Japanese foundry craftsman keeps ancient cast iron techniques alive

Katsunori Suzuki is preserving a nearly lost art in the heart of Japan’s Iwate prefecture, where iron-rich mountains have shaped local craftsmanship for centuries.

Katsunori Suzuki is among the last artisans in Japan dedicated to the meticulous craft of hand-making cast iron cookware using age-old techniques, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

As the president of a 172-year-old foundry, she is committed to preserving this time-honored tradition, despite the higher costs involved in production.

Suzuki employs a labor-intensive method known as "tegome" or "hand stuffing," where he meticulously crafts molds from moist sand and other ingredients. This process involves hours of careful tamping of sand within an iron frame to achieve the perfect compression. Once the mold is prepared, Suzuki intricately carves detailed designs into it, ensuring each pot is both functional and beautiful.

Once the mold is prepared, Suzuki retrieves buckets of molten iron, carefully transporting them to his workstation to maintain the crucial temperature of around 1,450 degrees Celsius (2,462 degrees Fahrenheit) before pouring it into the mold.

After the iron cools and solidifies, Suzuki breaks the sand mold apart with a hammer to extract the finished cookware. He meticulously trims away any excess material to perfect the final product. At 59 years old, Suzuki, who has dedicated 40 years to the Oigen cast iron foundry, spends an entire day crafting each pot and its accompanying lid, following the same detailed process for each.

In the following days, the cookware, still in its rough state, is passed on to other craftsmen who grind away smaller burrs, polish the surface, and bake it at high temperatures to make it rust-resistant.

The traditional tegome method requires not only strength and dexterity but also significant experience. Crafting the perfect mold involves conditioning the sand with the right amount of moisture to suit the current weather conditions. At the end of each day, Suzuki waters the sand used for the molds, preparing it for the next day’s work.

Kuniko Oikawa, the president of Oigen, acknowledges that the tegome method is considered inefficient and costly compared to modern alternatives. Many foundries have abandoned it in favor of using different materials for molds and mechanizing the pouring of molten iron to streamline mass production.

Like other foundries, the Oigen factory had relied exclusively on mechanized production until recently. However, Oikawa, the fifth president of this family-owned business, was determined to preserve the traditional craft. Founded in 1852 in Iwate prefecture, near the iron-rich Kitakami Mountains, Oigen had long been known for its cast iron products, with techniques believed to date back over 900 years.

Inspired by a conversation with a retired craftsman who still knew the tegome method, Oikawa decided to revive this nearly forgotten technique. Despite its rich history, she noted that no other foundries are currently using the tegome method for cast iron cookware. “There may be retired artisans who know it, but I don’t know of any active foundries still employing tegome,” she said.

“It will become just a memory once it’s gone,” Oikawa reflects. “Instead of prioritizing economics, we want to honor our predecessors who preserved the cast iron trade. We also believe there is something innovative and creative about maintaining this tradition.”

In 2022, Oikawa launched a new brand, Mugu, to showcase high-end cast iron cooking pots crafted using the traditional tegome method. The name, inspired by the local pronunciation of “muku,” meaning pure, symbolizes the authenticity of the craftsmanship. The pots are designed by a veteran artist who has been with the Oigen foundry for over 50 years.

Suzuki is now mentoring Seksuk Suebsai, a Thai craftsman who began learning the tegome technique upon moving to the area in 2023. Together with a small team, they produce the sand molds for Mugu pots. Priced between $337 and $374, Mugu pots are significantly more expensive than Oigen’s most costly machine-made pots, which are priced around $224. These exclusive pots can be purchased through the Mugu website or directly at Oigen’s factory shop.

“They are pure because they embody the essence of iron,” Oikawa explained. “By using the local pronunciation ‘mugu’ rather than ‘muku,’ I wanted to infuse the pots with the spirit of Iwate’s wilderness and climate. This name reflects the unique character and purity that come from our region.”