A journey that brings back memories of the Tokugawa era through Shizuoka's lacquer culture.

During the Edo period, in response to the orders of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lord Iemitsu, highly skilled craftsmen such as woodworkers, plasterers, and metal fittings were brought to Sunpu (Shizuoka) from all over the country to build Sunpu Castle and repair Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. I did. In particular, the construction of the second phase of Sengen Shrine in the late Edo period took about 60 years, and the skilled craftsmen liked Sunpu's warm and rich climate and settled there. The spread of this technique is said to be one of the reasons why Shizuoka's traditional crafts have become so popular.

One of these techniques is "Suruga lacquerware." During the Meiji period, ``Suruga lacquerware'' became famous nationwide as a major producer of lacquerware for export.

This time, after experiencing the manufacturing techniques of ``Suruga lacquerware'', which was famous as an export lacquerware production area around the Meiji period, we will go on a trip to learn about lacquer culture at ``Shizuoka Sengen Shrine'' and have a meal at a place connected to the Tokugawa family. I will guide you.

Make lacquered chopsticks at Sunpu no Kobo Takumi-shuku, where you can experience Shizuoka's traditional crafts.

Maruko is a post town on the 53 stations of the Tokaido that connects Utsunotani Pass and Abe River. Located in this land of rural woodlands with a nostalgic feel, is the Sunpu Workshop Takumi-shuku, an experience facility where you can experience a variety of crafts, including Suruga bamboo work, pottery, woodworking, lacquer, indigo dyeing, and tea dyeing.

This also serves as the craftsman's workshop, so you can see the work up close, and it is also a place where we focus on training successors.

The production of lacquerware involves a division of labor between woodworkers who make the vessels, chopsticks, spoons, etc., lacquer artists who apply the lacquer, and maki-e artists who paint the lacquerware. At Sunpu Workshop Takumi-shuku, you can easily experience part of any of these processes.

For example, you can make chopsticks and spoons from wood, or make brooches by pasting gold leaf on a lacquered base, or make a tumbler using the maki-e technique by sprinkling gold or silver powder on a lacquered base. I make it.

This time, I tried one of them, ``Making lacquer powder shell chopsticks''.

Shizuoka's traditional crafts such as Suruga lacquerware and Suruga maki-e became popular in the late Edo period. However, a lacquered koto from the Yayoi period was discovered at the Toro Ruins, a special historic site in Shizuoka City, and there are records of a group of craftsmen producing lacquerware such as bowls. I know that.

In 1873 (Meiji 6), Japan exhibited Suruga lacquerware for the first time at the Vienna World's Fair, where it was highly praised. From the end of the Meiji period to the Taisho period, Suruga lacquerware accounted for 8% of the lacquerware exported from Japan. It was a brand that represented domestic lacquerware.

Lacquerware becomes water-resistant by layering lacquer.

For example, for the chopsticks in the photo, where you can experience traditional craft techniques, after a woodworker makes the chopsticks, the woodwork is adjusted (sanded), hardened the wood (raw lacquer), polished (sanded), and then undercoated (roiro lacquer). ) → Polishing (sanding) → After coating with Roiro lacquer, shell scattering → Shell removal → Shell hardening (Roiro lacquer) → Intermediate coating (yellow lacquer) → Top coating (various colors) → Polishing (grindstone sharpening) → Gloss finish (compound) ), many processes are applied.

In the experience, you can only experience the final polishing with a whetstone and the glossy finish. This part alone takes about 40 minutes, so it's quite difficult. However, it has a beautiful luster and the irregular patterns of shellfish are wonderful, making it very glossy. The meals you eat using these chopsticks will be a whole new level higher.

Just repainted! Tour the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, which has a luxurious lacquered shrine building in rich colors.

"Shizuoka Sengen Shrine" is affectionately known as "Osengen-san" by the locals. 26 of the shrine buildings have been designated as important cultural properties of the country, and if you look at each one individually, you will see the wonderful carvings, making it very worth seeing. Generally speaking, shrines are often made of plain wood, but this one received the generous patronage of the Tokugawa family in the early Edo period and was renovated into a beautiful lacquered and richly colored shrine, and is also known as the ``Nikko of the Tokai''. It has been.

