Traditional craft
Aizu Nuri
会津塗
Lacquerware from the Aizu region of Fukushima, with lucky designs and many decorative finishes, built into an industry by craftsmen from Omi.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 10 May 1975
- Type
- Lacquerware
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 会津塗
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 会津若松市、喜多方市、南会津郡南会津町、耶麻郡西会津町、北塩原村、大沼郡会津美里町
Lucky motifs, many finishes
Aizu Nuri is loved for auspicious designs that suit Japanese taste and for its wide range of decoration. Look for:
- Tetsu-sabi-nuri: subdued patterns drawn in rust-coloured sabi lacquer.
- Kin-mushikui-nuri: rice husks sprinkled on the lacquer to make a 'worm-eaten' gold pattern.
- Kijiro-nuri: clear lacquer that shows off beautiful wood grain.
It is made in Aizuwakamatsu, Kitakata and other towns of the Aizu region in Fukushima, as bowls, stacked boxes, tea saucers and trays.
Teams of specialists
Work is divided into wood base, foundation, top coat and decoration, and also by product type, round pieces or flat boards, with a specialist for each.
Omi craftsmen come north
In the Muromachi period a powerful local family encouraged the planting of lacquer trees. In the Azuchi-Momoyama period, a warlord from Omi (today's Shiga) took over Aizu, brought lacquer craftsmen from Omi and spread their methods, and Aizu lacquer quickly became an industry. Maki-e came from Kyoto, and by the mid-Edo period Aizu even tried exporting abroad with the shogunate's permission. Shaken by the Meiji Restoration, it recovered and reached its peak.
Good to know
- Kin-mushikui-nuri is a fun pattern to look for: the gold 'worm holes' are made with rice husks.
- Pair Aizu lacquer with Aizu Hongo Yaki on a trip around Aizu.
Questions travellers ask
What is kin-mushikui-nuri?
A finish where rice husks scattered on lacquer leave a gold, worm-eaten-looking pattern.
Who built up Aizu lacquer?
A warlord from Omi who took over Aizu in the late 16th century and brought Omi lacquer craftsmen.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.