Hamada studied ceramics at the Tokyo Industrial College (now the Tokyo Institute of Technology) and was also associated with the Kyōto Ceramic Testing Institute. With the British potter Bernard Leach (Leach, Bernard), who also had great influence on contemporary ceramic art, he established a kiln in St. Ives, Cornwall, Eng., in the early 1920s before establishing his own in Mashiko. Leach and Hamada continued their association in the following decades.

Hamada's work is marked by a simple yet elegant economy of design that distinguished him as one of the world's great potters. His works are displayed in various museums, including Tokyo's Japan Folk Art Museum, where he held the post of curator for many years.