Founder of Hagi ware in Nagato Province (Yamaguchi Prefecture). His real name was Ri Kei, and he was also known as Hanpou. After the battle of Bunroku-Keicho (1592-8), he followed Terumoto Mori to Hagi. Terumoto ordered him to find a suitable place to make pottery, and he found clay in Matsumoto, Higashi-bun Village, Tsubaki-go, Abugun (Tsubaki-higashi, Hagi City). Terumoto gave him a place to live and a mountainous area.
Yi Kei changed his name to Sakamoto Sukuhachi, and later to Sakataka Koraizaemon. He continued to make pottery and died in February 1643 at the age of 75. Sukuhachi II died in 1668 at the age of 55. Shinbei III died in September 1729 at the age of 82. Shinbei IV died in November 1748 at the age of 62. Sukuhachi V died in February 1769 at the age of 48. Shinbei VI died in January 1803 at the age of 65. Sukéhachi VII died in March 1824 at the age of 42. Shinbei VIII died in March 1877 at the age of 82. Dosuke IX died in August 1921. He is now the 11th generation and mainly made tea utensils. (Appendix of Pottery Reviews, Novels of Honcho Pottery, History of Prefectural Pottery, Kogyo Daijisho, Taikan of the Ceramic Industry of Japan)
