the Ginza, Marunouchi and Hibiya lines;
Noritake Ginza not only sells dinnerware, but also works to educate consumers. NORITAKE CO., LIMITED
Opened in October 2012, Noritake Ginza is a directly managed store of Noritake Co., Ltd. The store harkens back to the company’s first incarnation, Morimura-gumi, which was founded in the Ginza district in 1876.
Since completing Japan’s first ever Western-style dinnerware set, Noritake has continued to produce fine, high-quality ceramics. In October 2011, the company announced the launch of “Masterpiece Collection,” high-end tableware produced with technology and craftsmanship that have been nurtured over the company’s more-than-100- year history. In February 2012, the company began sales of “cher blanc,” an elegant range of casual dinnerware ideal for both everyday use and for entertaining.
On display and sale at Noritake Ginza are dinnerware sets and fine porcelain pieces, which evoke an upscale, luxurious image. Additionally, the store’s “cher blanc” corner will inspire a new cuisine environment.
The store also has an area showcasing a range of dinnerware for commercial use aimed at hoteliers and restaurateurs.
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