Only in Japan: *AKIRA* airing on public television on a Saturday afternoon. And it was broadcast quite recently, too… Incidentally, exactly one urushi-lacquered object appears in the film. Can you guess what it is?

However, select workshops and specially commissioned pieces can be made using Joboji urushi and Japanese wood. Crafts with a fully domestic chain—from materials to makers—have become exceptionally rare. And in this case, it is not only all-Japanese, but all-Iwate.

Even when a product is labeled “Made in Japan” or “Japanese-made,” surprisingly few are made entirely from Japanese materials. Traditional crafts are no exception: they often have no choice but to rely on materials from overseas, and Chinese urushi is used in our own Joboji urushiware as well.

The design faithfully renders in urushi an original work by Yaegashi, an Iwate-born artist. Although he had Down syndrome and passed away six years ago, he left behind many remarkable and highly original works. Today, HERALBONY is helping bring his art to a wider audience.

Our workshop created the fountain pen presented as the official prize for a literary award organized by our local newspaper, the Iwate Nippo. It was awarded to the recipient yesterday.

I’m picking blueberries near the urushi field right now. They’re so good! 🫐

Dakkatsu-kanshitsu is an 8th-century Japanese technique: hemp cloth is layered with urushi over a clay core, which is then removed. The result is remarkably light yet strong — essentially FRP, achieved 1,300 years before modern composites. (2/2)

My friend, urushi artist Yutaro Takemoto, is holding a solo exhibition in Morioka. His field is dakkatsu-kanshitsu — hollow "dry lacquer" sculpture. (1/2)

Wearing my official Yuzuru Hanyu T-shirt to lift my spirits!

The Phoenix fountain pen made in support of Wajima's recovery — long overdue, but finally finished and shipped — reached its new owner today. They are delighted with it, and I can breathe again. The phoenix rises from the ashes. There could be no better symbol for Wajima.

On the left is the Chinese method of tapping urushi trees; on the right, the Japanese method. Despite Japan’s heavy reliance on urushi imported from China, most Japanese people are unfamiliar with how it is harvested there.

These are photos from that time. The mountainside had collapsed. His house was gone.

Goldfish in taka-maki-e. A private commission from an overseas collector — about one year from design to completion. The scales are the most demanding part: each one is layered, dried, and polished separately before the next can begin. There are no shortcuts in this technique. #fountainpen

A friend sent me a photo of a paper wasp🐝 building its nest. The material it uses to anchor the nest looks very much like urushi. If it really is urushi, this could suggest that insects were making practical use of urushi long before humans did.

We made a pair of obidome featuring Fujin and Raijin using urushi. An obidome is a decorative clasp or ornament worn on the cord over an obi, the sash used with kimono. These pieces are very finely crafted.

There were earthquakes again last night and tonight, and lately it feels like we’ve been having them almost every day here in Iwate. It just shook a little again even now 😑

This is a brochure introducing the Joboji area, Japan’s leading urushi-producing region. I wish they had proudly used the word urushi instead of translating it as “lacquer”...

An urushi sap collector — someone who harvests sap from urushi trees — was attacked by a bear the other day. In response, a bear-safety briefing was reportedly held for the craftspeople: carry bear spray, wear a bear bell, and keep a radio on to make noise.

We are currently adding urushi decoration to this fountain pen. The blue textile underneath was dyed and woven by my aunt.

Work has begun on the “Moby-Dick” fountain pen. First comes Captain Ahab. #fountainpen

And now, heavy rain...

There seems to have been a strong earthquake near Mt. Fuji just now. Earthquakes have felt unusually frequent across Japan lately, and honestly, it’s frightening.

I received a request to paint Hokusai’s Tiger in the Snow on a fountain pen. This request also came from overseas. I have never received a commission like this from Japan.

This old Japanese house was completely destroyed by the 2011 tsunami, but it was rebuilt last year using as many of the washed-away original materials as could be recovered. I was responsible for applying the urushi finish to the interior sliding doors known as obi-do.

Shibamune is a traditional feature used to protect the ridge of a thatched roof. Soil is placed along the top of the roof, and plants are grown to hold it in place. As their roots spread, they bind the soil, helping prevent the ridge from collapsing in wind and rain and reducing the risk of leaks.

A simple black fountain pen finished entirely with Japanese urushi. About 95% of the urushi used in Japan comes from China, and most of the remaining 5% of Japanese urushi is used for restoring cultural properties such as shrines and temples. It is very rare for it to be used on a piece like this.

The Original State Before Urushi-lacquering

The only photos I have are ones I took with my iPhone, but your photo with the pens looks wonderful.

The Itsuō Art Museum is holding an ukiyo-e exhibition from July focused entirely on villains. What an intriguing theme. It makes me want to create a maki-e fountain pen series devoted only to villains.

It’s an expensive book, but I ordered it to learn more about fountain pen nibs😆