1822 (Bunsei 5) – 1877 (Meiji 10)
Born as the third son of Shimizu Gen'emon, the village headman of Koga Village in the Otagi District of Yamashiro Province. His childhood name was Tazaburō, later changed to Zōroku, and he adopted the art name Sōkan.
At the age of 13, he became an apprentice to his uncle, the fourth-generation Waki Kitei, in Kyoto. By the age of 17, he was already firing celadon ware. In 1843 (Tenpō 14), he established his own kiln in Gojōzaka, Kyoto, and changed his name to Zōroku. Later, by order of the imperial prince of Myōhōin, he changed his surname to Mashimizu (真清水).
In 1864 (Genji 1), he created a full set of tea utensils for an offering to Emperor Kōmei. In recognition, he was granted the seal name “Sōkan” by tea master Gengensai of the Sen family.
While highly skilled in colored enamels, kinrande (gold-decorated porcelain), celadon, and blue-and-white ware, he was especially renowned for his matcha (powdered green tea) utensils