Traditional craft
Miyajima Zaiku
宮島細工
Plain wooden rice paddles, turned and carved ware from Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima, a craft that grew from Kamakura-period shrine carpentry.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 1 November 1982
- Type
- Wood and bamboo
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 宮島細工
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 廿日市市
Wood left to speak for itself
Miyajima Zaiku covers shamoji rice paddles, lathe-turned ware, carved-out ware called kurimono, and carving. Most pieces are left as bare wood so the grain shows. Shamoji are also a lucky charm: the phrase meshi toru means both scooping rice and taking victory, and supporters at Hiroshima high-school games clap paddles together to cheer. It is made in Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima.
Four main steps
- Timber is cut to the sizes needed.
- Pieces are shaped by turning, carving out or carving.
- Surfaces are finished smooth.
- Some pieces are decorated with Miyajima-bori carving, urushi-fuki lacquer wiping or sabi-iro dyeing.
Carpenters for the shrines
In the early Kamakura period, carpenters and joiners were invited from Kamakura and Kyoto to build shrines and temples in the area, and their woodworking skills took root. Hatsukaichi was also a collection point for timber, which helped the craft grow.
Good to know
- A shamoji makes a light, lucky gift for anyone heading into an exam or a match.
- Bare wood looks best with simple care: wash it and let it dry fully.
Questions travellers ask
Why are rice paddles lucky?
The phrase meshi toru means both scooping rice and taking victory, so shamoji are given for luck.
Where is Miyajima Zaiku made?
In Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
- Fukiya: the birthplace of Japan Red
- Iwami kagura: gods and demons dance the old myths
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- Onomichi: a hillside port town of temples and lanes
- The Murakami Kaizoku: sea lords of the Geiyo Islands
- Tomonoura: Japan's best-kept Edo-era port town
- Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo and Maizuru: Japan's naval port cities
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.