Blending tradition with modernity, Hozan Tanii (b.1953) is considered one of the great innovators of Shigaraki-yaki. After majoring in pottery at the Osaka University of the Arts in 1975, he became the third generation kiln master of the Tanikan-gama (谷寛窯) workshop established in Shigaraki by his grandfather in the early Showa period (1926-89). Here Hozan makes full use of a variety of furnaces including gas, electric, wood-fired and Anagama (穴窯 "cave kiln") to make one-of-a-kind pieces of tea- and tableware. Eager to pursue creations that meet current needs, in recent years he has collaborated on recycling projects with leading consumer goods companies, mixing byproduct materials such as Suntory whisky barrel ash and UCC Coffee grounds into his own clay and glaze recipes.