Aizu Lacquerware, a Traditional Craft of Fukushima, Connecting Aizu Lacquerware and the Modern Age [Lacquer and Rock
- Fukushima
- Experience Gifu
What is Aizu lacquerware?
Lacquerware production took root in Aizu in earnest during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1600), when Ujisato Gamo, who became lord of Aizu on the orders of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, encouraged the craft of lacquerware as an industry. Ujisato invited woodworkers and lacquers from Hino (Shiga Prefecture), his former domain, and had them pass down the techniques of lacquer craftsmanship.
This led to the dramatic progress of Aizu lacquerware, which became a major production center that handled everything from the cultivation of lacquer and the production of wood and other materials to the creation of lacquerware through the division of labor.
Aizu lacquerware is made of wood from the surrounding mountains, such as horse chestnut, zelkova, and bamboos, and is finished with multiple coats of lacquer.
Young communicators working in Aizu
He then started his current company, and in 2015, he launched "Meguru," a line of lacquerware that fulfills a recycling-oriented way of life.
In pursuit of the comfortable texture and mouth feel of lacquerware and its gentle shape that makes you want to pick it up, she has been working as a "tactile advisor" and an attendant at "Dialogue in the Dark," a social entertainment program in the dark. We have invited blind people to participate in the development of our products as "tactile advisors".
The company's products include three sets of bowls (Horizontal and Nichigetsu) and a lacquer spoon (Meguru no spoon) modeled after the bowls used in Zen training, as well as flatware, sake cups, folding mats, and bowls with lids, etc. The company received the Good Design Award in 2015 and 2020, and the Wood Design Award in 2015.
Thoughts on Aizu Lacquer Ware
We spoke with Mr. Kainuma about the materials and manufacturing process of lacquerware and why he was attracted to Aizu lacquerware.
-What kind of existence did lacquer have for the Japanese people in the first place?
Lacquer" is the only type of tree that uses the Chinese character "sanzui" (sanzu) instead of the wooden part. The " " in the "tsukuri" part of the character for lacquer represents a scratch on the wood that causes a drip of juice to trickle out, which itself represents the scene of collecting lacquer solution. The sap of the lacquer tree has always been important to the people of Japan. The relationship between lacquer and the Japanese people dates back to the Jomon period (10,000 years ago).
-What is the appeal of lacquerware to Mr. Kainuma?
-What are the characteristics and appeal of Aizu lacquerware?
Aizu lacquerware has both elegance and refinement. The decoration is not overly glamorous, as is typical of a castle town in a snow country, and I feel that it reflects the temperament of the Aizu people.
Aizu lacquerware is also known as "hana-nuri," or "flower lacquering." After the final coat is applied, the lacquerware is left to dry. After that, it is not sharpened to a fine finish, so it has a matte and gentle texture. It is also a vessel that "grows on you" as you use it, with the luster gradually and naturally increasing.
-What attracted you to Aizu lacquerware in the first place?
At that time, I felt the "rock soul" of craftsmen who are faithful to their beliefs when I saw their dedication to their craftsmanship and their devotion to the materials they work with, without being influenced by the times.
-What was your passion for "Urushi and Rock"? Could you tell us about the projects and initiatives of "Urushi and Rock"?
Of course, making things and using things are the starting point of human beings, but the mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal type of manufacturing that has continued for the past hundred years is reaching its limits. What kind of craftsmanship should we aim for in this era of "surplus" products due to a decreasing population, rather than the "shortage" of products we have seen in the past?
The lacquerware industry has also been swallowed up by the wave of mass production, but I believe that we need to restore a recycling-oriented approach to manufacturing that coexists in harmony with nature. Lacquer has the power to do this.
Therefore, our "Meguru" lacquerware is produced in "the right amount and at the right speed," and we produce 1,000 bowls a year, only once a year, by reservation. The base of the bowls, horse chestnut, and the lacquer solution used for the top coat are purchased directly from lumberjacks and lacquer scrapers in Aizu and the Tohoku region, with a view to production several years in the future. We then have a three-month order period each winter, during which we make a batch of vessels for everyone who has made a reservation, from spring to fall. By making a large number of pieces, neither too many nor too few, in an appropriate amount of time and according to the optimum climate, we are able to effectively protect and utilize domestic materials, and our craftsmen are able to produce solid work with peace of mind, resulting in lacquer ware of reliable quality.
At the same time, we call the waiting period at Meguru "totsukitooka," and we inform customers of the production process (how their own vessels are growing) through seasonal newsletters and videos. The vessels that we receive in this way are repainted and repaired by young artisans in the production area, so that they can be used for generations to come. Furthermore, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the vessels will be donated to the planting of lacquer trees in Aizu. As the name "Meguru" suggests, we hope that these vessels will be nurtured in a good cycle that transcends generations, both for the materials, the makers, and the users.
-I understand that you are also involved in activities to plant lacquer trees.
-Finally, could you give a message to everyone?
It is said that people eat 80,000 times in their lifetime. What kind of lacquerware will you live with in the future?