What is Murakami Tsuishu?
- Tsuishu is a type of lacquerware.
- Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, is a specialty production area of Tsuishu, and "Murakami Tsuishu" is a traditional craft brand with a history of approximately 600 years.
- The manufacturing process is broadly divided into three steps.
- First, the "woodworker" creates the base from wood.
- Next, the "carver" adds carvings to it.
- Finally, the "nurishi" applies layers of vermilion lacquer until it is finally completed.
- It is a very time-consuming process, but artisans who have inherited traditional techniques work on each piece by hand, passing on this 600-year-old craft to the present day.