Seraph Enomoto, Inc. and Manabu Kondo of Ohori Soma Pottery's Kikichiro Kiln Support for Successor Training

Seraph Enomoto Co. (Location: Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture; President: Osamu Enomoto; hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), which focuses on large-scale repair work for condominiums, visited the workshop of Mr. Manabu Kondo (hereinafter referred to as "Mr. Kondo"), the 9th generation owner of Ohori Soma Pottery's Tokichiro Kiln, in October and encouraged his two apprentices.

Mr. Kondo is the only returning potter in the Ohori area, and he is committed to nurturing successors and passing on the traditions to revive Ohori Soma-yaki pottery.

From left: Manabu Kondo, two apprentices, and President Osamu Enomoto

＜What is Ohori Soma-yaki?

Ohori Soma-yaki is a unique antique pottery produced by the Soma clan in Hamadori, Fukushima Prefecture, famous for the "Soma Nomaoi Festival. In 1978, it was designated as a traditional craft by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (currently the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry), and the government supports the development of industrial activities as well as the preservation of traditional techniques.

(Reference: https://www.toukichirougama.com, https://www.somayaki.or.jp )

<History from the Earthquake to the Return of Ohori

Fourteen years ago, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident, Mr. Kondo, one of the potters of Ohori Soma Pottery, was forced to leave the Ohori area and evacuate to Iwaki City in the same prefecture. Although the evacuation order for the town is gradually being lifted, the number of kilns, which numbered about 20 before the earthquake, has been drastically reduced. Mr. Kondo resumed pottery making in a temporary studio in June 2011, three months after the earthquake, and opened the fully equipped "Iwaki Studio" in Yotsukura-cho, Iwaki City, in 2018.

Now that the designation of the Ohori area as a "difficult-to-return area" has been partially lifted, Mr. Kondo returned last June to rebuild "Ohori Koubou" in order to once again pass on the tradition to future generations in Ohori, Namie Town, the production center of Ohori Soma Pottery.

<Visiting "Tokichiro Kiln" and Supporting Successors

President Enomoto (hereinafter referred to as "President Enomoto") requested a free cup of Ohori Soma-yaki pottery from Mr. Kondo as a memento of the passing of Mr. Yoshio Enomoto, the Chairman of the Company, and the Company has continued to communicate with Mr. Kondo. Mr. Kondo is promoting the training of successors as one of the pillars for the revival of the Ohori area as a production center of Ohori Soma-yaki. As a step in this direction, he welcomed two apprentices in April of this year and held an exhibition in July to commemorate the first anniversary of their return. During this visit, we asked the apprentices about their thoughts on carrying on the tradition and their current state of mind after welcoming the new apprentices, and viewed the works they created.

President Enomoto deeply sympathizes with Mr. Kondo's desire to revive the Ohori area as a production center of Ohori Soma-yaki pottery by nurturing successors to carry on the culture and eventually have them establish themselves as potters on their own.

Conversation and inside the gallery of Tokichiro Kiln Ohori Studio

＜Profile of Manabu Kondo

Born in 1954 in Ohori, Namie-cho, Futaba-gun, Fukushima Prefecture.

He has been engaged in the family business, Tokichiro Kiln, since 1997 (Showa 52). He was forced to evacuate after the Great East Japan Earthquake and returned to Ohori, Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture in June 2024. He is a juror for the Japan Contemporary Crafts Art Exhibition.

HP: https://www.toukichirougama.com

<Location of Kobori Studio

Ohori Workshop

98-1, Aza Gobata, Ohori, Namie-cho, Futaba-gun, Fukushima 979-1544

Iwaki Studio

75-17 Aza Minamata, Hosoya, Yotsukura-cho, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima 979-0204

＜Seraph Enomoto Co.

Established in 1963. We are also committed to pet renovation and drone business. The company is also involved in social contribution activities, including efforts to realize the SDGs and support for guide dogs for the blind.

TEL : 048-265-1883

Head office: 2-34-16 Shibanakada, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama 333-0847

Number of employees: 97

HP : https://www.sei.ne.jp