[VILLAGE Report vol.32] 90% of Copperware Comes from This Town | Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture’s nationally designated items are Takaoka copperware, Takaoka lacquerware, Inami woodcarving, Shogawa turned wood bases, Etchu washi paper, Etchu Fukuoka sedge hats these 6 items.

Temple bells and bronze statues, too

Takaoka copperware is said to account for about 90% of Japan’s domestic copperware production. Temple bells, bronze statues in parks, Buddhist altar fittings, flower vessels. Many of the copper castings you see come from this town.

It began in 1611 (Keicho 16). when Maeda Toshinaga, the second lord of the Kaga Domain, invited seven metal casters as he founded the town of Takaoka. according to estimates.

In the previous issue (vol.31), we wrote that the Kaga Domain continued investing in crafts. Takaoka was also part of that policy. Ishikawa and Toyama were originally part of the same domain.

If you divide them by prefectural borders, they look separate, but the map of crafts is close to the map of the domains. It is something I have felt many times while writing this series.

At first, it was pots and plows

Takaoka casting was not fine art from the beginning.

The first things made were pots, kettles, plows, and hoes —farm tools and everyday items.

From there, in the late Edo period, it expanded into “karakane ware,” such as Buddhist altar fittings and flower vessels, and then became known overseas through exhibits at world expositions in the Meiji period.

Tosa forged blades in Kochi (vol.17) moved from swords to mountain tools, and Sakai in Osaka (vol.23) moved from swords to kitchens. Takaoka rose from farm tools to art. The direction is the opposite.

Carving ranma transoms

Inami woodcarving was born out of the reconstruction of a temple.

In the 18th century, official sculptors came from Kyoto for the reconstruction of Zuisenji Temple, and local carpenters inherited those techniques. according to estimates.

Today, ranma transoms —openwork carved panels fitted above the lintel in a Japanese-style room—are the representative work. Some are carved through from both sides of a single board and look like different pictures depending on which side you view.

Osaka ranma (vol.23) is also nationally designated. There are two production areas for ranma because Japanese houses had lintels. The form of the home directly determines the kinds of crafts made.

Turning and shaving wood

Shogawa turned wood bases is the work of turning wood on a lathe to make the shape of a vessel.

What matters here is that Shogawa is designated for its “wood bases” meaning the craft is recognized up to the unfinished plain-wood stage before lacquering.

The idea is similar to Ise katagami paper stencils in Mie (vol.20), which were designated as “tools.” Even if it is not a finished product, if the technique is there, it is preserved.

Nagiso rokuro-zaiku in Nagano (vol.28) was also turned woodwork. Mountain prefectures have production areas where wood is turned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the difference between Takaoka copperware and Nanbu ironware in Iwate?
A. The material is different. Takaoka uses copper alloys such as bronze and brass, while Nanbu uses iron. Their main uses also differ: Takaoka centers on Buddhist altar fittings, flower vessels, and bronze statues, while Nanbu centers on everyday items such as iron kettles. We will cover Nanbu ironware in vol.44.

Next issue: Niigata. It is a prefecture with as many as 17 items.

References: Toyama Prefecture, Takaoka City, Nanto City, Tonami City, Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries

—The Value Village Editorial Team

Photo: 野路耿一 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)