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産地復活願い郷里で再開＝「大堀相馬焼」窯元の近藤さん―東日本大震災１４年、福島・浪江町

「走り駒」と呼ばれる馬の絵や「青ひび」が特徴の大堀相馬焼＝２０２４年１１月１６日、福島県浪江町（写真／時事通信）

東京電力福島第１原発事故後、長らく立ち入りが制限された福島県浪江町で昨年、伝統工芸「大堀相馬焼」の窯元の一つが営業再開を果たした。「ここには夢と希望がある」。周囲はまだ大半が帰還困難区域のままだが、「陶吉郎窯」窯主の近藤学さん（７１）は、産地の復活に希望を燃やしている。

大堀相馬焼は、同町大堀地区で江戸時代から３００年以上続く焼き物の総称で、「走り駒」と言われる馬の絵が描かれていることやひび割れ模様などが特徴。

「もう、俺の代で（大堀地区に）戻るのは無理だな」。原発事故後、仮の住居と工房で操業を続け、避難指示解除を待った近藤さんは、７年が過ぎたころに一度は帰還を諦めた。同県いわき市に本格的な工房を構え、設備も整えて焼き物作りに専念したが、大堀地区のことが頭から離れることはなかった。

２０２３年３月、同地区の一部で避難指示が解除されると、近藤さんは、地区に戻ることを決断し、昨年６月に営業再開を果たした。ただ解除された地域は、わずかな範囲にとどまり、原発事故前は２０以上あった窯元のうち同地区に戻ったのは、近藤さん１人だった。

ただ生活拠点を移すのは難しく、毎日いわき市から通う二重生活を余儀なくされている近藤さん。大堀地区での営業再開を「無謀だった」と冗談まじりに話すが、帰還促進には公的支援の必要性を訴える。

担い手不足やデジタル化の進展など伝統工芸の継承に向け課題は多いが、「夢と希望はこっち（大堀地区）の方がある」と前を向く。産地再興を目指し、窯元養成や人を呼び込むさまざまな企画に取り組んでいる。最近では首都圏からの来客も増えているという。近藤さんは「もう復興したと思っている人もいるがまだまだ。大堀地区や相馬焼のことを忘れないでほしい」と力を込めた。
（２０２５年３月３日　時事通信配信）

◎大堀相馬焼とは
大堀相馬焼は福島県浪江町の大堀地区で江戸時代から３００年以上続く焼き物の総称。「走り駒」と言われる馬の絵が描かれていることや、「青ひび」と呼ばれるひび割れ模様などが特徴だ。１９７８年に国の伝統的工芸品に指定された。２０１１年の東日本大震災では、工房や窯が被害にあっただけではなく、東京電力福島第１原発事故の影響で町自体への立ち入りが長く制限されていた。

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【English version】

Kondo-san, the potter of ‘Ohori Soma Pottery’, reopens in his hometown in the hope of reviving the production area - 14 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Namie-cho, Fukushima.

Ohori Soma Ware, characterised by the painting of horses called ‘running horses’ and ‘blue cracks’, 16 November 2024, Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
(Photo / Jiji Press)

One of the potteries of the traditional craft Ohori Soma-yaki reopened for business last year in Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture, where access was restricted for a long time after the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. The town has dreams and hopes for the future. Most of the surrounding area is still in the difficult-to-return zone, but Manabu Kondo, 71, the owner of Tokichiro Kiln, is burning with hope for the revival of the production area.

Ohori Soma-yaki is a general term for pottery that has been produced in the Ohori area of the town for more than 300 years since the Edo period, and is characterised by its paintings of horses known as ‘running horses’ and cracked patterns.

The town's residents say that it is impossible for them to return to the Ohori area in my generation. After the nuclear accident, Mr Kondo continued to operate from his temporary residence and workshop and waited for the evacuation order to be lifted, but once seven years had passed he gave up on the idea of returning. He set up a full-fledged workshop in Iwaki City in the same prefecture, equipped it with equipment and concentrated on making pottery, but the Ohori area never left his mind.

When the evacuation order was lifted in parts of the area in March 2023, Mr Kondo decided to return to the area and reopened his business in June last year. However, the area where the evacuation order was lifted was only a small area, and Mr Kondo was the only one to return to the district out of more than 20 kilns in the area before the nuclear accident.

However, it is difficult to move his living base, and Mr Kondo is forced to lead a double life, commuting from Iwaki City every day. He jokingly refers to the reopening of his business in the Ohori area as ‘reckless’, but stresses the need for public support to encourage people to return.

There are many challenges to the continuation of traditional crafts, such as the lack of bearers and the progress of digitalisation, but he looks forward to the future, saying, ‘There are more dreams and hopes here [in the Ohori area]. With the aim of reviving the production area, they are working on various projects to train potters and attract people to the area. Recently, the number of visitors from the Tokyo metropolitan area has been increasing. Mr Kondo says: ‘Some people think the area has already recovered, but there is still a long way to go. I want people to remember the Ohori area and Soma pottery’.
(Jiji Press, 3 Mar 2025)

What is Ohori Soma pottery?
Ohori Soma-yaki is the general name for pottery that has been produced in the Ohori area of Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, for more than 300 years since the Edo period. The pottery is characterised by its paintings of horses known as ‘running horses’ and a cracked pattern known as ‘blue cracks’, etc. It was designated as a traditional national craft in 1978, but the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake not only damaged the workshops and kilns, but also restricted access to the town itself for a long time due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Restrictions were placed on access to the town itself.