Event Showcasing Wajima Lacquerware to Be Held in Tokyo in Sept. Featuring Artisans Working to Revive Traditional Craft

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:29 JST, August 26, 2025

An event showcasing and selling Wajima lacquerware will be held at a bookstore in Tokyo next month to help people become more familiar with traditional crafts from Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered extensive damage in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024.

The event “Taberu, Nomu, Ajiwau — Utsuwa,” which literally means “eat, drink, savor — dishes,” will be held at Books Ogaki Co.’s Azabudai Hills outlet in the capital’s Minato Ward from Sept. 2 to 10.

The event will feature elegant tableware pieces, such as sake cups. Works by members of “For the Future of Wajima” — a volunteer group of artisans working to revive Wajima lacquerware — and products of Wajima lacquerware manufacturer and seller Wajima Kirimoto and artist Yasuhiro Hara will be available for purchase.

On the first day, a talk event on traditional culture will be held at 5 p.m., with guest speaker Ryu Koshino, a former top star of Takarazuka Revue’s Moon Troupe.

A sake tasting seminar guided by a renowned sommelier is scheduled from Sept. 5 to 7, where visitors can experience various types of sake served in traditional Wajima lacquerware.

Taiichi Kirimoto, a representative of Wajima Kirimoto, will open a talk event at 1 p.m. on Sept. 7.

Kazutaka Furukomi, who heads the For the Future of Wajima group, lost his home with his studio in Wajima in the earthquake and is now based in Kanazawa to create his work.

“Works created both before and after the earthquake will be on display, so visitors can see at the same time the differences in the artists’ approaches to the details of their works,” said Furukomi. “Even with the same brand [of sake], the taste is completely different depending on the shape of the cup. I hope that time spent with such cups in everyday life will be a source of healing.”

As part of the Action! Dentou-Bunka project launched by The Yomiuri Shimbun, the event will be jointly organized by the Books Ogaki store and intertWine KxM Yamajin.

There are admission fees for the talk events and the tasting seminar that require reservations through the bookstore’s official website.

For more details, visit https://www.books-ogaki.co.jp/post/62485