Sakaida Kakiemon XV first took on the challenge of producing Arita pottery in Saga Prefecture at the age of 26, when he finally decided to learn how to use a potter's wheel.

The 45-year-old assumed the title in February after his father, Kakiemon XIV, who was designated a living national treasure, died in June last year.

As the eldest son in the family, "I had known that I would have to inherit the pottery someday," he said.