As brutal as they may have been, many feudal Japanese warlords were passionate about the Way of Tea. In the midst of battle they would pause for a "tea break," appreciating the fleeting moment and simple joys of tea -- with bits of strategy tossed in.

In fact, Japan's greatest warlord, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-98), was also one of its greatest art patrons. Indeed, so enamored with Tea was he, that he even declared no-combat zones around areas where special potters lived.

One such area is the small town of Bizen in present-day Okayama Prefecture, home to the world-renowned pottery style that bears its name. In 1582 or 1583, Hideyoshi visited Bizen and stayed with one of its revered old potters -- possibly Ohan Gorozaemon. He was so impressed with the skill of the potter -- and of others who made ceramic tea utensils (chato) -- that he declared the area battle-free and designated six families as o-sakunin (honorable craftsman). Those six families were the Kaneshige, Kimura, Hayami, Mori, Ohan and Terami, and the first three of these, or branches of them, are still potting today.