The Nakagawa family initially were body armor craftspeople in Echigo Province but the first Yojuro NAKAGAWA who made tea utensils for the first time in the family history assumed the name of Shoeki which was passed down to subsequent generations of men that headed the Nakagawa family as Joeki.
元々は越後国で甲冑・鎧を作っていたが、茶道具を初めて手掛けた初代・中川與十郎が紹益を名乗り、二代目浄益以降の当主は浄益という名を継いでいる。