UNESCO City of Crafts and Fork Art―― Kanazawa, the City of Handiwork
Traditional Crafts in Kanazawa
Traditional crafts in Kanazawa cannot be discussed without mentioning the influenceof Lord Maeda of the Kaga clan. The lords of the Maeda Family invited skilledcraftspeople from Kyoto and Edo, and the techniques brought in by these artisans
combined to integrate the dynamism and elegance of the warrior culture, which in turndefined Kanazawa’s unique style.
The city of Kanazawa has remained free of major natural disasters and untouched bywar for over 420 years since the reign of the Lords of Maeda. Thanks to the cultural
patronage by the Lords, the tea ceremony and traditional chants found their way into
citizen’s homes, and many local traditional crafts still remain in their daily lives.

Kanazawa gold leaf
Although the history of Kanazawa gold
leafing dates back to the Azuchi
Momoyama Period (1568~1603), it was
the Meiji Period (1868~1912) that saw therapid rise of Kanazawa’s country-wide
reputation for gold leafing production due
to the superiority of its leafing technology
and the excellent quality of Kanazawa'swater used in the manufacturing process.
Kanazawa now accounts for 99% or moreof Japan's gold leaf production, and 100%of silver and brass leafing. The uniquecharacteristics of Kanazawa gold leaf ‒ itnever becomes discolored or oxidized ‒make it indispensable for the productionof a wide range of arts and crafts, and inrecent years, a variety of new uses haveopened up, including interior accessories.

Kanazawa lacquer ware
Kanazawa lacquer ware started when
the prestigious maki-e artist Igarashi Doho
was invited from Kyoto by the third lord ofKaga, Maeda Toshitsune, and developed
into a unique combination of the eleganceof aristocratic culture and the strength of
the warrior culture. The techniques havebeen passed down through masters andstudents of the Kaga clan workshop andtownspeople from the Edo Period(1603~1868) until today. Kanazawa
lacquer ware is further characterized by theone-by-one production of tea utensils andinternal furnishings as artistic handicraft
rather than mass-produced goods.

Kaga-yuzen silk dyeing
The origins of Kaga-yuzen silk dyeing canbe traced back to the Kaga region's uniqueUmezome dyeing technique which uses
materials from plum trees. In the early 18thcentury, Miyazaki Yuzensai, a kimono patterndesigner, established the foundation ofYuzen silk dyeing. The realistic patterns ofgrass and flowers which incorporate the styleof the Kano school are a stark contrast to thehighly designed style of Kyo-yuzen.
Kaga-yuzen established a system inwhich a single artisan completed every stepof production, from design to dyeing, bythemselves. Nowadays, the Kaga-yuzen silk
dyeing techniques are also being applied towestern-style dresses.

Kanazawa Kutani porcelain
The origins of Kanazawa Kutani porcelain can betraced back to 1807, during the rule of the 11th lord ofKaga, Maeda Narinaga, when Aoki Mokubei, a famous
potter in Kyoto who had been brought to the clan as atechnician, opened the Kasugayama kiln. After Mokubei
left Kanazawa, a warrior of the Kaga clan opened theMinzan kiln, and created the first Kutani porcelain.
Kanazawa Kutani is characterized by miniature
painting, the use of high-viscosity paint, and its unique
red colors. The detailed brushwork required for thisworks fine characters gives it a sense of elegance andrefinement.
Recently, a wide variety of new Kutani products havebeen created, such as wine glasses with Kutani
decoration on their legs and bases.

Kaga embroidery
Kaga embroidery was brought from Kyoto as adecorative technique for cloths and attire for theBuddhist ceremony at the beginning of theMuromachi Period (1336~1573). In the feudal period,
Kaga embroidery was used on battle surcoats for clan
lords, as well as for the clothing of the wives of lords.
Moreover, in conjunction with the development of
Yuzen silk dyeing, greater technical sophistication
was required to bring out the dyed patterns. Kagaembroidery is characterized by the use of silk, gold,and silver thread to create patterns that lookthree-dimensional,
painstakingly
implementing
delicate technology stitch by stitch. In recent years,
Kaga embroidery has been used on a variety of dailysundries and tapestries.

