About Ogatsu inkstones

The production of Ogatsu inkstones was already started in the Muromachi period (1336-1573). According to the anecdote, in the early Edo period (1603-1868), Ogatsu inkstones were gifted to the first feudal lord of Sendai domain, Date Masamune, who visited the Oshika Peninsula for deer hunting. He praised them and gave a reward in return. The second feudal lord, Tadamura was fascinated by their beauty. He employed artisans to make inkstones only for his family and prohibited unauthorized quarries.
●Designated as a Traditional Craft of Japan in 1985