Masanori Sue is a master ceramist of the Obori Somayaki technique (大堀相馬焼き). The greenish tonality is one of the characteristics that make Somayaki’s crafting to stand out. However, the material that gives this tonality to his works is now under threat by radiation issues.
Sue-san had to move from Namie because of the high levels of radiation, settling in Koriyama, where he has now formed a family and opened a workshop called Suetokugama. In addition to facing radiation, a subsequent cerebral infarction and the floods from Typhoon Hagibis in 2019, he has to face and fight against a small group of people trying to take advantage of some of the older master craftsmen of this technique. These masters received financial support from the Japanese Government to continue their work because they are running out of stocks of uncontaminated material. The problem is that inside of the group there are allegedly some persons who use governmental aid to take advantage. They replace materials with others of lesser quality and trick the older artisans into receiving more money. Supposedly, all of this has the objective of finding a warehouse where to store the reserves of the natural mineral that gives the crafts their unique tone.
Sue-san has already obtained the support of some artisans to lead a battle to unmask the people who take advantage of the economic aid.
Masanori Sue is a master ceramist of the Obori Somayaki technique (大堀相馬焼き). The greenish tonality is one of the characteristics that make Somayaki’s crafting to stand out. However, the material that gives this tonality to his works is now under threat by radiation issues.
Sue-san had to move from Namie because of the high levels of radiation, settling in Koriyama, where he has now formed a family and opened a workshop called Suetokugama. In addition to facing radiation, a subsequent cerebral infarction and the floods from Typhoon Hagibis in 2019, he has to face and fight against a small group of people trying to take advantage of some of the older master craftsmen of this technique. These masters received financial support from the Japanese Government to continue their work because they are running out of stocks of uncontaminated material. The problem is that inside of the group there are allegedly some persons who use governmental aid to take advantage. They replace materials with others of lesser quality and trick the older artisans into receiving more money. Supposedly, all of this has the objective of finding a warehouse where to store the reserves of the natural mineral that gives the crafts their unique tone.
Sue-san has already obtained the support of some artisans to lead a battle to unmask the people who take advantage of the economic aid.
Sue-san se vio obligado a mudarse desde Namie por los altos niveles de radiación, estableciéndose en Koriyama donde ha formado una familia y abierto un taller llamado Suetokugama. Pero además de enfrentarse a la radiación, un posterior infarto cerebral y las inundaciones del tifón Hagibis en 2019, se suma una lucha contra un pequeño grupo de personas que intentan aprovecharse de algunos de los maestros artesanos más mayores de esta técnica. Los maestros reciben ayudas económicas del Gobierno de Japonés para poder seguir desarrollando su labor, las reservas del material no contaminado se están acabando. El problema es que dentro de ese grupo de personas hay algunas utilizando las ayudas para aprovecharse. Sustituyen materiales con denominación por otros de menos calidad, embaucan a los artesanos más mayores para recibir más dinero y todo con el supuesto objetivo de buscar un almacén donde guardar las reservas del mineral natural que da ese tono a las obras.
Sue-san ya ha conseguido el apoyo de algunos artesanos para liderar una batalla que desenmascare a las personas que se aprovechan de las ayudas económicas.
