About Noritake Ridgewood

Early Days

• In 1904, the Morimura Brothers founded a factory in Noritake, a suburb near Nagoya Japan, to produce Western style dinnerware. However, the factory did not produce an actual dinnerware plate until 1914. It was from this humble foundation that the Noritake company was born.

Production

• The early dinnerware plates made by the Noritake factory were hand painted and often featured gold applications. By the 1920s, assembly line techniques had taken over. This allowed for lower-cost, high quality dinnerware. It also allowed Noritake to expand to world-wide markets.

Ridgewood

• The Ridgewood line reflected the Noritake principles of quality design and affordability. It was first produced in 1951 and was discontinued in 1961. The line featured a full dinner service including plates, cups, sauces and serving platters.

Purchasing

• Noritake no longer produces Ridgewood style dinnerware, making it hard to acquire. However the 100 year history of Noritake in the United States means that many stores have sold its products and may have some leftover stock. According to NoritakeChina.com, American military personnel stationed in Europe and Asia gathered collections of the china by purchasing tableware abroad and shipping it back home to family.

Noritake Today

• Although the Ridgewood line is discontinued, Noritake is still producing many other styles of China. They have expanded from one factory in Noritake to subsidiaries, factories and affilities across the globe. Their products are sold in stores around the world, giving the brand name recognition in several countries.