The Suya family had a vinegar shop since several generation. At that period demand for ceramic was quite high and in 1861 Kuhei decided to start pottery business and established a kiln in Komatsu. But the activity was not so good and he was obliged to close it down. In 1865 he decided to sell ceramics from Hizen and Owari. In 1877 in order to increase his turn-over he started to sell also Kutani ceramics. In 1800 he try to get a share of the export market, for this he organized in Komatsu an exposition and took this opportunity to manufacture jointly with Matsumoto Sahei and Ishida Heizo ceramics of good quality with a view to sell ceramics to the foreign trading companies which had been established recently in Kobe. In 1882 following a recommendation from Noto Kaijiro he promoted an alliance of the pottery industry. In 1883 he moved to Kobe and opened a shop for the export of Kutani wares and also to promote ceramics to the foreign trading companies from Kobe. His son developed the business quite well. He died in 1904, he was 70 years old.