Charming Smiles Bringing Happiness

In old times, Hirado ware reserved the proprietary right for the design and Hirado-style Karako-e wasn’t painted outside Mikawachi as it was prohibited. Literal translation of karako is Chinese children and it is an auspicious design for the Japanese. The karako-e that decorated Hirado ware at that time was painted on porcelain according to rules of its specific style. Traditional Hirado karako-e painted children playing under a pine tree, and number of children represented which class in society used the ware. 

Nowadays, however, we can see karakos on ceramic wares produced all over Japan and karako is probably one of the most popular designs painted on Japanese ceramics. Fujimoto Eriko, the designer and painter of Hirado Tousyo, talks about how she sees karakos when she paints them, and it might give us a clue to understand why it is still popular and widely accepted among the Japanese. She says she doesn’t see karakos are simply Chinese children; she paints them as spirits or fairies living in nature. The Japanese may see some unexplainable charm in karakos. As Eriko says, karakos are probably seen as imaginary lives living in nature in the form of playing children who bring happiness to us. Simply watching smiling karakos will definitely make you feel happy in any case. Being free from the restriction of traditional styles, karako-e now diversifies its designs but still decorates Japanese ceramics with unchanged charming smiles.