Tamba Lacquer
8/1/2023 mountain life
｜Fukuchiyama City, Yakuno Village
Lacquer has been used in people's daily lives in Japan since the Jomon period. One of the few places in Japan where lacquer is still produced is in the village of Yakuno, in Fukuchiyama City. Yakuno lacquer, called "Tamba urushi," is produced by only a few lacquer professionals, and the technique is designated as an intangible folk cultural asset by Kyoto Prefecture. While domestic lacquer production areas are declining due to the increase of cheap foreign lacquer and the development of synthetic paints, a group called Tamba Urushi, a non-profit organization of lacquer professionals, are planting lacquer trees and training successors to keep this heritage art alive.
｜Over a 1300-year history
The "Practical Lacquer Work" published in 1907, which describes lacquer techniques and production areas, lists 30 lacquer production areas throughout Japan, one of them being Tamba. At the time, Tamba referred to the area around Yakuno, and good quality lacquer from the nearby Yura River basin was referred to as Tamba lacquer. Even further back in history, a book written in the Nara period (710-794) mentions that Tamba lacquer was vauable enough to be paid as a tax to the Imperial Court. This reference means that lacquer has been produced in this area for over 1,300 years. Tamba lacquer was so carefully protected that in the Edo period, the Fukuchiyama Clan's policy for growth mandated the cultivation of lacquer trees, and by the Meiji period, there were approximately 500 lacquer professionals in Yakuno and surrounding area.
｜NPO and the future of urushi
Lacquer scraping process. The rough bark of the poison oak is peeled off (top photo), the trunk is scratched (middle photo), and the flowing sap is scooped out with a spatula.
As the domestic lacquer industry declined due to the increase in imports of inexpensive Chinese lacquer, which accounts for 98% of the lacquer used in Japan, the number of lacquer professionals in Yakuno almost ceased to exist for a period of time. In 1948, Mr. Korokawa established the "Tamba Lacquer Production Association" and laid the foundation for today's Tamba lacquer, including the cultivation and planting of seedlings.
His skills were passed down to colleagues, and in April 2012, Yoshiaki Okamoto, who was one of these artisans, established the NPO Tamba Lacquer. The three pillars of the organization's activities are planting lacquer trees, training successors in the future of lacquer cultivation and production, and promoting Tamba Lacquer.
｜Managing Supply
Only 200 grams of lacquer can be extracted from each tree, and the must be 10-15 years old for this.
Lacquer is the sap extracted from the lacquer tree, and is used as a paint and adhesive for lacquerware, Buddhist ritual utensils, shrines, and temples. Lacquer has the ability to harden as it is exposed to the air, making it a very durable coating for all kinds of things. Lacquer cultivation takes place in Yakuno from early June to the end of September. The rough bark of the lacquer tree is peeled off with a peeler and the trunk is cut with a knife called a "kanna," from which milky white sap flows out. This is quickly scooped out with a spatula and placed in a tube. To reduce the stress on the trees, professionals start by making 1-centimeter cuts and then increase the length of the cuts by several centimeters over time. This is done, on average, once every five days, and each tree is cut 25 times.
Lacquer’s properties differ slightly depending on when its harvested, and harvests are separated into three categories, early lacquer, peak lacquer, and late lacquer. Early and late lacquer have high water content, while peak lacquer has relatively low water content and a high content of urushiol, the main component of lacquer. Tamba lacquer is characterized by its high transparency and good extensibility when applied.
Freshly collected sap contains bark and debris and is called "arami urushi" (rough lacquer), which is mixed with cotton and filtered through a centrifuge to become "kiurushi" (raw lacquer). The raw lacquer needs to be refined before it can be used as paint. During the process, raw lacquer is stirred to homogenize the ingredients, the lacquer is heated while stirring to evaporate the water, and then filtered, during which time cotton is added to the finished lacquer to remove impurities and then stirred and strained through a centrifuge to produce a clear lacquer. Black or red lacquerware are two of the most populr colors. When iron powder is added to raw lacquer and reacts with it, the lacquer is called "black lacquer." When pigments are added, it becomes colored lacquer.
｜Passing down the heritage
NPO president Takahashi-san
Kosuke Yamauchi moved to Yakuno after learning about Tamba lacquer activities and became a lacquer craftsman. She coordinates the entire NPO's activities, including planting lacquer trees and managing the number of trees to preserve the native species.
Currently, the NPO is planting a target of 100 trees per year, but the trees sometimes suffer damage from deer. So far, 1,900 trees have been planted, but only about 1,300 are growing well, Yamauchi said, "Lacquer scraping cannot be done without resources so our first priority must be to stabilize planting.”
Another issue is the training of people who will carry on the trade. Ms. Takahashi is grateful to other members who have supported the lacquer tade and other members, such as Mr. Yamauchi who was asked for comment, feel passionate about contributing to the NPO's activities so that the tradition of lacquer scraping won’t disappear from Yakuno.
Yakuno Wood and Lacquer Museum
The Yakuno Wood and Lacquer Museum, operated by Fukuchiyama City, is located near the roadside station, "Noshounosato Yakuno" in Yakuno, and sells lacquerware and other lacquer products, as well as offering a lacquer painting experience.
｜Keeping the industry alive
In the museum's reference room, visitors can learn about the tools and techniques of lacquer scraping and the process of lacquering, as well as learn about Mr. Korikawa, who revived Tamba lacquer. There is also a store selling lacquered products such as chopsticks, spoons, bowls, plates, and lunch boxes manufactured by the facility's staff, who are also lacquer craftsmen. In recent years, they have been working on a project to develop new products using Tamba lacquer, including brooches, earrings, bracelets, and other accessories. There are also dyed products using a liquid made by boiling chips from the core of lacquer trees. Stoles, coasters, tote bags, and other dyed items are available for sale.
tools used for lacquer production (top) lacquer products on sale and display (bottom)
Lacquerware Experience
Learn how to apply lacquer with a professional
Various lacquer painting experiences are also available.
Maki-e (lacquer painting) and kintsugi (metal-joining) classes are offered twice a month for a fee of 3,850 yen each. The maki-e class can be attended several times to create gorgeous works of art, and the kintsugi class can be taken at your own pace over a number of sessions.
In addition to the Painting Class (830 yen for adults, not including the cost of the vessel), where patterns are applied to the vessel using colored lacquer, the maki-e and kintsugi classes are also available in courses that can be completed in one session, and are recommended for those who want an easy hands-on experiences. Ms. Manami Takashima of the facility says, "Less and less people are familiar with lacquer. We hope that people will come and learn about the tradition first hand to understand and experience its quality and value.”