The Kiso region has a long and proud lacquer tradition, which in recent years has sadly been on the wane. We felt that the image of lacquerware in this day and age – as something difficult to use and care for – was the root cause behind this decline. Yasuto Kosaka, a traditional craftsman, dedicated himself to disproving this widely-held belief. In 1994 at his atelier, Maruyoshi Kosaka, he first succeeded in combining glassware and urushi lacquer.
Since then, Kosaka has engaged in collaborative research projects with the BND Timber Research Office and the Nagano Prefecture General Industrial Technology Center, as well as striving to improve the durability of the finished article so that these hyakushiki pieces can be used in a variety of settings, and not just as a drink container. For washing, a pH-neutral detergent and a soft sponge are ideal, and these bowls, dishes and cups can be used day-to-day as long as strong impacts against hard surfaces are avoided.
Most of these pieces have the lacquer applied on the outer side, so that the inner side, which comes into contact with the food or drink, is simply glass. The difference in durability means that these pieces can be used with metallic cutlery, and items that are garnished with oil are also fine. Hyakushiki is tableware that can be used with a wide variety of foods and settings.
Furthermore, our collaborations with various designers have yielded fascinating new patterns and images that ably reflect Japanese tradition and its place in our lives, in today’s world. Maruyoshi Kosaka is dedicated to preserving Japanese aesthetics and the culture of Japanese lacquer, whilst continuing to drive the evolution and creation of lacquerware with fresh, unrestrained designs.
