Kirimoto Lacquered Easy-to-Use Oval Chopsticks

Wajima Kirimoto is one of Japan's most prestigious brands for lacquer ware. The company was founded during the Edo period and is is now run by the 3rd generation of the Kirimoto family. Kirimoto is located in Wajima city in the Ishikawa prefecture and therefore is a typical producer of Wajima lacquer. The beauty of Kirimoto products comes from the combination of traditional lacquer techniques with contemporary designs. Kirimoto Lacquer is one of the most innovative producers of lacquer ware. The Kirimoto Family has been dedicated to wood and "urushi" lacquerware product development for more than 200 years in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture.

The seventh generation, Taiichi Kirimoto, majored in product design in university, and after apprenticing as a wood core maker, he started producing wood modeling and design proposals, and has overseen the overall direction of lacquer production. Since 2015, the talented craftspeople of the company produce wooden and lacquer vessels, furniture, and interior elements, exploring the possibilities of wood and Urushi lacquer as a part of modern lifestyles.

The famed durability of Wajima lacquer ware is the result of both the high quality of the lacquer refining process and the composition of the undercoatings unique to Wajima. A finely powdered mineral called jinoko is used for the undercoating. This undercoating is much more durable than the rice powder, which is most commonly used to fix the lacquer to the wooden core. The special undercoating and the up to 8 layers of lacquer made Wajima lacquer so durable. Wajima is also famous for its chinkin style colored and metallic decoration called makie.