Kinjo Jiro was born in 1911 in the Yogi district of Mawashi Village (present-day Naha City). He played a crucial role in modernizing and preserving Tsuboya pottery, ultimately becoming a prominent representative potter in Okinawa. In 1985, he received recognition as the holder of the nationally designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property (commonly known as Living National Treasure) for his work in the revival of Ryukyu Pottery.
Due to delays in submitting his birth registration, both 1911 and 1912 are frequently cited as his birth years. Over the span of approximately 90 years until his passing in December 2004, he devoted himself to the production of Tsuboya pottery, safeguarding traditions that had remained unchanged for 300 years despite significant changes in Okinawa.
Celebrated for his fish motifs, the phrase "Jiro's smiling fish" or「次郎の魚は笑っている」was observed and coined by the renowned ceramic artist Hamada Shoji, the founder of the Mingei folk-art movement in Japan. The fish motif became Jiro's trademark after the post-war period. In Okinawa, a remote island prefecture, there are limited opportunities to showcase techniques and works on the central stage of Japanese ceramics. Kinjo’s lifetime achievements are certainly deserving of celebration.
He worked mainly in Yomitan, the birthplace of Okinawan Pottery, where he established his own "noborigama" or "climbing kiln."