Wajima Lacquerware Production in Japan Continues 2 Years After Massive Noto Peninsula Earthquake

The Yomiuri Shimbun

2:00 JST, January 1, 2026

WAJIMA, Ishikawa — A lacquerware shop destroyed by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake has continued producing Wajima lacquerware in trailer houses set up on the site of its former company building.

Thursday marks two years since the massive earthquake struck Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Before the earthquake, many lacquerware businesses were located on Asaichi-dori shopping street in central Wajima. However, the buildings were destroyed in a fire, and the area is still a vacant lot.

“I thought speed was important in order to rebuild our business,” said Takahiro Taya, representative of lacquerware company Taya Shikkiten Co.

Taya set up 10 trailer houses in his company’s parking lot and on the site of a damaged company building on the outskirts of Wajima. The area, named Wajimanuri Village, opened last summer as a new base for sales and production of the local craft.

Wajimanuri Village aims to become an area where tourists can stay overnight as well as see how Wajimanuri, or Wajima lacquerware, is made.

Inside one of the temporary buildings, lacquerware craftsman Mitsuo Uwamaki, 61, was skillfully applying black lacquer to a piece he was working on. Before working at Wajimanuri Village, he sometimes had to work at home, which was inconvenient for him. He said when applying the finish, it is especially important to be careful about not letting any dirt or dust get in.

Vinyl sheets can be used to partition the about 30-square-meter trailer house, making it easier to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously.

At its peak in fiscal 1991, there were 2,928 Wajima lacquerware artisans. The number subsequently fell to below 2,000, and after the earthquake, it fell to around 700 in fiscal 2024. More people have been leaving the industry or moving out of the city.

The production value of Wajima lacquerware, which was about ¥2.4 billion in fiscal 2022, fell to about ¥1.4 billion in fiscal 2024.

“We’re receiving orders from people all over the country who want to support Wajima, but we’re unable to meet the demand,” said Kensei Sumi, secretary general of the Wajima Lacquerware Industry and Commerce Cooperative Association.

While Taya is determined to rebuild his store and workshop in central Wajima in the future, but he has no idea when it will happen, as plans for reconstructing of the city are still being discussed. But Taya is looking forward to when he can finally reopen his shop.

“I don’t know if Wajimanuri Village is the right answer, but right now, I’ll do what I can to pass on Wajima lacquerware to the next generation,” Taya said.