Suzuki Morihisa: Nanbu Tetsubin from Morioka

The workshop

Suzuki Morihisa Studio is a Nanbu cast ironware workshop in Morioka, Iwate, and a direct descendant of one of the four renowned casting families of Nanbu. The Suzuki family came to Iwate in 1625 as the official casters of the Nanbu clan and has passed the craft down to this day, now in its 16th generation. In 1974, the national government selected the 13th Suzuki Morihisa as an intangible cultural property for which records should be made and preserved. He was the first Nanbu cast ironware craftsman to receive this recognition.

The 15th and 16th generations

The 15th generation, Shiiko Kumagai, born in 1946, was the first woman caster in the Nanbu tradition. Her work became widely known in Japan, and in 1991 she won the Prime Minister's Prize at the 31st Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition for a Kushime kettle. Her son Shiro Suzuki became the 16th Morihisa in 2023 and leads the studio today.

The workshop in Morioka

The Suzuki Morihisa workshop is in the center of Morioka, on the same site since the early Edo period. What struck me most about it was how well organized and tidy it is. Cast iron is a traditional craft, but the work is heavy, and most casting workshops look more like a car repair shop. In Kumagai's words, "Only a beautiful workshop produces the best work." The studio takes great care not only with the kettles but with everything involved in making them.

Casting is usually shared among several craftsmen, and the whole process is supervised by a skilled master. The master caster of Suzuki Morihisa is regarded as the best caster in Nanbu. The studio keeps a very high standard through the collaboration between the head of the family, who creates elaborate designs, and the skilled caster, who keeps the quality consistent.

What a Suzuki Morihisa kettle does to tea

Many people know the name Suzuki Morihisa, and most of them admire the beauty of its kettles. Few people know that the kettles also perform exceptionally well. Kettles from different workshops affect water differently, and the difference is very clear. There are two reasons.

The first is the iron itself. Each workshop has its own formula for blending the iron. Many tetsubin reduce the flavor of tea. In our experience, a Suzuki Morihisa kettle keeps the flavor and gives the water a stronger aftertaste, whatever the grade of the kettle.

The second is the casting technique. Water boiled in a Suzuki Morihisa kettle changes more in taste, with a much stronger aftertaste than water from an ordinary kettle. We think the reason is that the iron is more porous. More pores mean more surface. The kettle holds the heat of the water much longer, and the larger surface releases more iron into the water. As a result, the aftertaste is much more intense than with an ordinary kettle.

Suzuki Morihisa and teapots

Suzuki Morihisa kettles pair well with teapots made of oxidation-fired clay, and less well with reduction-fired clay such as Banko clay, which tends to bring out astringency. Shigaraki clay pairs relatively well with both Suzuki Morihisa and Kunzan kettles. You will find more on pairing on the tetsubin page.

Suzuki Morihisa models

Not in stock at the moment. Suzuki Morihisa kettles take too long to deliver, so we do not accept pre-orders.

The indicated volume is the capacity when the kettle is filled to the brim. In use, you fill it to about 50 to 60 percent of that.