Lacquerware, Japanese paper, pottery, cutlery, chest of drawers... Fukui Prefecture has been known for producing high-quality traditional crafts since ancient times. All of these items bearing the name ``Echizen'' are made by hand by craftsmen who put their heart and soul into them. We visited the Kawada district of Sabae City, the production area of Echizen lacquerware, where painstaking manual labor has been accumulated over a long period of time.
Made possible by skilled craftsmanship
Accurate carving of wooden bowl wood
A wooden planer touches a wooden bowl attached to a woodworking potter's wheel that rotates at high speed. The shavings fly away, and the bare wood is quickly carved away, taking the shape of a bowl with beautiful curves. I'm sure that if the amount of force is slightly off, or if the edge of the blade shifts, the curve will become distorted. The person who is silently working on the potter's wheel is a craftsman doing the rough grinding. Wooden bowls of the same size are precisely carved out one after another. "I've been doing it for 50 years." The extraordinary time of half a century is narrated in a straightforward manner.


The delicate angle of the cutting edge and the exquisite amount of force. The beautiful curves of the bowl can only be created by skilled craftsmanship.
10A brush specifically designed for lacquer that has been used for years
The story of the lacquer artist's house
In this Kawada area, ``Shirindo'' is known as a home for lacquer artists that has been in business for over 200 years. Mr. Toru Uchida, who is the 8th generation successor of the company, showed us his special brush for lacquer. Several brushes are used depending on the painting process and the area to be painted, and one brush is carefully used for about 1 years. The bristles used in the brushes are human hair, and they are very expensive, costing tens of thousands of yen each. ``There are dozens of these brushes in the workshop, tailored to different purposes.Every time I look at the brushes, I feel the history and weight of the family business.''Uchida, himself a painter, sits in his workshop with a brush in his hand. .


"The handle of the brush is made up of two plates with human hair sandwiched between them. When the ends of the bristles become short, the handle is shaved down a little, and the hair that was pinched is brought out for continued use." said Mr. Uchida.
The silence itself. “Painting” workshop
feeling of tension
In one section of the ``Shikurindo'' workshop, undercoating was being done. The biggest enemy of lacquer is dust. Dust that adheres to lacquer that has not dried turns into dirt. To avoid this, the work space is extremely small, surrounded by vinyl sheets. The back view of the craftsman conveys a sense of tension.


Work is carried out with the surrounding area covered with vinyl sheets to prevent dust from entering as much as possible.
Restoration of old lacquerware
Kintsugi for ceramics that takes advantage of the characteristics of lacquer
Once finished, the finished product undergoes strict inspection, and if even the slightest scratch or uneven coating is found, it is sent for repair. In addition to restoring old lacquerware, Shirindo also actively repairs damaged ceramics using the kintsugi technique, which takes advantage of the characteristics of lacquer. The common practice of continuing to use things with care was a common practice in the hometown of Echizen lacquerware.


Even the smallest air bubbles that form on the bottom of the bowl are removed using sandpaper.
While valuing our 1500 year history,
Toward new development into a “manufacturing town”
According to legend, Echizen lacquerware began about 1500 years ago when an Echizen lacquer artist restored the crown of a prince who later became the emperor and presented it with a black bowl, receiving encouragement from the imperial family. It is said that the area developed as a lacquerware production area. From the Edo period onward, the techniques of maki-e and chinkin were introduced, and a wide variety of products began to be produced, including not only bowls, which had been the mainstay until then, but also jubako, trays, confectionery boxes, and flower vases.
In the Showa era, a mass production system was put in place, and the area developed into a major producer of lacquerware for commercial use such as inns, accounting for an 8% to 9% share of the country. On the other hand, however, the demand for lacquerware itself has decreased in recent years, and the number of people engaged in the lacquerware industry in the Kawada area has decreased significantly compared to its peak. In response to this current situation, initiatives aimed at creating a new ``manufacturing city'' are being actively undertaken, such as the ``Fukui Immigration EXPO'' campaign aimed at young people across the country who aspire to create things, such as craftsmen and designers. .


