Lacquer Day

What Is Lacquer Day?

Every November 13th is "Lacquer Day" (うるしの日, Urushi no Hi) in Japan. The date is associated with a legend from the Heian period: Prince Koretaka (惟喬親王, 844–897 CE), eldest son of Emperor Montoku, secluded himself in prayer at Hōrinji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto, and on November 13th — the final day of his retreat — is said to have received the methods of urushi (漆) lacquer making from the temple's principal deity, Kokūzō Bosatsu, and spread them throughout Japan. The Japan Urushi Association (日本漆工協会) designated this date as Lacquer Day in 1985 to promote public appreciation of urushi — one of Japan's most ancient, refined, and internationally recognized craft traditions.

What Is Urushi?

Urushi (漆) is the sap of the lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), harvested in Japan and across East Asia and processed into a remarkable natural material with exceptional durability, beauty, and protective properties. When applied in multiple thin layers to a wood, bamboo, or fabric base and allowed to cure in a humid environment, urushi produces a surface of extraordinary hardness, warmth, and depth of color. Urushi objects — bowls, trays, boxes, furniture — can last a very long time: lacquered artifacts from the Jōmon period (about 9,000 years ago) have been discovered at Japanese archaeological sites.

Urushi Techniques

Japanese lacquer artists have developed an extraordinary range of techniques over the centuries. Maki-e (蒔絵, "sprinkled picture") involves sprinkling gold or silver powder onto wet lacquer to create elaborate decorative designs — a technique that produced some of the most spectacular objects in Japanese art history. Raden (螺鈿) inlays mother-of-pearl into lacquer surfaces. Kamakura-bori (鎌倉彫) carves patterns into lacquered surfaces to create three-dimensional designs. Each regional tradition has developed its own distinctive repertoire of techniques and aesthetics.

Urushi as Living Heritage

Japan's urushi craft tradition faces challenges from competition with inexpensive synthetic lacquer (often made in China or using chemical compounds), declining numbers of trained artisans, and reduced consumer demand for high-cost handcrafted lacquerware. Yet the tradition is vigorously maintained by dedicated artisans in Wajima (輪島, Ishikawa Prefecture), Aizu-Wakamatsu (会津若松), Kyoto, and other centers of lacquer production. On Lacquer Day, events such as the offering of lacquerware at Meiji Jingū shrine and awards for lacquer artisans are held.

Fun Facts

• Skin sensitivity: Raw urushi sap contains urushiol — the same compound responsible for poison ivy reactions — and causes severe skin reactions in many people. Master lacquer artisans build up tolerance through repeated exposure over years of training.
• 9,000-year history: Burial ornaments woven from lacquer-coated red thread, found in an Initial Jōmon grave at the Kakinoshima B site in Hakodate, Hokkaido, date to approximately 9,000 years ago and are regarded as among the world's oldest known lacquered objects.