Tetsuzo Fujiwara was born in Makiyama, Mie Prefecture which is a southern neighbor of Nara, and was adopted by his uncle in Kyoto when he was nine years old. At the age of eleven, he started to turn a potter's wheel. Around 1935, he recieved an order for the largest earthen pot in Japan. He concluded that Shigaraki would be a better place than Kyoto to create a large piece, so he moved to Shigaraki. Later, he concentrated on creating ceramic raccoon dog images. He created unique shapes and facial expressions, which started a tradition of loveable Shigaraki raccoon dog dolls. The faces and bodies of the Shigaraki raccoon dogs which we know today were originated by Mr. Fujiwara.
