Yasutomo Suzuri Grinding Stone. A man-made inkstone with a well to hold water and a flat surface on which to grind the sumi stick. After use, clean thoroughly with water, since dried sumi on the grinding surface is hard to remove and will later interfere with making sumi ink.
The second most renowned is the She ink stone, with a bluish-black color. The She stone is both harder and smoother than the Duan ink stone, but it also produces a very good ink stone. In Japan the Akama is highly regarded. It is a black or reddish-black ink stone, quite hard but smooth enough to produce excellent ink. YyTX7.