Seigado was founded in 1945 by Nishikata's grandfather, Nishikata Minoru, and is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The workshop has passed through three generations: his grandfather, his father, and now Nishikata Ryota. Driven by a personal desire to create, Ryota studied at Nagaoka Institute of Design, where he explored a wide range of materials and techniques. Among the three main metalworking techniques, casting, engraving, and forging, he was particularly drawn to forging, which allows for great freedom and complexity by combining hammering, welding, and mechanical tools. His education and exposure to various forms of forging convinced him that he could develop new possibilities for tsuiki copperware, motivating him to continue to graduate school while preparing to inherit the family workshop.

Ryota Nishikata's skill stems not only from being born into the Seigado tsuiki copperware family but also from his immense passion and genuine interest. While exploring various materials during his student years, he ultimately found his calling in metalwork. In interviews, Nishikata speaks of his fascination with the Möbius strip as an art concept—a form with no distinguishable inside or outside. "A shallow vessel appears to have the inside as its primary face, with the outside barely visible. As the vessel becomes deeper, the outside becomes more prominent. I found that fascinating," he reflects.

He was particularly drawn to the freedom offered by shaping and forming metal, and this fascination continues to inspire his ambitious creative work. He has even produced an art piece titled "Möbius—Connection and Repetition." It was perhaps inevitable rather than coincidental that his exhibition work caught the eye of renowned tsuiki copperware master Ueno Yoshiro, under whom he later apprenticed.

Creating mimikuchi-uchidashi yuwakashi, which demands extraordinary time and effort, holds special significance for Nishikata beyond producing more accessible tea and sake vessels. These kettles represent iconic masterpieces in his career and a profound challenge as Japan's sole inheritor of this technique.

The process involves repeatedly hammering and fine-tuning copper sheets, yet even after extensive work, he often discovers ways to further improve his creations. The beautiful patina of the metal is also affected by temperature and humidity, with optimal conditions occurring during certain seasons. His pursuit of excellence is much like tsuiki copperware itself—achievable only through valuable repetition. Just as his enduring works find their rightful place over time, this craft reaches its destination through patience and persistence.