11 March 2011. The magnitude 9 earthquake in the Tohoku region of Japan and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant caused severe damage to my hometown of Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture. Not only were buildings and other structures damaged by the earthquake, but the entire town became an evacuation zone, making it uninhabitable. At the time, there were more than 20 kilns in the Ohori area of the city that produced the traditional Ohori Soma-yaki craft. The Matsunaga kiln, where I am now the fourth generation, is one of them. But we were all forced to evacuate, leaving behind kilns that had been passed down from generation to generation.
The Namie-cho evacuation order was partially lifted six years later, but the Ohori area is still evacuated (in June 2022). Nevertheless, a dozen kilns, including the Matsunaga kiln, have rebuilt their kilns in new locations, with great effort, so as not to extinguish the light of this traditional craft that has endured since the 17th century. By mixing clay and new glazes, they have revived the Ohori Soma products.
While the revival of their hometown's traditional craft has become a source of comfort to the people of Namie who have continued to be evacuated, the kilns that were forced to leave the area are now asking, "What is tradition? What is home?" The kilns continued to face difficult questions such as, "What is tradition?
Born in the samurai era, Ohori Soma pottery was designated a national traditional craft in 1978. It has been loved by the local people as a common pottery and has the following three main characteristics.
The painting of the horse is also called "left horse" because it is always painted looking to the left, which is associated with the meaning "there is nothing to the right" and is considered a sign of good luck.
The cracks, caused by the difference in shrinkage between the material and the glaze, extend across the skin of the celadon and form a background pattern known as 'blue cracks'.
This is a technique unique to Ohori Soma Ware. The water in the pot does not cool easily and is not hot to the touch. This technique is the result of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of people in their daily lives.
However, these styles, which are considered "traditional", have only been established in the last 100 years or so of Ohori Soma-yaki's 300+ year history. This pottery has indeed been through the ages, changing its form over time.
The disasters of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident could, from a different perspective, be the driving force behind the birth of a new "tradition". With this in mind, I made the decision to pass on the family business, Ohori Soma-yaki, to the next generation, which I had not previously intended to take over. I now believe that the way of being and the way of life of the people who make the pottery shape the tradition.
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From this perspective, I have been working on the development of the following new productions and expansion of sales channels, and actively disseminating information overseas, making use of my experience from my student days in various business operations abroad.
For example, the Croterrace series is a collaboration with the town of Ogatsu in Miyagi Prefecture, which was also affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The town's speciality, the famous Ogatsu stone used to make inkstones, is crushed and used as a glaze and applied to Ohori Soma-yaki clay to create a jet-black surface that reflects the food.
Another innovative product that makes use of the double-layer structure is IKKON, a sake vessel with the same outer appearance but a different inner shape. Inspired by the fact that the shape of the glass changes the taste of wine, this product was devised to enjoy the changing taste of sake.
Even today, disasters and wars still occur frequently in the world, and many people suddenly lose the living environment they used to take for granted. I would be more than happy if the story of the revival of Ohori Soma-yaki, which was forced to flee its homeland, and my view on traditional crafts, could be a hint to such people when they think about "where their heart is based".
For enquiries about Ohori Soma Ware, please contact Gatch inc. info@gatch.co.jp, a trading company specialising in traditional Japanese industry that acts as a sales agent for several kilns, including Matsunaga Kiln. Some products can also be purchased in the online shop.
Original text
2011年3月11日。日本の東北地方を襲ったM9の東日本大震災と福島第一原発事故により、私の故郷である福島県浪江町は大きな被害を受けました。地震による建物などの損壊だけでなく、町全体が避難区域となり、人が住めなくなったのです。当時、町内の大堀地区には、伝統工芸「大堀相馬焼」の窯元が20軒以上ありました。私が現在4代目を務める松永窯もその中のひとつです。でも私たちはみな、代々受け継がれてきた窯を残して避難を余儀なくされました。
浪江町の避難指示は6年後に一部で解除されましたが、大堀地区はいまだ避難が続いています（2022年6月現在）。それでも17世紀から続くこの伝統工芸の灯を消すまいと、松永を含む10軒ほどの窯元が努力の末、それぞれ新天地で窯を再建。新たに土や釉薬を調合することで大堀相馬焼を蘇らせました。
復活した故郷の伝統工芸は、避難を続ける浪江町の人々にとって心の拠り所となる一方、産地を追われた窯元たちは「伝統とはなにか？故郷とはなにか？」という難しい問いに向き合い続けてきました。
古くはサムライの時代に生まれ、1978年に国の伝統的工芸品指定された大堀相馬焼。庶民のための焼き物として地域住民に愛されてきたもので、以下のような三大特徴を有しています。
・＜馬の絵＞常に左を向いて描かれるため「左馬」とも呼ばれ、「右に出るものがない」という意味につなげて縁起が良いとされています。
・＜ひび割れ＞素材と釉薬との収縮率の違いから生じるひび割れが青磁色の肌全体に拡がって、「青ひび」と呼ばれる地模様になっています
・＜二重構造＞大堀相馬焼独特の技法です。入れた湯が冷めにくく、手に持っても熱くありません。人々の暮らしのなかで創意工夫が重ねられた結果、生み出された技です。
ただし、「伝統」とされるこれらのスタイルも、実は大堀相馬焼三百余年の歴史のうち過去百年ほどで確立されたものにすぎません。この焼き物は、実際には時代によって姿かたちを変えながら受け継がれてきたのです。
東日本大震災と原発事故という災禍も、見方を変えれば新しい「伝統」の誕生の原動力になるのではないか。そう考えた私は、以前は継ぐつもりのなかった家業、大堀相馬焼を次代へつなぐ決心をしました。そして今では、作る人の「在り方」「生き方」そのものが伝統を形作っていくのだと考えています。\nそのような観点から、私は学生時代から海外で様々な事業運営を手掛けてきた経験を生かし、以下のような新しい作品の開発や販路拡大に取組み、海外への情報発信も積極的に行ってきました。
例えば、クロテラス（Croterrace）シリーズは、同じ東日本大震災の被災地である宮城県雄勝町とのコラボレーションです。同町の特産、硯の原料として有名な雄勝石を砕いて釉薬とし、大堀相馬焼の土に施したもので、料理が映える漆黒の肌合いを実現しています。
また、二重構造を生かした斬新な商品として、外見は同じでも内側の形状が違う酒器IKKONも開発しました。グラスの形状によってワインの味が変わることにヒントを得て、日本酒の味の変化を楽しむために考案したものです。
いまもなお世界では災害や戦争が頻発し、これまで当たり前と思っていた生活環境を突然失う人がたくさんいます。故郷を追われた大堀相馬焼の復活ストーリー、および伝統工芸というものに対する私の考え方が、そんなみなさんにとって「自分の心の拠りどころ」を考える際のヒントになればこれ以上の喜びはありません。
大堀相馬焼に関するお問い合わせは、松永窯を含む数件の窯元の販売代理店を務める日本の伝統産業の専門商社、ガッチ株式会社info@gatch.co.jp（英語対応可）まで。また、一部の商品はオンラインショップでも購入できます。
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Takeshi Matsunaga