Iwate Prefecture Historical Research No. 77: Changes in the Nanbu Lacquer sap collectinng Shoichi Tanaka
Material from the section describing the curing scraping practised in the Nanbu domain during the Edo period.
It states that when a delegation from the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the People's Republic of China visited Joboji in 1982, Iwadate Shoji, then head of the Joboji Lacquer Association, gave a demonstration.
I am told that Chinese lacquer wood was also brought to Joboji at this time.
This means that the lacquer trees used for the Kawahagi sickle had been planted in Joboji since the Edo period. Current DNA analysis has shown that it is of the same strain as lacquer from the Jomon period..
The lacquer culture of the Tohoku region, which is unique to Japan, should be cherished.
History of Japanese lacquer sap collectinng2
2024-03-23T12:00
Iwate Prefecture Historical Research No. 77: Changes in the Nanbu Lacquer sap collectinng Shoichi Tanaka
Generally speaking, the yojogaki involves scraping a part of the sapwood in the height of summer when the trees are growing in the first year, letting the trees rest in the second year, scraping the remaining poison oak in the summer of the third year, scraping the Ura and Tome of the trees in late autumn, and then cutting the trees and collecting branch lacquer afterwards.
However, the Southern yojogaki is different from this, as it is done during the period of reduced tree growth, avoiding the height of summer, so as not to kill the trees, and it has become particularly famous as 'Southern yojogaki'. An old Urushikaki (Japanese horseshoe oyster) elder who came down from Echizen to Ninohe County in the first year of the Meiji era once told me that it was called 'Nanbu no Idiot Scraping'. 、、、、he wrote.
I am not sure about curing scraping in the Edo period. There are different records of 100- and 200-year-old lacquer trees here and there, but this explanation makes sense.
The Joboji area is now like a lacquer botanical garden with various subspecies of lacquer trees.
History of Japanese lacquer sap collectinng3
2024-04-21T20:40
Chuson-ji Konjikido, Joho-ji used in the major repairs of the Showa period, and these are valuable photographs of Sajiro Matsumori's lacquer scraping. The bark is so rugged that a scythe was necessary. These photographs were taken at Joboji before the establishment of the Association of Cultural Property Lacquer, and before the introduction of Chinese lacquer trees.
Until the Edo period, the lacquer wax from the nuts of the trees was a source of money and it was necessary to preserve the trees. From the Meiji period onwards, lamp oil was imported and there was no longer demand for wax products made from lacquer nuts. Sap became the main source of cash and trees were cut down. This is what we now call the energy demand problem.
I believe that it was the lacquer wax that enabled Chuson-ji Konjikido to be built.
Lacquer from this variety was used in bomb detonators. There is nothing wrong with it in terms of quality.
History of Japanese lacquer sap collectinng 4
2024-05-15T21:10
This is a map of the territory of the Nanbu clan in the Edo period.
A letter from Nambu Toshinao, circa 1596-1623, describes the curing scraping of lacquer.
In 1643, there is a letter in reply to the Nanbu clan's donation of lacquer for the construction of the San no Maru of Edo Castle.
In 1653, the Nanbu clan's "Miscellaneous Sho" still contains a detailed account of the donation of lacquer to the Nanbu clan. According to the history of Joboji-cho, the overwhelming majority of lacquer was produced in the Mabuchi River basin, including tributaries such as the Abi and Hiranuka Rivers, with little in the Kamikita region and none in the Shimokita region, and a small proportion south of Morioka.
In 1823 Siebold came to Nagasaki and brought back botanical samples. And around 1870 Quinn, who was posted to the consulate in Hakodate, collected a tool at scraper of jpanese lacqer tree for the Kew Garden, which means that a variety of lacquer tree that required scythe was planted in the area in the early Edo period. This means that the variety of lacquer tree that requires a scythe was planted in the area in the early Edo period.
History of Japanese lacquer sap collectinng 5
2024-06-13T19:00
This data is the result of an identification study of lacquer trees from the Jomon period by Professor Mitsuo Suzuki of the Botanical Garden, Tohoku University. It is characterised by the fact that the diameters of the vessels increase with the growth of the tree in the earlywood portion of the annual rings.
The specimen is a part of a lacquer tree from the Jopoji Cultural Hall, aged between 30 and 40 years. It can be seen that the data is consistent with the data. The μmm scale has also been determined by lens correction in Photoshop and using Illustrator.
Trees that require a scraping sickle with craggy bark show that they have been handed down from the Jomon period.Genetic analysis has also proven that the present-day Joboji trees are consistent with the Jomon period.
The lacquer trees in the Jopoji Cultural Hall are different from the species brought from China that are commonly found in planting areas today. This is probably a valuable botanical memory heritage of trees ranging in age from 1 to 100 years, dating from the Jomon period.
Lacquer tree specimen
2024-07-01T12:00
This data is the result of an identification study of lacquer trees from the Jomon period by Professor Mitsuo Suzuki of the Botanical Garden, Tohoku University. It is characterised by the fact that the diameters of the vessels increase with the growth of the tree in the earlywood portion of the annual rings.
The specimen is a branch with seeds and winter buds sent by Mr Shunzo Omori. It can be seen that the data are consistent with the data.
In the central part, where there is no data, the diameters of the ducts are uniform between the earlywood and latewood parts. The hardness is also low and qualitatively completely different from the second year onwards. This is a common characteristic of both unevenness and evenness trees.
Japanese Lacquer : Bark : Pith
2024-07-01T12:00
The photograph shows a section of a poison oak tree with rugged bark. It has been then felled, with sap oozing from the cut.
Differences in the various shapes of trees, such as barkandpith (wikipedia), are a major clue to classification.Apart from shape variations caused by differences in growing conditions, such as climate change, topography and soil, there are also genetically inherited shape differences.
Unfortunately, there is no specimen of the central part of the Johoji Cultural Centre lacquer tree. However, I still have data on the size of the Vessel element, including the pith, in my art-work.
In the identification of Jomon period wood, it is difficult to distinguish mountain poison oak from poison ivy in the absence of remaining bark. However, it would be easier to authenticate by observing changes in the diameter of the earlywood in the Vessel element.
Hometown Cultural Asset Forest by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
2024-09-01T08:30
The Joboji Lacquer Forest was registered in 2007 as the first of its kind under
the Agency for Cultural Affairs' “Hometown Cultural Heritage Forest” system promotion project.
When I was in Joboji (1995-2000), The area in this photo was the bark uneven lacquer tree planting area that I was told about by lacquer scrapers and townspeople. It took me several years to understand the importance and rarity of the different types of lacquer trees, as I was unaware of their existence. The planting techniques vary depending on the type of tree. I provided information to those involved in lacquer in Tokyo that the uneven lacquer tree planting area and tree planting techniques have been passed down and are being managed by local planting associations.I was thrilled to learn that this project had started after I moved to Saitama. If you look at the recent situation on search for "Google Maps Street View"and "Jobōji Urushi Forest", I am disappointed.If you repair the tree with sap from the same variety, the color will match so well that you won't be able to tell which part has been repaired. However, before we knew it, large numbers of lacquer trees, which were different from the lacquer trees with uneven bark, began to be planted or mixed together.
I want you to know the region's heritage of authenticity.
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