At the Urushi no Sato Kaikan, which was reopened in 17, you can get a variety of information about Echizen lacquerware, including exhibits and sales of Echizen lacquerware, demonstrations of lacquer production by traditional craftsmen, and workshops.
Founded by a long-established store that has been in business for 200 years
A new brand unique to Hokuriku
Shirindo is also taking on new challenges. One of the new brands launched by the 8th generation, Toru Uchida, is "RIN & CO." The origin of the brand name is a combination of the initials of ``Reason In Northland'', which is the English word for ``the reason why we live in the Northland'', and ``Companion'', which means ``companion or friend''. It features a sharp form and modern coloring such as pink, blue, and green. ``Echizen lacquerware is a piece of ware that only needs to be used.``RIN&CO.'' is lacquerware that fits well in everyday life. It's durable, so you can put it in the dishwasher," says Uchida.


"Rin & Co." series by "Shikurindo" and traditional bowls. Even though the approach has changed, traditional techniques have been passed on steadily.
premium chocolate brands
High technology of Echizen lacquerware recognized by “Godiva”
At the end of 2021, Fukui Prefecture collaborated with Godiva, a Belgian premium chocolate brand, to create crafts using Echizen lacquerware techniques. In Belgium, the culture of storing chocolate in small boxes called ``ballotins'' has taken root. This barotin was made in Fukui Prefecture.
The work was done by Yamaka Shoten, a company that produces lacquerware fabrics in Echizen City. The surface of the adorable small box is covered in light blue, which is the key color of Godiva Cafe, which operates nationwide. The Godiva logo stands out elegantly in a gentle and calm blue color. This collaboration was made possible by the technique used to create these subtle hues. It is no exaggeration to say that the world has recognized the advanced technology of Echizen lacquerware.


``Barotan'' (left), made possible by Echizen lacquerware technology, is now available at all Godiva Cafe stores for a limited price of 3,850 yen along with two chocolates of your choice. The flat plate filled with chocolate and the traditional design ``Sun Moon Bowl'' are both lacquerware from ``Shikurindo''.
My feelings towards “Fukui” that I have always held,
Encounter with traditional techniques that have been passed down
One of the factors that led to the collaboration between Godiva and Fukui Prefecture was the encounter between Mr. Jerome Schuchan, president of Godiva Japan, and Fukui Prefecture. That happened about 40 years ago, when Shushan was still a student. He was interested in Zen, and when he visited Japan, he decided to hitchhike to Eiheiji Temple, a sacred place for Zen, and he carried a placard with the word "Fukui" written on it, which was the first Japanese word he learned, and made it safely. I was able to reach my destination. The kindness and modesty of the people he met at that time left an unforgettable impression in his memory, and that impression led to the message advertisement of "Godiva Japan" titled "Land of Civility" released in 2020. is.
The passion for Fukui expressed in this message advertisement led to the birth of a unique collaboration between Godiva and Fukui Prefecture. 40 years and 1500 years. When the long-held feelings and the techniques that have been passed on come together, new possibilities were born for traditional crafts.


Mr. Shushan visits Okamoto Otaki Shrine in Echizen City, known as the God of Paper. To realize this collaboration,He has been to Fukui several times.As I visited there, my feelings for Fukui grew deeper.
Echizen lacquerware is undergoing various efforts with the aim of becoming a next-generation traditional craft. In fact, this movement is not limited to Echizen lacquerware. Fukui's products include Echizen Washi, whose high quality was recognized by NASA and used as material for spacesuits, Echizen cutlery, which is favored by three-star chefs around the world, and Echizen ware, which has achieved a thickness of less than 1 mm, which is the limit for pottery. Each traditional craft is showing new developments. Products that combine different industries are also being developed, such as Echizen lacquerware and Echizen washi paper, and Echizen lacquerware and Echizen ware. Taking advantage of the geographical advantage of being sandwiched between Kyoto and Kanazawa, long-established major consumption areas, the craftsmanship that countless nameless people have continued to pass on and the many challenges created by innovative ideas. There is no doubt that Fukui's traditional crafts will undergo new developments in the near future.
Photography by Junko Ueda
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