WAJIMA KIRIMOTO – Kirimoto Wooden Craft Workshop

From the late Edo period to the Meiji period, this company manufactured and sold Wajima laquerware, and from the early Showa period, Kyuko Kirimoto founded a business specializing in carving the core wooden fittings.

The second generation, Toshihei, built a factory where not only wooden cores for lacquerware but also a wide variety of furniture was produced.

The third generation, Taiichi, majored in product design in university and worked in office planning for another company before returning to Wajima. After apprenticing as a wood core maker for four and a half years, and helped Toshihei manage the business while producing wood modeling proposals, design proposals, and overall direction of lacquer production.

While keeping the regular work of making wooden fittings, he also works together with the young craftspeople who are in their 30s and 40s, making lacquer vessels, small articles, furniture, and interior elements, exploring the possibilities of lacquer as a part of modern lifestyles.

Wajima Kirimoto’s Wood Products
At Kirimoto Wood Craft, the backbone of the company is its wood core manufacturing, which goes back 80 years. Lumber that has been aged for 10-20 years in order to make wood cores for lacquerware is also used to make these wooden products for household use. Trays, plates, kitchen tools, small pieces of furniture, and more.

Wajima’s native wood, asunaro, is light yellow. Magnolia wood brought in mainly from Hokkaido and the Tohoku region is a gray-green color. They’re subtle shades, but they’re highly workable, and very water resistant. This wood is ideal for making items that fit in with everyday living.