Page 19 - March 2025

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March 2025 The NaTioNal ButtonBulleTiN 17
Dating Yuzan buttons: The realistic buttons
may have been made as early as 1937 when
the Yuzan kiln was founded. However,
they were not sold by Aitosha Co. in boxed
sets until after 1945 when Aitosha was
established. Japanese references state the
Yuzan kiln was still producing buttons in
the 1960s. The kiln was open until at least Large button with
1970 as they made signed commemorative raised border and
obidomes for Expo ’70 held in Osaka. similar Yuzan mini vase.
The plainer small and medium-sized round Yuzan buttons are distinguishable
from Kutani buttons because Kutanis have a distinct needle groove on the back,
but Yuzan’s Arita buttons do not.

Kutani button with needle groove on left side of the above photos;
Yuzan Arita button is shown on the right side.

Some may mistake the red “Yuzan” inscription on the back of the non-button
items for a “Kutani” mark. However, the two marks are quite different as you can
see from the examples below.

Yuzan mark Kutani mark

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the Yuzan kiln’s porcelain buttons and
accessories, and broadening your concept of Aritas beyond the finely molded To-
shikane type with which we are more familiar. If you have Yuzan buttons in your
collection that are not shown, then I would appreciate hearing from you!

Note of thanks: my thanks go to fellow button collectors Mika Jarmusz, a certified
Japanese translator, and Mr. Kunikazu Sugimaya, a historian for Kiyohara & Co.
Ltd. of Japan. I am very grateful for their contributions to this article.