Kawajiri Fude

Quality over quantity

Kawajiri brushes use neri-maze, a hair-blending method that does not suit mass production but demands great skill, so the brushes are of high quality. Their users include calligraphers as well as porcelain and lacquer painters, and some makers specialise in sheep-hair brushes, the finest grade. It is made in Kure in Hiroshima.

Three stages by hand

• The tip is made from goat, horse, weasel, tanuki or deer hair, blended by neri-maze.
• The bamboo or wooden handle is made.
• The brush is finished.
• Every stage is done by hand, one brush at a time.

A merchant's idea

In the early 19th century Kikutani Sanzo bought brushes from Arima in today's Hyogo and sold them to terakoya schools. After his success he urged villagers to make brushes as off-season work, and in the mid-19th century Ueno Yaekichi made the first Kawajiri brushes. Others followed and the name became known nationwide. A brush museum stands on the summit of Google Maps 野呂山 (opens in a new tab)Show map, above the town.