Finding Kama-Hachi-San
The story of SOBAKO began with a meeting with ”Kama-Hachi san" in Yamanashi Prefecture more then 5years ago. We call him Kama-Hachi san, but that's actually the name of his pottery studio. Located in a mountain village about a three-hour drive from Tokyo, this pottery studio, surrounded by nature, is where Mutsumi Ohashi (whom we’ll refer to as Mutsumi-san) works earnestly with clay and fire to create pottery pieces.
Mutsumi-san, who has been advised by his wife to cut back on his beloved alcohol for health reasons, occasionally shares such stories with us. This time, he spoke about the journey of clay as it transforms in shape through kneading and firing. He shared the intricacies of selecting clay, adjusting blends, and exploring firing methods, taking us deep into the world of pottery.
The following blog posts will cover our experience going into their pottery studio, and all the hard work that goes into creating the pieces sold in Sobako.