What do h+ (H-plus), ENZO, and Has, written in HORIE TOUKI's tableware introductions, refer to respectively?
When looking at HORIE TOUKI's ceramics, the English labels attached to each product differ, making one wonder whether these are sizes or separate lineups.
These three names are three brand lines that HORIE TOUKI, which handles ceramics planning and distribution, independently develops according to collaboration methods with external creators.[1][2]
h+, ENZO, and Has are not symbols indicating dish sizes or standards, but are the names of three independent brands developed by HORIE TOUKI as it plans ceramics[3][4]. With ceramics planning and wholesale as its business lines, HORIE TOUKI operates its lines divided into three branches by varying the collaboration method for each product[5][6].
Each brand has a different way of displaying its name. h+ puts forward the brand name itself, taken from the initial of HORIE TOUKI, without adding a separate person's name[7]. ENZO shifts in tone. This line clearly reveals the presence of the creator by writing the name of a person named Makoto Koizumi (小泉誠) right after the brand[8]. Arriving at Has, another axis of collaboration appears. Has also officially writes the name of Kosei Shirotani (城谷耕生) alongside it, making clear that it is an independent line containing a different creator's perspective[9].
hmmm, the structure of dividing brands into three branches within a single ceramics planning company and explicitly stating the collaborating creators' names side-by-side makes one encounter tableware not as anonymous merchandise, but as the designers' distinct work.
The specific tableware items and design characteristics for each brand line have not yet been confirmed in official materials.