Kanazawa Buddhist home altars
In Kanazawa, the Jodo Shinshu sect of
Buddhism grew in influence over the lives of
the common people, resulting in demand forhome altars much higher than other regions inJapan. Artisans who had been summoned to
the workshop of the clan responded to thisdemand.
The production of Buddhist altars fully
utilizes a variety of craft techniques by wood
workers, painters, lacquerers, engravers, fitting
workers. In addition, as Kanazawa was also
home to the production of gold leafing, anabundance of gold leafing was also used. The
stately and elegant appearance of Buddhist
altars in Kanazawa is achieved through thecareful integration of various traditional crafts.

Kaga Inlaying
Kaga inlaying is a metal decoration method
used for sword accoutrements, etc. and is askill vital to warrior clans. Owing to thepromotion by the second lord of Kaga,
Maeda Toshinaga, the inlay technology
became highly developed in Kanazawa.
In particular, saddle stirrups decorated with
Kaga inlaying that coupled a technique toprevent peeling regardless of the strength ofimpact, with an ingenious and elegant
design, garnered incomparable distinction.
Kaga inlaying is valued as an artistic
handicraft not only inside Japan but alsoworldwide, and excellent pieces can befound in museums around the world.

Ohi wareOhi ware began as a type of Raku potteries
that originated with the master potter
Chozaemon, the highest pupil of 4th masterof the Raku Clan, Ichinyu, who accompanied
Sen Soshitsu Senso, the fourth generation
Urasenke tea master, when he wassummoned from Kyoto by the fifth lord ofKaga, Maeda Tsunanori.
Ohi ware is characterized by the unique styleof production in which the shape is formedby hand without using a potter's wheel. Afterthe firing stage, the piece is quickly taken outof the kiln while the glaze is still melting. The
amber-colored glaze makes the vibrantgreen of tea stand out, unlike the black or
red firing of the Kyoto Raku style.

Other Traditional Crafts

Kaga fishing flies
Flies for fishing sweet fish weremade by warriors of the Kagaclan in the feudal age. Gold leaf
is applied to the feathers of wild
geese..

Bamboo crafts
The origin of bamboo crafts
dates back to the founding of abamboo workshop by a lord in
the Edo period. Techniques formaking artistic bamboo works
developed alongside the tea
ceremonyandflowerarrangement.

Tea kettles

Kaga lanterns

Gongs

Kanazawa
craftwork

Miyazaki Yoshikazu, the son of
Miyazaki Hikokuro who was afollower of the fifth Lord of Kaga,
was the first to produce this typeof kettle for the tea ceremony. Thekettles feature a distinctive roughsurface and were produced using
an integrated production system.

The production method forgongs was first developed bygong maker Uozumi Iraku, aLiving National Treasure, whose
techniques have been handed
down for generations.

FutamatapaperJapaneseFutamata paper was produced
for public documents anddeveloped under the protectionof the Kaga clan. High quality
paper called Kaga housho has
been made since ancient times.

Kanazawa
Japanese-styleumbrellas

This type of umbrella wasproduced in the Edo, Meiji andTaisho periods (1603~1926)
and is made of durable
Japanese paper.

Sangen 3-stringed musicalKaga paper lanterns were
produced as a replacement fortorches. Their frames made ofrings of bamboo string makethem much more resistant to theelements.

paulownia

Artistic works are produced byskillful wood-turners using highquality paulownia. Patterns basedon traditional Kaga makie lacquer
ware designs are burned into thesurface of the wood.

Local folk toys

The history of the dolls dates backto the Edo period when the third
lord of Kaga, Maeda Toshitsune
commissioned work by dollcreators. Warriors made dolls as aside job, and the technique ofmaking dolls was handed down
for generations.

Kaga poles
Kaga fishing rods, which arelacquer-coating and decorated,
are regarded as the height ofsophistication for their elegant
appearance and solidity.

Koto harp

instrument
Sangen was performed as
background music for plays
and in entertainment districts.
In the Higashi, Nishi andKazue-machi
chaya
tea
districts, the tone of sangenattracted
peopleforentertainment.

Some koto instruments aredecorated with makie or raden
technique for lacquer ware using
gold leafing and seashells. They
are beautiful artistic works in theirown right.

Kaga mizuhiki ceremonial

Kanazawa mounting

package strings
Mizuhiki, which is made ofstrings of paper, was used as an
ornamental
articleoncelebratory
occasions.
The
technique of making artistic
works using mizuhiki is still
being practiced and developed.

Creative City Promotion Office, City of Kanazawa

The refined techniques of scroll
mounters have been documented
since the Edo period and are now
used to renovate important culturalassets.

Tel. 076-220-2031 Fax. 076-264-2535

E-mail kikaku@city.kanazawa.lg.jp