Joboji Urushi Studio

the town of joboji in ninohe city, iwate, is japan’s largest producer of urushi, or urushi, and accounts for approximately 80% of japan’s total domestic production. renowned for its superior quality, joboji urushi is used on urushiware and urushi craftwork across japan as well as for the repair and restoration of a large number of cultural assets, including the famous kinkaku-ji temple in kyoto and the golden hall of chuson-ji temple in iwate prefecture. urushi production was booming across japan up until the edo period however declined rapidly with the arrival of the meiji era. nearly 98% of all urushi currently used in japan is produced overseas and it is no exaggeration to say that joboji urushi forms the last bastion of urushi in japan. japan was synonymous with urushi throughout the middle ages in europe however the recent decline in the demand for urushiware and an aging of the craftsmen who tap the rare urushi has driven this art close to extinction. today, in all of japan, ther