Nambu Ironware, Iron Kettle, NATSUMEGATA HADA 2026 (Patternless Jujube-inspired Style ), 1.5L, Shokado by Traditional Craftsman Shingo Kikuchi

We would like to introduce a special Tetsubin that is not made by Oitomi. This Tetsubin is made by Shingo Kikuchi(菊池真吾), a traditional craftsman from Shokado, whose studio is located in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, the same city as ours.

Traditional craftsman is a title officially recognized by the Japanese government, certifying craftsmen who maintain advanced techniques and skills. There are only a few dozen traditional craftsmen of Nambu Ironware, and Shingo Kikuchi is one of them.

Nambu ironware is made using two methods: the Nama-gata, in which molds are made from sand, and the Yaki-gata, in which molds are made by baking clay. Since this Tetsubin is made by the Yaki-gata method, only a few pieces can be made from a single mold. Therefore, it is very rare.

The shape known as "Natsume-gata (Jujube Style)" named after the traditional Japanese tea caddy, Natsume, is crafted to resemble its form. Items without patterns are referred to as "hada," meaning "skin." We call the unique texture of cast iron "hada." This piece showcases the cast iron's distinctive texture, known as "hada," across its entire surface.

This particular work, however, stands apart from Kikuchi's previous pieces and is presented here as an individual creation. The most striking departure lies in the treatment of the mold's seam lines, which have been boldly and deliberately polished away, allowing the surfaces to flow into one another with seamless continuity. The iron was then fired and burnished, giving rise to a richly tactile texture — one that calls to mind the warm, lustrous surface of kabazaiku, the traditional Japanese craft of cherry bark work.

This is an expression of Kikuchi's singular sensibility: an artist who resists repetition by nature, and whose body of work contains nothing quite like it. For its irreproducibility and the freedom of spirit it embodies, we regard this as a 2026 Edition work.

The inside is coated with an oxidized film using a technique called kama-yaki, and no paint is used at all.

This Tetsubin is more expensive than other Tetsubin. However, with the Yaki-gata method, bold and traditional aesthetic compositions, and the personal inscription of the traditional craftsman, "南部 真吾"（Nambu Shingo)", this special Tetsubin will be your partner for life.