Japan’s place in lacquer
Japanese lacquer took in techniques from China and, over a thousand years, developed into its own distinct system. In English the word “japan” can mean both the country and lacquerware itself, which says a lot about its international standing.
Our database records 42 Japanese techniques (including regional variants), 18.2% of all entries. Maki-e is at its centre, and fine division of labour and transmission across generations have raised lacquer to the level of state gifts.
Key sources: Shosoin treasure records; Tokyo National Museum materials; reports of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs; materials from the Wajima Institute of Lacquer Art.
Representative techniques
| Technique | Group | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Hiramaki-e 平蒔絵 | Painted | Draw the design in lacquer → sprinkle gold powder → fix the powder → polish; design level with the surface |
| Togidashi maki-e 研出蒔絵 | Burnished | Oldest maki-e: lacquer over the whole design, then polish until the design emerges |
| Takamaki-e 高蒔絵 | Painted + built up | Lacquer raised before powdering, for a relief effect |
| Shishiai togidashi maki-e 肉合研出蒔絵 | Painted + built up + burnished | Combined technique with the richest layering |
| Chinkin 沈金 | Incised and filled | Carve with a chinkin blade → rub in lacquer → lay in gold → dry in a humid cabinet; closely tied to Wajima-nuri |
| Wajima-nuri 輪島塗 | Coating | Core strengthened with diatomaceous earth (jinoko); 124 steps; fine division of labour |
| Negoro-nuri 根来塗 | Coating | Red over black; use wears through the red to show black — the beauty of wear |
| Shunkei-nuri 春慶塗 | Coating | Transparent lacquer; wood grain faintly visible |
| Nashiji 梨子地 | Painted | Gold flakes give a fine, grainy texture like pear skin |
| Sabi-nuri 錆塗 | Textured | Textured coating imitating rust |
| Tsugaru-nuri 津軽塗 | Combined | From Tsugaru, Aomori; many coats then polished down |
| Kintsugi 金継ぎ | Incised and filled | Mending broken ceramics or lacquer with gold, making the flaw part of the look |
| Atsugai raden 厚貝螺鈿 | Inlay | Thick mother-of-pearl inlay, bold and rich |
| Usugai raden (aogai) 薄貝螺鈿 | Inlay | Very thin shell with a soft iridescence |
| Dakkatsu kanshitsu 脱活乾漆 | Core | Equivalent of Chinese jiazhu / bodiless lacquer: hemp cloth built up with lacquer |
| Tsuishu 堆朱 | Carved | Equivalent of Chinese tihong: layers of red lacquer, then carved |
| Kinma 蒟醤 | Incised and filled | A particular incise-and-fill method |
| Watercolour-style togidashi maki-e | Painted | Contemporary innovation with a watercolour effect |
| Lacquer + AR / projection | Contemporary | Digital technology combined with lacquer |
The maki-e family
- Hiramaki-e: gold powder is sprinkled, covered with lacquer and polished level with the surface.
- Togidashi maki-e: the oldest form; the whole surface is lacquered, then polished until the gold appears through the layer.
- Takamaki-e: the design area is built up with lacquer before the gold is sprinkled, giving relief.
- Nashiji: very fine gold particles give a grainy texture like the skin of a pear.
Gold powder comes in ten grades of fineness. Maki-e brushes are traditionally made from the hair of ship rats, a scarce material.
Wajima-nuri
- Origin: Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Kyoho era of the Edo period.
- Core: local diatomaceous earth (jinoko) mixed into raw lacquer for a tough film.
- Process: the groundwork alone takes 3–4 months; 124 steps in all.
- Status: the only lacquer-producing area in Japan designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property.
- Today: beyond tableware into tea ware, pens, jewellery and watch boxes, coffee cups. In 2024 Prime Minister Kishida Fumio presented Wajima-nuri coffee cups and ballpoint pens made by Taya Shikkiten at the White House.
Japanese and Chinese techniques compared
| Japanese | Chinese counterpart | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Maki-e | Miaojin / nijin (painted gold) | Developed into takamaki-e, togidashi and other sub-types |
| Chinkin | Qiangjin | Finer cutting, more varied blade tips |
| Negoro-nuri | Xipi / textured lacquer | Stresses the beauty of traces of use |
| Wajima-nuri | No direct counterpart | Its own diatomaceous-earth reinforcement |
| Kanshitsu | Jiazhu | Different name, shared origin |
| Tsuishu | Tihong (carved red) | Same core process of carving red lacquer |
Transmission
Japan has a well-developed “Living National Treasure” system (holders of Important Intangible Cultural Properties), under which lacquer practitioners receive state protection and support. It has helped keep techniques intact, but it also creates barriers to the flow of knowledge.
Visual character
- Sheen: mostly high gloss (maki-e, chinkin, Wajima-nuri).
- Texture: mostly smooth; nashiji is grainy.
- Colour: mostly metallic gold and silver; Negoro-nuri is red over black.
Related: Japanese lacquer artists · Korean lacquer techniques · Which lacquer techniques combine · Craft