Kaoru Horio, Employee of Proterial Yasugi, Ltd., Appointed Murage of Nittoho Tatara Steelmaking
Proterial, Ltd.
On July 18, 2024, Kaoru Horio, an employee of Proterial Yasugi, Ltd. (Headquarters: Yasugi-shi, Shimane; CEO: Ichiro Kishigami; 100% owned by Proterial, Ltd.), was appointed murage (master) of Nittoho Tatara steelmaking by the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords.
Proterial, Ltd., has been supporting Tatara steelmaking by the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, or Nittoho, since 1977 (as Hitachi Metals, Ltd., at the time). Through this support, we are aiming to pass on the techniques and culture of Tatara steelmaking, which is the basis of the current method adopted by the main plant of Proterial, Ltd., Yasugi Works. On July 18, 2024, Kaoru Horio from Proterial Yasugi, Ltd. was appointed Nittoho Tatara murage.
Kaoru Horio joined YSS Service, Ltd. (now Proterial Yasugi, Ltd.) in 1989. In 1993, he started working at the company’s Torikami charcoal pig-iron making factory, also known as the site of Nittoho Tatara steelmaking, and there he started his Nittoho Tatara practical training. Horio trained under the late Akira Kihara, a former murage, and has been engaged in Tatara steelmaking ever since. Horio became an acting murage in 2014, and went on to devote himself to acquiring knowledge and experience of Tatara steelmaking. Now, he has been appointed murage by Nittoho. He will also be recognized as a holder of a Selected Conservation Technique, tamahagane production (tatara-buki), by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Given the fact that Kaoru Horio has become a Nittoho Tatara murage, Proterial, Ltd. wishes to support the succession of Tatara techniques and culture more than ever.
Comment from Kaoru Horio
“I am honored to have been appointed murage of Nittoho Tatara, with their long history of steelmaking. Even though I feel I still have a long way to go in terms of technique, I will diligently work to fulfill my responsibilities as a murage, trying to reach a level equivalent to my predecessors, including the late Mr. Kihara, my mentor and former murage. In Tatara steelmaking, a murage is required to have a wide range of skills, such as the abilities to examine raw materials and ensure material procurement. A murage’s steelmaking skills determine the quality of Tamahagane. As a Nittoho Tatara murage, I will work to develop my energy, stamina, and most importantly, mental strength to fulfill my duties, and continue to pass on our traditional techniques in cooperation with the murage trainees.”
What is Tatara?
Tatara is an ancient Japanese steelmaking method. It is used to produce tamahagane steel—a material essential to Japanese swords—out of iron sand and charcoal. In accordance with the Act on Protection of Cultural Properties, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has designated tamahagane production, also known as tatara-buki, as a Selected Conservation Technique (a skill identified as requiring conservation measures, among all those subject to conservation as cultural properties).
Yasugi Works’ current method to produce Yasugi Specialty Steel was derived from this traditional Tatara method. The techniques and spirit of Tatara steelmaking have been developed and succeeded into the production of Yasugi Specialty Steel.
Nittoho Tatara has been promoted under the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords.