Founder of Ueno ware in Buzen province (Fukuoka prefecture) and Takada ware (Yatsushiro ware) in Higo province (Kumamoto prefecture). He was the son of Sonmitsu, the former lord of Busan Castle in Korea, and was called Sonkai (or Sonkai in one theory). After the Japanese invasion of Korea during the Bunroku period (1592-3), he followed Kato Kiyomasa and became a naturalized citizen of Japan, living in Karatsu, Hizen Province (Saga Prefecture) and producing pottery.
In 1602, Hosokawa Sansai Tadaoki invited him to Buzen Province, gave him land in Ueno Township (Akaike Township, Tagawa County), and had him build a pottery kiln. In 1632, when Sanzai’s son Tadatoshi was transferred to Higo, he followed Sanzai to Higo with his eldest son Chuhei and his second son Fujishiro, while his third descendant Saemon and his daughter-in-law Kyuzaemon remained in Buzen. At first, they made pottery in Naraki Village, Yatsushiro County (Naraki Town, Yatsushiro City), which was the origin of Takada-yaki. Later, this area was called Tsubo-yaki Valley.
It is said that Sanzai was at Yatsushiro Castle and sometimes visited the pottery site. The date of Kizo’s death is unknown. It is said that Kizo’s death date is unknown (Honcho Togi Noagasho, Yatsushiro Togi Denki, Kanko Zusetsu, Kogei Shiryo, etc.).
