Founder Founder
Our founder Sutematsu Kumamoto, who was a wholesaler of ceramics, opened a kiln with the aim of performing high-quality manufacturing. He created an original clay by selecting raw materials that satisfied his high standards and developed his own original glaze. This was the starting point of the philosophy of GINPO, a company that has continued to focus on product quality. The items manufactured have varied beyond just “Donabe”casserole pots, ranging from tableware to cosmetics bottles.
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1932
The founder Sutematsu Kumamoto was a wholesaler of ceramics but had not come across any high-quality ceramics.
As a goal to produce “high-quality manufactured goods”he founded Banko Shinko Yogyosho Limited, and began to mainly manufacture tableware,
“Donabe”casserole pots and flower vases. -
1955
Established by the founder of “Kannyu,” a mass
production technology intended to
create fine cracks in glaze, is used by ceramic artists and
other ceramic-related professionals, the company
announced its new collection “Sumikannyu.” -
1961
To make its factory more efficient,
the company introduced a firing tunnel
kiln made of brick that is 60 meters long.
Masterpiece Masterpiece
Against the backdrop of the dissemination of “Donabe”casserole pots that do not crack when heated due to the use of heat-resistant raw materials, the Sumikannyu series gained popularity. Meanwhile, Tetsuzo Kumamoto, the second president, developed the Hanamishima line with the Mishima Technique at a time when white “Donabe” with paintings were common. This series become so popular that the supply could not meet the demand and came to be dubbed “the standard for “Donabe”casserole pots.”
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1964
Wishing to convey its permanence like
perpetual snow remaining on a mountain
top, the company changed its name to
Ginpo Co., Ltd. which literally means
“silver peak.” (GINPO 銀峯) -
1972
With the introduction of the Mishima Technique, which
was conventionally only used for high-class items such
as tea bowls, the Hanamishima series, which later
became so popular as to be dubbed “the standard for
“Donabe”casserole pots,” was developed from the
second president’s idea of delivering such original
“Donabe” pots to general households.
Innovation Innovation
The third president Tetsuya Kumamoto, who took over the Hanamishima series, established a production line with a well-balanced arrangement of machinery and workers. The company established a system which specified the craftsmen’s techniques, rather than relying on the intuition of experienced craftsmen, and acquired an ISO 9001 certification. While protecting its long-selling products and listening to the voices of its customers, the company developed original “Donabe”casserole pots as new cooking utensils that matched the flow of the times.
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2000
The company became the first
“Donabe”casserole pot manufacturer to
obtain an ISO 9001 certification
(international standard for quality
management systems). -
2009
IH-enabled earthenware pot
Acquired a patent for the “Plate System” used for this
type of model. -
2012
Announced the launch of the “BLISSIO,” line the world’s
first waterless cooking ceramic pot series manufactured
using with a polishing process. -
2016
Under the concept of “A comfortable
room for people to enjoy meeting each
other while dining on dishes prepared
with Ginpo tableware ,” opened a gallery
& shop called the “GINPO CLUB.” -
2018
Announced the launch of the “亶 – SEN,
” the company’s first collaborative product with a chef.
To be continued...
