About Wakasa Lacquerware
Wakasa lacquerware is produced in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. The most famous product is the "Wakasa-nuri chopsticks," said to have been devised by Matsura Sanjuro, a retainer of the Obama Domain in the mid-Edo period, with approximately 80% of Japan's lacquered chopsticks produced in this area. A distinctive technique involves attaching pine needles, rapeseed, and eggshells, then polishing them to create fantastical patterns reminiscent of the ocean floor.
Techniques & Materials
Craft terms are shown in the original Japanese — these are proper names with no standard English equivalents.
Techniques
螺鈿・卵殻・松葉貼り付け研ぎ出し塗り重ね
Materials
天然漆木地（木箸）卵の殻螺鈿松葉・菜種
Where to see & buy
Workshop names are in Japanese; links go to their official sites.
- 若狭塗箸の里 hands-on experience