寛文六年（一六六六年）加賀藩主五代・前田綱紀侯は京都より仙叟宗室（裏千家四代）を茶道普及の為に金沢へ招きました。その際、初代長左衞門が京都より同道し、金沢郊外・大樋村（現大樋町）からなどの粘土によって、茶盌などを制作したことで大樋焼と称されるようになりました。
また、仙叟宗室は千利休の理念を受け継いだ孫・宗旦（千家三代）の四男であり、この地に千家茶道を普及させました。初代・大樋長左衞門は楽・長次郎を始祖とする一入（楽家四代）の高弟であり、身につけた楽焼の技術や理念を仙叟の指導のもとに、楽焼唯一の脇窯として金沢独特のものにしました。後に仙叟は京都に帰り裏千家を興し、そして長左衞門は金沢に残り、三百五十年以上継承されてきた大樋焼の礎となりました。
大樋陶冶斎（十代長左衛門・年朗）は、文化勲章受章・文化功労者、日本芸術院会員、石川県名誉県民、金沢市名誉市民などの栄誉を受け大樋焼を継承しています。
また、十一代大樋長左衛門（年雄）は、現代美術と伝統を融合させながら活動しております。当家は金沢市橋場町に位置し、金沢市指定建造物である屋敷内には「芳土庵」裏千家十一代玄々斎家元命名「陶土軒」裏千家十五代鵬雲斎家元設計／命名「松濤間」十八代前田利祐様命名「年々庵」建築家・隈研吾氏設計／裏千家十五代鵬雲斎家元命名などの茶室があり、日本画家・千住博氏制作による襖絵が施されています。邸内には「松濤庭」（十八代前田利祐様命名）金沢市指定樹木／樹齢五〇〇年の赤松「折鶴の松」があり、建築家・隈研吾氏設計による「大樋ギャラリー」では陶冶斎（十代長左衛門・年朗）、十一代長左衛門（年雄）などの作品が紹介されています。
また、大樋美術館には歴代の大樋長左衞門の作品をはじめ、今日まで当家と関わった文化人や芸術家などが残していった作品や資料を公開しています。
History of the ohi chozaemon Kiln
In 1666 the fifth lord of the Maeda family, Lord Maeda Tsunanori, invited to Kanazawa the fourth generation tea master of the Urasenke tradition, Senso Soshitsu, to disseminate the art of the tea ceremony known as chado.
The first generation Ohi Chozaemon was a close disciple of Ichinyu, who was the fourth generation head of the Raku family of potters. Ohi Chozaemon accompanied the tea master Senso to Kanazawa and began to produce tea bowls with clay that came from the village of Ohi, which was located in an area outside of Kanazawa.
This is the origin of the name Ohi-yaki. Senso Soshitsu was the fourth son of Sen no Rikyu’s grandson and third generation head of the Urasenke tradition, Sotan. Having inherited his great-grandfather Rikyu’s philosophy of tea, Senso spread the teachings of the Senke school of chado. The first generation Ohi Chozaemon was an exceptionally talented disciple of Ichinyu, who was a descendant from the first generation master potter Raku Chojiro. Having learned Raku techniques and theories, Chozaemon, under the tutelate of Senso Soshitsu, established a unique branch kiln of the Raku tradition that was unprecedented in Kanazawa. Senso later returned to Kyoto and worked to restore the Urasenke tradition, while Chozaemon remained in Kanazawa to become the founder of a tradition known as Ohi Ware that has continued over 350 years until this day.
Ohi Toyasai (Toshiro), tenth generation of the Ohi Tradition, is the recipient of the Order of Culture/Person of Cultural Merit award, member of the Japan Art Academy, and has been named an Honorary Citizen of Ishikawa Prefecture and Honorary Citizen of the city of Kanazawa. The present eleventh generation Ohi Chozaemon (Toshio) is active in creating art that combines the contemporary with the traditional.
The Ohi residence is located in Hashibacho and has been designated a historic architectural structure by the city of Kanazawa. There are several tea rooms within this complex. The tea room “Hodoan," which means the “fragrance of clay,” was named by the 11th generation Urasenke Grand Tea Master Gengensai. The second tea room “Todoken" was named by the 15th generation Urasenke Grand Tea Master Hounsai. The third tea room was given the name “Shotonoma" by the18th generation family head, Maeda Toshiyasu. A fourth tea room, named “Nennen’an” by the 15th generation Urasenke Grand Tea Master Hounsai, was designed by the Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma. There is also a fusuma (Japanese sliding door) that was beautifully painted by the Japanese artist, Hiroshi Senju.
Within this complex of tea rooms, there is a beautiful garden called “Shototei," which was named by the 18th generation family head Maeda Toshiyasu. In the “Shototei” garden there is a 500-year-old red pine tree named “Orizuru no matsu,” (the name refers to the folded origami crane), which has been recognized by the city of Kanazawa for its historical significance. The works of Ohi Toyasai (Toshiro, 10th generation of the Ohi Tradition) and his son, Ohi Chozaemon (Toshio, 11th generation and present head of the Ohi Tradition) are displayed in the Ohi Gallery, which was designed by Kengo Kuma. On display in the Ohi Museum are examples of the work of each generation of Ohi master potter, along with the works and documents of the cultural elites and artists connected with the Ohi family.
