What is Noritake and when did the company start making tableware?

Noritake is a Japanese tableware and ceramics brand that grew out of the Morimura Brothers trading company, founded in 1876 to export Japanese goods to the United States. The ceramics business that became Noritake Co., Limited was established in 1904 near Nagoya, in a village called Noritake, and focused on producing Western-style porcelain dinnerware for export. By 1914 the company had completed its first full Western dinner set, decorated in a style aimed at American buyers, and from there expanded into a wide range of fine china, hotel ware, and casual tableware. Today, Noritake Co., Limited is a diversified company, but tableware remains one of its key activities, with operations and distribution in many regions, including Japan, North America, Australia, and other markets. Collectors often use “Noritake” as a shorthand for the porcelain and bone china lines that came out of this history, especially early export pieces and classic 20th-century patterns.