Mejiro Urushi Studio

About Us

The association
between urushi and the human race reaches
several thousands of years.

Using urushi tree sap,
our ancestors created lots of things,
and formed a unique and rich culture
over a long period of time.

As a urushi workshop born in the modern age,
we, Mejiro Urushi Studio aims to develop it
and pass on to it to the future.

We hope that the Studio will be a place
where people gather
and create a new culture of urushi.

Urushi Glossary

“Essential Bilingual Glossary of Japanese Urushi (Lacquer) Materials and Techniques” was published in 2020. We selected 105 essential terms and explained them in Japanese and English. Now it is available online in PDF form.

We ask that you abide by the following rules while using it.

Agree and See the Glossary

Activities

Lectures/Workshops

We hold participatory lectures for adults and children, with the view of conveying the charm of urushi and the fun of making things by hand. We also hold on-site lessons upon request by private companies, educational institutions, museums, etc. Please contact us for on-site lessons or workshops.

Study sessions/training for urushi experts

We hold regular study sessions with urushi experts, sometimes bringing in outside lecturers such as artists, photographers and curators from other fields. In 2018 and 2019, we accepted trainees from the United Kingdom’s V&A Museum to share our knowledge and practice both restoration and production. The network of urushi technical experts is expanding, not just within Japan, but also throughout the world.

Urushi planting in Okukuji

Domestic urushi only accounts for a small percent of the urushi currently used in Japan. The knowledge of how to grow and tap urushi trees is becoming scarce, and the inheritance of the culture is in danger of becoming lost. In 2020, We started to grow urushi trees by ourselves in order to learn and pass on the techniques to the next generations, with the cooperation of our supporters in Okukuji, Ibaraki Prefecture. We hope that this project will become a force to bring the urushi culture into the future.

Works

Qomolangma Urushi Bowls

Kazumi Murose made urushi bowls for Mr. Yuichiro Miura’s climbing team when they took on the challenge of climbing Everest (Qomolangma) in 2013. We made bowls with the same shape and named them Qomolangma Urushi Bowls. Visit the following sites (in Japanese) for inquiries and purchases.

Works of Kazumi Murose

This is a collection of works by Kazumi Murose. It contains full-color photographs of his artworks, interviews, columns, and introductions of his atelier and creating processes. It comes with an English translation. Visit the following site to purchase it.

Mejiro Urushi Store

Urushi-wo-Hagukumu-Wan

To raise funds to plant urushi trees in Okukuji, we have produced our original “Urushi-wo-Hagukumu-Wan (Bowls to grow urushi)”. The profits from the sale of these bowls will be used for the maintenance of our urushi trees. Visit the following site to purchase it.

Mejiro Urushi Store

Go to Our Online Store

Contact Us

Name: Mejiro Urushi Studio （目白漆學舎）
Address: Shimo-ochiai 4-22-11, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Organizer: Mejiro Institute of Urushi Research and Restoration
Director: Tomoya Murose (Mr.)
E-mail: info@urushigakusha.jp