“ART JOB FAIR” Returns for Third Edition: Exhibitor Applications Now Open
Featured Exhibitions & Events VOL.39
Echizen Lacquerware Manufacturer Shitsurindo Faces Local Challenges and Establishes a New Woodworking Facility within Their Company
Maki Chikazawa, hired as a woodturner, is an artisan who has trained under Ryozo Kawagita, a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property “Woodwork”
Shitsurindo, a manufacturer based in the Kawada area of Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, one of Japan’s leading lacquerware production areas, has been engaged in the production and sale of Echizen lacquerware. Founded in 1793, the company has a long history and in 2023, the 230th anniversary of its founding, was certified as a purveyor to Daihonzan Eiheiji temple, which is also located in Echizen. In addition to manufacturing traditional and professional-use lacquerware handed down through generations, Shitsurindo strives to preserve and develop lacquer culture by incorporating new techniques with innovative ideas. They produce colorful lacquerware “aisomo cosomo” that fits modern lifestyles, “RIN&Co.,” a brand utilizing Hokuriku craftsmanship techniques, and have developed “Echizen Hard Lacquer” that is dishwasher safe.
Kawada area, Sabae, Fukui Prefecture
The woodworking facility established within the company’s building
In July 2024, Shitsurindo introduced a woodworking lathe and established a woodworking facility within the company. They also announced the hiring of a new woodturner. Previously, the company specialized in lacquer application, but now they are expanding their production capabilities to include in-house manufacturing of wooden bases, aiming to stabilize their production line.
This strategic shift addresses several challenges faced by the production area. The Echizen lacquerware industry has long operated under a division of labor within the region, with different craftsmen handling different stages of production — wood base making, base coating, lacquer application and decoration. Shitsurindo has traditionally specialized in the process of applying lacquer as a nushi-ya or workshop of lacquer artisans. The region has a proud history of many people being involved in the lacquer industry and achieving highest shipment value of the professional-use lacquerware in Japan. However, in recent years, the aging of craftsmen and a lack of successors have become serious problems, making it difficult to maintain the traditional division of labor system. Additionally, the division of labor requires a certain production volume and makes flexible adjustments challenging. While strengthening the mass production system for existing customers such as restaurants and hotels, Shitsurindo considered new ideas suited to the current market, leading to the decision to set up an integrated production system in-house.
By introducing this new system, the company can produce bowl-shaped and cylindrical objects in-house using the woodworking lathe. This capability allows for design adjustments and wood base thickness modifications not available with their existing line-up, as well as the creation of single-piece sample, acceptance of small quantity orders, and consultations with woodturners and designers during product development. The new initiative embarked upon by this long-established company, poised to shape the future of the production area, is worth our attention.
◾️Related information
Shitsurindo Co., Ltd.
Address: 701, Nishibukuro-cho, Sabae-city, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Website: https://shitsurindo.com/
Toru Uchida, the 8th generation of head of Shitsurindo, is also the youngest Master of Traditional Crafts in the production area
The five employees are in their 20s and 30s, with most having moved from outside the prefecture
“RIN&Co.” is dishwasher-safe brand developed by Shitsurindo in collaboration with Fukui Prefecture and University of Fukui
In addition to manufacturing lacquerware, Shitsurindo also accepts orders for lacquer coating on large items such as fixtures and building materials
