Sōma clan
The production of Ōborisōma ware began during the Genroku era (1688-1704) when suitable clays were found in what is now the town of Namie, Fukushima, which was used to make everyday utility items. Although the pottery came to the attention of the daimyō of Sōma Nakamura Domain, who encouraged production and lent the Sōma clan crest to choice examples, the pottery remained largely for common usage, and by the end of the Edo period there were over 100 kilns in the area. However, production rapidly declined after the Meiji restoration with the industrialisation of Japan and the increasing prevalence of mass produced pottery for everyday use. Production was only revived after the end of World War II and in 1978, Ōborisōma ware was designated as one of the national objects of traditional craftsmanship.