The "Kuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Gingha Wajima Makie/Wajima Nuri" will be
released on July 11, 2025.
Background to the Birth of "Kuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Gingha x Wajima Makie/Wajima Nuri"
The Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024 caused extensive damage to Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Among them, "Wajima Nuri" (Wajima lacquerware), a traditional craft designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan, is facing a crisis of survival due to damage to artisans and workshops.
We, Kuretake, started as a company in Nara with sumi (ink stick) manufacturing.
Our mission is to preserve sumi, a traditional craft, and pass it on to future generations.
As a company involved in a traditional industry, supported by a long history and the skills of artisans, just like Wajima Nuri,
we considered what we could do to help with this earthquake.
This led to the creation of a collaboration model between "Kuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Gingha" and "Wajima Makie" and "Wajima Nuri."
Each writing instrument, carefully finished one by one, embodies the beauty of tradition and hope for the future.
Features of "Kuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Gingha Wajima Makie/Wajima Nuri"
This product uses "pear wood," which is used for the wooden molds essential for sumi manufacturing—the origin of Kuretake—
as its base, and applies the traditional Wajima Nuri craftsmanship from Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
*Image of sumi being removed from a wooden mold*
Wajima Nuri is a representative Japanese lacquer art that combines robustness and elegance.
Multiple layers of natural lacquer are applied, and delicate patterns are drawn using the makie technique.
This time, we are offering three types of "Kuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Gingha Wajima Makie/Wajima Nuri."
[Dragon - Wajima Makie]
Wajima Makie is applied to make the most of the texture of the wood base stained with sumi.
The wooden mold, repeatedly used for sumi, takes on a subdued hue from the sumi's color.
To highlight this distinctive wood grain, the characteristic undercoating of Wajima Nuri is intentionally omitted, and
delicate patterns are drawn using the Wajima Makie technique.
The makie design depicts a "rising dragon" powerfully ascending to the heavens, symbolizing strength and grandeur,
and expressing the wish for Wajima to recover as powerfully as a rising dragon.
[Hepatica - Wajima Nuri]
The makie features "Hepatica," the city flower of Wajima City.
Its appearance, blooming enduringly in the cold sea breeze around the time of snowmelt, is a symbol of resilience and hope,
and expresses a wish for reconstruction.
[Rising Dragon - Wajima Nuri]
The makie depicts a "rising dragon" powerfully ascending to the heavens.
Like the [Dragon - Wajima Makie], it embodies the strength and grandeur of a "rising dragon,"
and the deep luster and transparency unique to genuine lacquer will become richer with use.
Each main body is a one-of-a-kind piece handcrafted by artisans. Even with the same design, each pen has a different expression.
Please enjoy this unique writing instrument, which fuses the tradition of "Wajima Makie/Wajima Nuri" with the spirit of Kuretake's sumi manufacturing.
A portion of the sales from this product will be used to support the reconstruction of Wajima Nuri.
May your support be a force that continues to protect the flame of tradition.
>> Purchase the product here.