Traditional craft
Kawatsura Shikki
川連漆器
Sturdy, affordable everyday lacquerware from Yuzawa in Akita, said to be tough enough to pass down to your grandchildren.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 15 December 1976
- Type
- Lacquerware
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 川連漆器
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 湯沢市
Plain, strong, affordable
Every Kawatsura piece is wood with real lacquer. There is no flashy signature look; instead, makers focus on a strong foundation, so the ware is very tough while prices stay low. People say a Kawatsura bowl can be used into your grandchildren's generation. It is made in Yuzawa in Akita, as bowls, plates, trays and stacked boxes.
Persimmon tannin first
Round pieces use horse chestnut or beech, and boxes use magnolia wood. Persimmon tannin and raw lacquer are brushed straight onto the wood several times to stop warping, then a middle coat and a skilled hana-nuri top coat follow. Decoration is added with maki-e or chinkin gold inlay.
From armour to rice bowls
In the Kamakura period, the younger brother of the local lord had his retainers lacquer armour as side work, using beech and lacquer from the nearby hills. Bowl making took off in the mid-Edo period, and by the late Edo period Kawatsura, Odate and Minashi had grown into a centre for everyday goods. The craft has about 800 years of history.
Good to know
- Kawatsura bowls are a good first piece of real lacquer: practical, tough and fairly priced.
- Locally, Kawatsura lacquer bowls have even been used for school lunches.
Questions travellers ask
Why is Kawatsura so durable?
Persimmon tannin and raw lacquer go straight onto the wood, followed by a strong foundation.
Is Kawatsura expensive?
It is known for keeping prices low while staying very sturdy.
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.