Wajima-nuri is one of the well-known traditional Japanese craft of Urushi lacquer ware in Wajima City on the Noto Peninsula.
Wajima-nuri is made by applying Urushi lacquer over and over with a unique process and decorated with Chinkin and Maki-e.
It can take up to a year to complete a single bowl as it involves over 100 processes.
Due to this special process, the coating is extremely robust.
Urushi lacquer contains a trace amount of water, it is very smooth to the palate or tongue.
Support Traditional Japanese Culture / Crafts
Wajima Nuri
Urushi
Urushi is made from the sap extracted from the Urushi tree and used as a paint and adhesive. Urushiol, the main component of the sap, oxidizes and hardens, making it highly resistant to acids, alkalis, and alcohol.
It is extremely durable, water-resistant, heat-insulating, and antiseptic, and even today, no synthetic paint has been developed that can match lacquer. Its history is long, and fragments of lacquer dating back about 12,000 years have been found at Jomon-era ruins.
Chinkin | Maki-e
Chinkin is a process of hand-engraving and fixing gold or colored metal powder on a lacquered surface. Chinkin has a wide range of expressive power and can be made to look like a painting.
Maki-e is a technique in which a picture is drawn with a brush using Urushi lacquer and gold powder is sprinkled on top to fix the picture.
While Chinkin lacquerware has a lively and three-dimensional effect, Makie lacquerware has a graceful and elegant finish.
These are extremely delicate and advanced techniques, which have been sublimated into a great traditional Japanese craft form through years of trial and error and continuous efforts by our predecessors and handed down to the present day.
Wajima-nuri is excellent crafts that combine solidity and elegance.
Charity Collaboration Project
Earthquake
On January 1, 2024, Japan’s Noto Peninsula was devastated by an earthquake. Even today, reconstruction has not progressed, and many collapsed houses are still standing.
Volunteers are working to restore the area, but there is not enough manpower, and many of the affected people are forced to live in evacuation centers or temporary housing.
The Noto Peninsula is also an important region in the history of Japan, and is home to the famous traditional craft of Wajima-nuri.
Wajima-nuri Urushi lacquerware atelier were also devastated by the earthquake. The atelier collapsed, leaving almost no place for craftsmen to work and no place for young people to learn.
Save The Traditional Craft
If no one does anything, Wajima-nuri will continue to decline.
What I can do is small, but I have decided to use my knowledge of traditional Japanese tattooing to produce Wajima lacquerware in collaboration with Wajima Kobo Nagaya as part of the reconstruction efforts.
I will draw a design using a traditional Japanese tattoo motifs and compositions for the decoration of the lacquerware, and a Wajima-nuri craftsman will finish it using traditional techniques. We planning to produce a concept model of Wajima lacquerware, which will be filled with all Wajima-nuri’s techniques.
The combination of traditional Japanese tattoo designs into Wajima-nuri that I have cultivated through my career is incorporated , a fusion of different traditional Japanese craft that has never existed before.
Communicating to the World
The Japanese are by nature blessed with craftsmanship and other manufacturing talents, but they lack the ability to advertise and brand their products. They spend a tremendous amount of time to create one great craft, such as Wajima-nuri, but the compensation for their work is too low.
I will use my connections, experience, and knowledge to promote the jointly produced work domestically and internationally, to let more people know how good Wajima-nuri is, and to raise awareness through my activities so that young Japanese people will want to study and work with Wajima-nuri as much as possible.
All proceeds from this project will be donated to Wajima Kobo Nagaya.
A joint production is currently underway with Wajima Nuri-Koubou
I will announce on here and social medias when the products is ready.
Wajima Kobo Nagaya
4-66-1bKawai-cho, Wajima-shi, Ishikawa, Japan 928-0001
*Wednesday closed
e-mail: nagaya@ringisland.jp
List Of Traditional Japanese Craft Store And Restaurants
Yanaka Shisen Koubou
This traditional Japanese craft store offers a variety of handmade incense, using only natural ingredients. They have special incense that purifies evil spirits, which is wholesaled to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, portable incense that rid off negative energy for use on the road, incense to enjoy pure fragrance, and more. All of them are elegant and calming scents.
http://shisenkobo.co.jp/index.html
Narita Main Store
320, Tada-machi, Narita-shi, Chiba, Japan 286-0024
TEL: 0476-22-5552
Business hours: 10:00-17:00 (Closed on Wednesdays)
Tokyo branch store
5-2-28 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan 110-0001
tel: 03-3823-1771
Business hours: 10:00-17:00
Handling goods: Incense, Incense sticks, Incense burners, Incense holders, Fragrance accessories, Prayer beads, etc.
Fukazen Art
The store offers hanging Kakejiku(scroll) mounting and framing services for paintings, and sells hanging scrolls, paintings, and frames.
Kakejiku(hanging scrolls) are the most suitable for representing NIhon-ga(Japanese paintings).And it is a traditional Japanese craft that gives elegance and a sense of unity to a Japanese room.
Established in 1738
https://www.kawagoe.com/fukazen/english/
7-4, Saiwaichou, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama, 350-0063, Japan
Phone 049-222-1339
Facsimile 049-225-6654
Business hours 9:30 – 18:00
Regular holiday Wednesday, second and forth Tuesday
E-Mail fukazen@sainet.or.jp
Soba Kappou Yusho
This restaurant serves mainly traditional Japanese Soba noodle and dishes such as Tenpura and grilled Nodoguro fish with high quality.
The luxurious set meal, limited to 10 servings a day, is available for 1,000 yen, but it sells out quickly, so it is recommended to go right after the restaurant opens.
2-7 Ashiyama-cho, Sakado City, Saitama,Japan
Room 102 Tanaka Bldg.
TEL: 049-277-5572
Business Hours
Lunch 11:00 ~ 14:00 (order stop)
Evening 17:00 ~ 21:00 (order stop)
Closed: Monday
Parking: 7 cars available
More stores will be added