Over ¥300 Mil. Raised Through Crowdfunding To Help Wajima Lacquerware Craftspeople; Major Earthquake Last Year Rocked Industry

By Senri Hiramatsu / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:50 JST, February 6, 2025

KANAZAWA — More than ¥300 million was raised by the end of last year through crowdfunding for craftspeople and workshops of Wajima lacquerware, a traditional craft in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, that were hit hard by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Donations raised through the internet-based crowdfunding websites of three major companies will be used to pay for the restoration of the workshops and other facilities.

The donations are providing momentum to rebuild and restore the affected areas.

The house and workshop of Nakakado Shikki lacquerware shop in Wajima were severely damaged by the Jan. 1, 2024, earthquake. However, Hiroshi Nakakado, a Wajima lacquer coating craftsman, resumed work in late January of last year.

“I want to continue making lacquerware here,” Nakakado said. He began collecting donations on the major website Readyfor around March.

To support Nakakado, his four daughters set up a crowdfunding project in which donors could choose the amount of their donation from ¥3,000 to ¥500,000 a unit. Within about two months, the project had received donations from about 200 people, reaching its goal of ¥5 million.

“The administrative grants alone are limited,” said his wife, Mutsuko. “We are very grateful for the donations.”

The money raised is being used to purchase lacquer and pay for the work of artisans affected by the quake. In return, donors receive chopsticks, sake cups and other items lacquered by Nakakado.

The Yomiuri Shimbun surveyed three major crowdfunding websites, Campfire, Makuake and Readyfor, and found that from the time of the earthquake until mid-December, 40 total requests for donations related to Wajima lacquerware were posted on these sites. The total amount of donations was ¥304 million.

In many cases, craftspeople and those involved in the planning and sales of lacquerware solicit donations for support on an individual basis, they said.

“It is characteristic that the craftspeople themselves are keen to revive the lacquerware industry through crowdfunding,” a Makuake official said.

Many of the gifts returned to donors include Wajima lacquerware chopsticks and bowls, the official said.

However, while the amount of donations has steadily increased, some artisans have expressed concern that the support is skewed toward those who use crowdfunding.

As part of efforts to support the entire Wajima lacquerware industry, Campfire has been collecting donations for the Wajima Lacquerware Commerce and Industry Association, raising more than ¥5.2 million in the first three months of donations.

“Long-term support is needed. We hope that donors will continue to use crowdfunding to develop attractive products and train artisans,” an association official said.