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NEWSLETTER

issue 10 | September 2020

This is the story of Japanese Craftsmanship Spirits:
Wajima Shikki (Wajima Lacquerware)

WAJIMA KIRIMOTO

Source: WAJIMA KIRIMOTO

Wajima is the name of the city located in the Noto peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The peninsula with raised seabed has fertile soil and grows trees that are indispensable for making lacquerware. In addition, the humid climate suitable for drying lacquer contributed to flourishing the industry. During the Edo period (1600-1868), farmers and merchants appreciated not only the durability but also the after-sales services including repairment from Wajima, which led to this specific lacquerware become an everyday tool nationwide.

Durable and robust Wajima lacquerware are made through a complete division of labor, including bare wood production, lacquering, sharpening, and decorating: The processes are 124 in total. The major characteristic which is unique in Wajima is the use of the ground powder called jinoko, which is the diatomaceous earth of Wajima. Rice paste, jinoko and lacquer are mixed together and applied to the base, dried, and polished for three times so that the base becomes firm.

With the carefully laid groundwork, Wajima lacquerware, which is also one of the important Intangible Cultural Property in Japan, is indeed a sustainable solution as the multiple layers of material allow you to repair damages and to be reusable for a long time.

Project: K5

K5

Image courtesy of K5

K5 Tokyo, housed in a converted 1920s bank building, sits beside the Tokyo Stock Exchange and connects the traditional Imperial Palace area with hip Eastern Tokyo. While working with this project Claesson Koivisto Rune Architects developed a concept for the building and for all the different tenants including Hotel K5, and Caveman Restaurant, where the architects decided to choose Maruni items.

CKR comments:
For us Maruni is one of the companies in the world that has both a strong identity and with a collection of furniture that we have wished to use for a long time. We always visit the Maruni exhibitions when we are at fairs around the world and quickly the T1 Chair by Jasper Morrison became a studio favorite. A perfect choice as we could use it both by the wood tables and also by the restaurant counter. The T&O collection is both strong in character and traditionally basic in its design, so the Caveman got their own identity through this chair.

In addition, for the hotel rooms and loft, they decided to use the Lightwood collection as it did fit into the collection of designs they made for the room.

It is a comfortable chair where the guest can spend hours working if needed, not so common in modern hotels, it also made sense to use the chair around the dining table in the K5 Loft as we wanted the same chair all over this space.

Announcement

Optional footrest cover in stainless steel is now available for Lightwood BARSTOOL /STOOL. It is a perfect option for extra durability for commercial projects.

© 2015-2020 Maruni Wood Industry Inc.

Maruni Wood Industry Inc.
24 Shirasago Yuki-cho Saeki-ku
Hiroshima, Japan
738-0512

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