Tagami Isamu (四代目 田上勇 Isamu Tagami) was born in 1947 in Mooka, a village neighboring to Mashiko. He married into the Sudo family and apprenticed under Sudo Takeo. He was originally trained as a Japanese chef and had his own restaurant before embarking on a career in pottery, giving him a unique perspective on functional wares. He is currently the 4th-generation head of Hinatagama, founded in Mashiko by Sudo Yujiro in the Meiji Period (1868-1912.) His work has won awards in Prefecture and National ceramic exhibitions as he continues his work in the use of traditional and local Mashiko clay and glazes, much in the same way that his father’s teacher, Hamada Shoji, did. Hinatagama (Hinata Kiln) was established in Mashiko by Sudo Yujiro during the Meiji Period (1868-1912.) Sudo Yujiro was a potter at the Jishoji-yaki kilns in Gumma Prefecture. Production at the Jishoji-yaki kilns had declined at the turn of the century and many potters relocated to Mashiko around 1905. In the kiln’s 2nd g...