They are making "tea cups to cake stands to everything, 450 pieces in a beautiful raku, " a Japanese-style of pottery, Ms. Foppiani says.

WSJ: Lily Pads and Bamboo Stalks, Made of Clay

Like Rikyu before him, Koetsu worked with a family of potters whose name came to stand for a whole class of rough, low-fired pottery: raku ware.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | The Subtle Magic of Koetsu

These and other innovative features are currently in use in the Fujitsu Raku-Raku Phone series for seniors, which has been offered by NTT DOCOMO since 2001 in Japan where it has sold over 20 million units.

ENGADGET: Fujitsu, Orange partner on senior-friendly Stylistic S01 smartphone