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Paper short abstract

A marked decline in production in Wajima has been seen in recent years due to a precipitous decline in demand for lacquerware due the westernization of food culture. We would like to discuss the ways to ensure the future of the lacquerware industry not only in Japan, but in all of Asia.

Paper long abstract

Japan’s traditional lacquerware industry, which centers on the city of Wajima in the Japan Sea-side Hokuriku region of northwestern Japan, enjoyed a relatively robust economy through the 20th century. However, a marked decline in production has been seen in recent years due to a precipitous decline in demand for soup bowls and other lacquerware items as a result of the westernization of Japanese food culture.

Further adding insult to the grievous injury of Japan's declining traditional lacquerware industry, on New Year’s Day, 2024, the Noto Peninsula was shaken by a major earthquake that caused devastating damage to the peninsula’s lacquerware industry, particularly in Wajima.

Given this situation, including the decline of local lacquerware sales due to the Westernization of Japanese food culture, natural disasters and world pandemics, and the aging of Japan’s craftsmen, could there be any way to predict the future of Wajima’s lacquerware industry?

We will be focusing on the works of not only Wajima’s artisans, but also younger lacquerware artists who will by extension become the leaders of the next generation, in order to explore the direction of these creators, and the possibility of developing their products into new industries.

Educational exchange activities were conducted by the Asian Lacquer Craft Exchange Research Project between 2014 and 2023 with the aim of promoting the development of lacquer crafts in the lacquerware production areas. By looking over the ten years of the Project, which the author also participated in, and introducing the current state of the lacquerware industry of lacquer-producing countries, we would like to discuss the ways to ensure the future of the lacquerware industry not only in Japan, but in all of Asia.