Nambu Tekki Yonezawa Fuji-shaped Tetsubin “Carp and Waves” Collection of Morioka Study Museum of Archeological Site

What Is Nambu Tekki?

Nambu Tekki is a traditional craft of cast ironwork, nurtured in present-day Iwate prefecture. Renowned for tetsubin (cast iron tea kettles) that have now become popular both in Japan and overseas, and for chagama, which are round pots used for tea ceremonies, Nambu Tekki is considered world-class craft and a pride of Iwate. In the old days, cast iron was used not only to make tea utensils, but also to create various tools for everyday life, from pots, pans and farming tools to large bells of Buddhist temples, and played an important role in people’s lives. The name “Nambu” comes from Nambu-han, the feudal clan that built a castle in Morioka and ruled the region in the early Edo period. Artisans from Kyoto were first invited by the Nambu clan to make chagama in the mid-17th century, which became the origin of Nambu Tekki.