Hida-Shunkei (Hida-style lacquer ware) is used for many things, such as chopsticks, boxes, flower vases, and so on.
We strive to preserve Hida-Shunkei as a “traditional industrial art crafts” handed down from generation to generation. Not only do we value Hida-Shunkei as a Japanese traditional product, but we also try to develop Hida-Shunkei to match today’s lifestyle so that young people may use them throughout their lives.
There are 2 basic steps to make Hida-Shunkei. First, we cut, plane, and shave various kinds of wood to shape the pieces. Second, we paint lacquer on the wood. In the second step, the craftspeople who paint lacquer make sure their workspaces are temperature- and humidity-controlled to properly cure the lacquer.
True Hida-Shunkei has a sticker on a cover box. This sticker tells us that the Hida-Shunkei is hand-applied by a traditionally trained craftsperson. It is known as Tenuri-gihou (hand-applied) handiwork. Sadly, there are some Hida-Shunkei pieces that have been sprayed with chemical varnishes. They are poor imitations of the real thing and should be avoided.
