The Enomoto family home near Koshoji Temple in Sakahama houses earthenware called “Tamagawa ware” fired in this area in the late-Edo period. The Enomoto family had engaged in agriculture in Sakahama Village for generation after generation, but from the time of the 1st generation Rihei (from the Genroku era), it began firing earthen teapots, earthenware mortars, and other miscellaneous vessels using the clay from nearby during the leisure season. It had the shop name of Dobinya for these articles. The 4th generation Rihei went to Seto and Kyoto to train in ceramics before returning to Sakahama Village in 1834 after learning the ceramic techniques of those regions to begin making ceramics at Inagi. Rihei would go on to start making Tamagawa ware with the Tamain as its trademark and succeed in business. He used the names of Enomoto Shisui and Chofu Kenshisui.
According to a block print advertisement for Tamagawa ware that remains in the Enomoto family home, clay from around Omaru Kawaragayato was fired, and the “Tama” engraving (representing Tama County) from the tiles of Kokubunji were used as the trademark. Also, it is stated that there were many counterfeit Tamagawa ware items in circulation at the time, and those from the Enomoto family were the originals. The advertisement contains a map with directions to the Enomoto family home.
Although Enomoto Shisui passed away in 1865, his son also used the same name of Enomoto Shisui, and it is believed that Tamagawa ware itself was in circulation until around the mid-Meiji era. However, most of the works from the Meiji era are imitations of ceramics from various countries, and it it said that the works of the 1st generation Shisui were superior.