Lacquered vessels are very expensive due to their preciousness and the amount of work involved. Full lacquer coating is a method that involves applying lacquer on the sculpture, stamping gold leaf on it, and then coloring it, which is a very time-consuming and expensive method. You can see that it is a luxury.

Shizuoka Sengen Shrine is currently undergoing a 20-year process of repainting the lacquer. Since lacquer is sensitive to ultraviolet rays, it can maintain its beautiful luster for several months depending on the location. There is only a short period of time when you can see beautiful lacquer and beautiful colors. I definitely recommend visiting as soon as possible.

Learn about Shizuoka lacquer. Could lacquer coffee be born in the future?

Do you know how lacquer is harvested? Lacquer is made from the resin-containing sap that comes out of the lacquer tree. It is a valuable item that can only be collected from one tree, about the size of a bottle of milk.

In 2015, the Agency for Cultural Affairs issued a directive stating that ``domestic lacquer should be used in principle for the restoration of national treasures and important cultural properties.'' As mentioned earlier, Shizuoka Sengen Shrine has been undergoing a 2016-year repaint of lacquer since 20.

Since 26 shrine buildings are designated as important cultural properties of the country, the amount of lacquer used is enormous. For example, the tower gate alone requires 820 kg. Since the current production area is insufficient to meet the needs, volunteers from Shizuoka City, where the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine is located, have gathered together to launch the Oxyz Urushi no Sato Project and are embarking on the production of lacquer.

Although the planting of sumac in Shizuoka has only just begun, it is expected that in the future it will be used not only for the production of lacquer but also as a food ingredient.

The berries of sumac can be roasted to make coffee, and honey can also be harvested from the flowers. In Korea, the skin and branches are used in medicinal dishes, and are said to be effective in promoting blood circulation and restoring liver function. Perhaps "lacquer coffee made with Shizuoka lacquer honey" will be born in Shizuoka. It would be nice to have it in a lacquered container.

The Oxyz Urushi School is being held at Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, with instructors from various fields related to lacquer. This is a basic course where you can learn about the charms of Shizuoka's lacquer, and we recommend incorporating it into your travel plans.

Have dinner at Ukitsuro, the ruins of the mansion where the last shogun, Lord Tokugawa Yoshinobu, moved after the restoration of imperial rule.

For dinner, we recommend Ukitsuro, a long-established Japanese restaurant founded in 1891 (Meiji 24), which is connected to Tokugawa. This building was once the magistrate's residence in Konyamachi, a town of dyers, Eiichi Shibusawa's commercial office, and the residence of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, before opening as ``Ukitsuro'' in the Meiji period.

It was designed by Isoya Yoshida, a famous architect representing Japan's modern Sukiya architecture. Unfortunately, due to fire and war, the original building no longer remains, but Meikikan is used as a Japanese restaurant. The building called Meikikan was rebuilt using that design policy.

The main building has an exhibition corner where you can see a different side of Lord Yoshinobu, who had many hobbies such as oil painting, photography, cycling, and hunting.

We use the freshest ingredients from Shizuoka Prefecture, which is proud of its rich agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, including fresh seafood landed at Ogawa Port in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture's branded beef "Shizuoka Wagyu" and the same branded chicken "Fugaku Shirotori". You can enjoy kaiseki cuisine.
At Ukitsuro, we value the idea of ​​the twenty-four solar terms, which means that there are 24 seasons in Japan. Our hope is that you can enjoy the delicious food of Shizuoka Prefecture, which is rich in nature, while feeling the XNUMX solar terms.

The garden was created by Lord Yoshinobu, who invited the gardener Jihe Ogawa to create it. It is a strolling garden with a pond, and is a place where you can eat while looking at the beautiful garden that changes with the seasons. Why not enjoy a leisurely meal while looking out at the garden at sunset?

Sample itinerary for the spots introduced this time

*By car

12:30
Depart from JR Shizuoka Station.

13:00
Experience making chopsticks using lacquer at the Takumi-shuku workshop in Sunpu.

15:30
Toured Shizuoka Sengen Shrine and took a basic course on Shizuoka lacquer.

18:00
Dinner at Ukitsuro and a tour of the garden.

20:30
Arrived at JR Shizuoka Station.