VILLAGE Report vol.17 Ishikawa Prefecture | Wajima lacquerware, and the strength supported by jinoko powder

The third installment in our Chubu series takes us to Ishikawa Prefecture. Ishikawa is home to many traditional crafts, including Kutani ware, Kaga Yuzen silk dyeing, and Yamanaka lacquerware, but this time we visit Wajima-nuri lacquerware in Wajima City, at the tip of the Noto Peninsula.

A base layer called “jinoko”

A major feature of Wajima-nuri is the use of “Wajima jinoko” powder for the base layer. Jinoko is made by steaming and firing diatomaceous earth found in Wajima City, then grinding it into powder. By mixing it with raw lacquer and rice paste and applying it in layers as the base of the vessel, the result is a durable piece that can be used for many years. More than 100 processes, from shaping the wooden base to undercoating, polishing, top coating, and decoration, are handled through a division of labor by specialized artisans.

Two national designations

Wajima-nuri was designated a Traditional Craft Product of Japan in 1975 and, in 1977, became the first lacquerware to be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan. A distinctive point is that not only the vessels themselves, but also the techniques used to make them, are protected as cultural property.

Key Points
・Uses “jinoko,” made by firing diatomaceous earth from Wajima, as the base layer
・More than 100 processes are divided among specialized artisans
・Designated a Traditional Craft Product in 1975 and, in 1977, the first lacquerware to be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan
・Severely damaged by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and reconstruction is ongoing

A production area in the midst of rebuilding

In the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1, 2024, Wajima City also suffered severe damage, and many workshops and shops were lost. Even so, artisans have resumed work in temporary workshops and elsewhere, and efforts to restore the production area continue. Picking up these pieces and continuing to use them is also one way to support the region.

Last time, we featured Takaoka copperware from Toyama Prefecture. VILLAGE Report vol.16 Toyama Prefecture is here. For highlights in Ishikawa Prefecture, see the Ishikawa Prefecture edition of our 47 Prefectures Guide. Next time, we will visit Fukui Prefecture.

References: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Heritage Online; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, list of designated Traditional Craft Products; Ishikawa Prefecture

—The Value Village Editorial Team