Appi Urushi Studio is a lacquerware workshop located along the Appi River in Iwate Prefecture — a region historically known as Urushi Kaido (Lacquer Road) for its deep-rooted lacquer traditions dating back to the Edo period.

The Appi River valley supported a complete lacquerware ecosystem. Upstream, near the mountains, rokuroshi (woodworkers) crafted wooden utensils from high-quality beech and Japanese horse-chestnut. Downstream, urushikaki collected lacquer sap from June to October each year. In Araya-shinmachi, located midstream, nushi applied this precious lacquer to give the final finish. Because the lacquerware was originally produced in the Araya-shinmachi region — where Appi Urushi Studio is located today — it was historically called Arasawa lacquerware. The town once prospered as a connecting point between Morioka and Odate, Akita.

As post-war lifestyles shifted, demand for lacquerware declined and Arasawa lacquerware disappeared for a time. To revive the craft, the Ashiro Urushi Technical Research Center was founded in 1983 with a focus on apprentice training. Over the past 40 years, the center has trained more than 70 artisans in the Appi Urushi technique, who now work across Japan. In 1999, Appi Urushi Studio emerged as a hub for the artisans still active in the local Iwate region — a center for activities, production, and sales of Appi Urushi.

Though logging is no longer practiced in the nearby mountains, Appi Urushi Studio remains committed to using domestic timber like Japanese cherry birch, horse-chestnut, and zelkova, producing lacquerware that is durable and resistant to cracks. Light, soft to touch, and capable of moderating temperature, lacquerware has historically been carried by Appi River farming families — for example on small plates called kobiru-zara, used for pickles and rice balls in the fields. Through field research, the studio continues to create lacquerware that is affordable, practical, and integrated into everyday life.