Kinjo Jirō (1912–2004) was a master of Okinawan Tsuboya ware and the first ceramic artist from the Ryukyu Islands to be designated a Living National Treasure in 1985. Born in Naha, he revitalized the Tsuboya tradition, a ceramic lineage shaped by both Chinese and Japanese influences, and became renowned for his bold, freehand underglaze brushwork in iron-oxide slip beneath translucent glaze. His vessels, often adorned with motifs of fish, birds, and flowers, embody a rustic vitality and spirited expressiveness aligned with the ideals of the Mingei (folk craft) movement. Kinjo’s work preserved the distinct identity of Okinawan pottery while establishing its recognition within the wider sphere of Japanese ceramics. Today his works are represented in major collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Okinawa Prefectural Museum, the Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan), and the British Museum, ensuring his enduring legacy within both Japanese and international ceramic history.