Akio Yonehara of Kajiya Gama was born in 1974. After graduating from university, he trained at Shodaiyaki Fumotogama in Kumamoto, and then in 2015 he set up his own studio in Kamotocho, a rural area of Yamaga City, Kumamoto. He works hard every day to create pottery using locally harvested clay and glazes, and to bring warm tableware to the dining table.