One of the tools used for shuhoku molding. It is also called Seto potter’s wheel. It is a simple wheel with the center of the disk supported at a single point and rotated by pressing a hammer-like turning rod through a small hole drilled around the periphery of the disk to adjust the rotation speed according to the force applied. The direction of rotation is clockwise, and a slide stop is attached to the bottom of the disk. The hand wheel has been used in Japan since ancient times, mainly in the Owari and Mino (Aichi and Gifu prefectures) regions, but also in Kyoto, Aizu, and many other potteries, and is the counterpart to the kick wheel. The wheel is the same height as the seat, and the potter sits in front of it to mold. It is suitable for making small vessels because it sits well and can kill clay better than the kick wheel. Disks with a diameter of 22 to 33 cm are mostly used for painting and coloring, while those for molding are available in various sizes from 30 cm to 70 cm. In the Seto region, 58 cm are the most common size.
