Kaishudo is an urushi lacquer studio based in Tottori, led by master artisan Iwao Hashiyada. Hashiyada comes from a long line of urushi masters in Aizu Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture — a region with deep urushi traditions. After inheriting the family business from his father, he opened Kaishudo in Tottori, the home of his wife. The "kai" (會) in Kaishudo, meaning "gathering," uses the old Japanese characters for Aizu Wakamatsu.
Urushi is Japanese lacquer derived from the sap of the urushi tree. The sap is refined in a highly specialized process and applied in layers to objects, usually wood, sometimes decorated with gold and other metallic powders in a technique called maki-e. Urushi has been used since the Jomon period for daily utensils and works of art. The warmth of wood and the softness of urushi against the hands and lips are an important part of Japanese dining, where bowls are often raised to the mouth when eating.
Urushi is Japanese lacquer derived from the sap of the urushi tree. The sap is refined in a highly specialized process and applied in layers to objects, usually wood, sometimes decorated with gold and other metallic powders in a technique called maki-e. Urushi has been used since the Jomon period for daily utensils and works of art. The warmth of wood and the softness of urushi against the hands and lips are an important part of Japanese dining, where bowls are often raised to the mouth when eating.
The crafting of urushi wares involves several specialized processes. Sap is collected by urushi-kaki craftsmen, who score the bark of trees to release the sap before it hardens, taking care to minimize harm to the tree. Wooden objects are shaped by woodworkers, and urushi is applied by the nushi in a process called nuruishi. Much of the nushi's work is preparing a perfect surface — grinding down irregularities with a handheld grindstone called a toishi, filling the wood grain, and then applying urushi layer by layer with careful sanding between coats.
Tottori Prefecture itself has a long history of urushi cultivation. Saji urushi was a source of revenue for the Tottori Domain during the Edo period. Though production declined in the late Showa era, the craft did not die out — descendants of urushi artisans are now replanting trees in Saji, and Hashiyada has joined them as part of the Saji Urushi Research Group. They currently have 200 urushi trees growing, each of which takes 10 years to yield sap.
Tottori Prefecture itself has a long history of urushi cultivation. Saji urushi was a source of revenue for the Tottori Domain during the Edo period. Though production declined in the late Showa era, the craft did not die out — descendants of urushi artisans are now replanting trees in Saji, and Hashiyada has joined them as part of the Saji Urushi Research Group. They currently have 200 urushi trees growing, each of which takes 10 years to yield sap.
