The Urushi - Brand Story
Living with URUSHI
A material that has been with the Japanese people for 9,000 years.
Let's explore its potential once again.
Origin
The reason for 9,000 years
Lacquered combs have been unearthed from Jomon period ruins. 9,000 years ago—in an era before writing even existed—people were already applying lacquer.
Why has it continued to be used for so long? Because it's beautiful? Because it's durable? It's more than that. Lacquer was "life itself."
When applied to tableware, it prevents food from spoiling easily. When applied to wood, it repels water and prevents decay for decades. When applied to armor, it prevents rust even on the battlefield. Lacquer was present in every aspect of Japanese life—as a tool for prayer, a tool for war, and on the dining table.
Lacquerware wasn't something found in a museum.
It was in the kitchen, in the palm of one's hand,
at the heart of daily life.
Urushi
Urushi, a material that lives
Urushi doesn't "dry." The enzymes—laccase—living within the urushi react with moisture in the air, allowing it to harden on its own. It is the only natural coating in the world that is completed by the power of life.
That is why urushi hardens in high-humidity environments. It does not harden in dry rooms. It is a mysterious material that behaves contrary to common sense.
Once hardened, the urushi film is resistant to acids, alkalis, and alcohol. It is stronger and more beautiful than any chemical paint, and it suppresses the growth of bacteria. It is the best coating, proven by nature over 9,000 years.
Amazing durability, resistant to acids, alkalis, and alcohol
Hardened by laccase enzymes — the only natural coating completed by life itself.
Antibacterial, water-resistant, preservative. Nature's perfect coating.
UV light enhances transparency—the only material that becomes more beautiful with time.
Philosophy
Inspired by tradition. Designed to be cool.
It was displayed in museums, stored in paulownia boxes, and became a tool for "special occasions."
But originally, urushi was an everyday tool.
It was on the daily dinner table, and in daily use.
Instead of "preserving" urushi, "use" it.
Instead of reverence, touch it.
Only those who experience its texture will realize.
—Ah, this is special.
"Make the special, commonplace."
THE URUSHI focuses solely on this point.
Craftsmanship
From hand to hand, for 200 years.
Kyoto Wakabayashi Butsugu. A workshop that has been crafting Buddhist altars and implements for over 200 years. Lacquering, gold leaf application, makie (lacquerware with gold or silver powder designs) – this place encompasses all of Japan's decorative techniques.
There is no manual for lacquering. The temperature, humidity, and condition of the lacquer all vary each day. Artisans "listen" to the lacquer's "voice" with their fingertips, determining the optimal application method for that specific moment on that particular day.
This sensation cannot be conveyed through words. Passed down from hand to hand, from master to apprentice, the "memory of the hand" that has been inherited over 200 years breathes within every THE URUSHI product.
There is no machine that can apply lacquer yet. That's why each piece is handmade by artisans.
Process
Different materials, different techniques.
THE URUSHI applies two techniques chosen for each material — fuki-urushi for leather, baked urushi for stainless steel. Each pairing brings out the deepest bond between material and lacquer.
Fuki-urushi (wiped lacquer)
A technique of rubbing lacquer into the material, wiping it off, and curing it, repeated over many layers. Rather than laying a film on the surface, the lacquer is made to penetrate the material itself. It is used for materials whose fibers absorb lacquer, such as wood and leather.
Yakitsuke-urushi (baked lacquer)
A technique that firmly fuses lacquer and stainless steel by baking at high temperature. The heat bonds the lacquer to the metal surface so it will not peel or crack, and it withstands the high heat and water pressure of a dishwasher. It is a method created to clothe stainless steel — a modern material — in urushi.
Step 01
Surface preparation
The surface of the material is prepared to allow the lacquer to penetrate evenly. The precision of this step determines the final finish.
Step 02
Rubbing in
Raw lacquer is rubbed into the material, allowing it to penetrate deep into the fibers. Excess lacquer is carefully wiped off to create a uniform layer.
Step 03
Cured in a lacquer drying cabinet.
In a temperature- and humidity-controlled "lacquer chamber" (furo), the lacquer's enzymes react with moisture in the air, causing it to harden on its own.
Step 04
Repetition
The process involves repeatedly applying lacquer and hardening it in layers. The more layers applied, the more the material and lacquer integrate, creating a profound texture.
Numbers
Urushi by the numbers
9000
年
The history of humanity's use of lacquer
150
mL
Sap harvested from one lacquer tree per year
25
℃
Temperature at which lacquer hardens most beautifully
80
%
Humidity required for curing. Does not solidify when dry.
Time
Perfected over time
Urushi (Japanese lacquer) possesses qualities unlike any other material.
With time, its transparency increases, and its color deepens.
The notion that "new is most beautiful" does not apply to urushi.
The more it is used, the more luster it develops, the more it conforms to the hand, and its character changes.
It is more beautiful after ten years.
Urushi might be the only material in the world like that.
For THE URUSHI products, the day they arrive is just the "beginning."
Vision
Bring URUSHI to your everyday
THE URUSHI aims to bring lacquerware back from being a "special craft" to an "everyday tool."
Cutlery, wallets, tie clips, money clips—
We want lacquer on everything you touch.
We don't create simply to preserve tradition.
We create things that people naturally reach for, thinking, "This is good."
As a result, lacquer techniques will be passed on to the next generation.
This is the future of tradition that THE URUSHI believes in.
Begin a life with urushi.
9,000 years of history. 200 years of craftsmanship. / The next chapter — urushi in everyday life.
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