Upon waking up in the morning, you get dressed and have breakfast. The beautifully lacquered bowl is perfect for starting your day. After finishing your miso soup in that warm, lacquered bowl, it's time to head out. At school, children place their lunch on lacquered trays and take their seats. In restaurants and inns, people enjoy their meals in elegant lacquerware, and during New Year celebrations, families gather around lacquered jubako boxes filled with traditional Osechi dishes. Some might use beautifully lacquered pens for writing. This may sound strange to you, but it is perfectly normal for the citizens of Fukui.
Echizen is the historical name for what is now Fukui Prefecture, located in the Hokuriku region of Japan. This region is home to Ishikawa Prefecture, known for its Wajima lacquerware featured in our other products, as well as Toyama Prefecture.
Echizen lacquerware has been present in many aspects of daily life. Even today, products that meet modern needs are being made, and Echizen lacquerware continues to be an integral part of life in the Echizen region, used in everything from special occasions to everyday living. In fact, one of our team members at Wancher was born and raised in Sabae City, the birthplace of Echizen Urushi.
He shared fond memories of eating school lunches on trays lacquered with Echizen Urushi. He also recounted another experience with Echizen Urushi: decorating a lacquer tray with colorful lacquers as part of a school activity. This reflects how Sabae City actively preserves traditional crafts by encouraging younger generations to engage with them. Currently, Echizen lacquerware holds an 80% domestic market share in the food service and professional lacquerware industries. Let's take a look at how this tradition began and how it has continued to thrive until today.
The origins of Echizen lacquerware are said to date back approximately 1,500 years to the Kofun period ( 古墳時代 ). The crown prince of that time, who later became the 26th Emperor Keitai, ordered an Urushi Master in the Katayama village (now the Katayama district in Kawada, Sabae City) to repair his crown. The prince was so impressed with the quality of the work that he encouraged lacquerware production in the region. The area's development was supported by its rich natural resources, a long-standing tradition of harvesting sap from Urushir trees, and its suitable temperature and humidity.
During the Muromachi period, lacquer bowls were incorporated into Buddhist rituals, which helped spread their use. By the end of the Edo period, Echizen began to adopt techniques from other regions, such as Wajima's "chinkin" and Kyoto's "maki-e," adding elegance and sophistication to Echizen lacquerware. In the Meiji era, production expanded rapidly from "round items" like bowls to "square items" like boxes and trays.
Later, with a diverse range of products and a mass distribution system established during the Taisho period, Echizen lacquerware successfully entered major markets in Nagoya and Osaka, eventually achieving its current 80% national market share.
Even today, Echizen lacquerware continues to uphold tradition while embracing new challenges. This includes introducing vibrant colors to match Western cuisine and sweets and making lacquerware dishwasher-safe. Throughout its long history, Echizen lacquerware has soothed our hearts with its calm luster, elegant brilliance, and beautifully deep hues. Echizen lacquerware is truly a representative traditional craft that embodies both history and progress.
