The climbing kiln built by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada at the Leach Pottery in 1920 had issues and after a number of unsuccessful firings they commissioned the Japanese kiln maker Tsuronosuke Matsubayashi to replace it with a new design. Matsubayashi was the 39th generation of a family of potters who ran the Asahi Pottery in Japan, he was a skilled technician and his kiln continued in production until in mid 1970s.

As well as constructing the kiln, Matsubayashi passed on his knowledge of clays and glazes in talks with the Leach potters and later helped Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie build her kiln when she moved on from St. Ives to establish her own pottery at Coleshill.