Ouchi Lacquer Ware A glimpse of Ouchi culture What has come to be known as "Ouchi culture" was the result of patronage of the arts by one of the important feudal lords of the 12th-13th centuries in western Japan. Ouchi lacquer ware is a legacy of that great culture that is still charming people today. I went to the Nakamura Mingei Company in Yamaguchi City and asked decoration artist Isao Nakamura for his observations on the craft today. Collaboration of father and sons The Nakamura Mingei Company in Ouchi, Yamaguchi City, engages in the entire lacquering process from applying the base coats to the top layers and surface decoration. The president, Mr Jun Nakamura, has been engaged in the craft for more than 40 years. He now concentrates on the job of applying the base coats while his second son Ken specializes in the middle to top layers, and his first son Isao applies the gold relief and other decoration. Isao studied lacquering in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, for two years after leaving high school and then apprenticed to a gold relief decoration specialist for five years. Ken was also an apprentice in Wajima for 5 years. Isao told me that he found lacquering extremely difficult for the first two years because the urushi lacquer gave him a persistent and painful rash. But he said he was resigned to taking over his father's profession from a young age and felt it was just a matter of course. Now he finds there is much to learn everyday. His father always encourages him to be inquisitive, ready to learn, and to be adventurous. So he says he is always watchful for interesting ideas to incorporate into his craft. Isao, left, says he learns something every day, and Ken, right, is in charge of the inner layers of lacquering. The Ouchi design, characterized by autumn grasses and gold diamonds Traditional "Ouchi" designs The Ouchi lacquer ware repertoire covers trays, vases, bowls, stacked boxes, and dolls. It is distinguished by designs painted on the surface accented by diamonds of gold leaf or gold powder decoration. The most representative Ouchi design is a depiction of autumn grasses in mustard-color lacquer on a tan surface with diamonds of gold leaf known as "Ouchi diamonds." The diamond design was derived from the motif on the original Ouchi Family crest and, in conjunction with the autumn grasses, represents prosperity. Some Ouchi products are plain, others have pictures of pines or pagodas, but the best sellers of all are the round trays with autumn grasses and Ouchi diamond design. Lacquer craftsmen such as Isao are most intent on getting the chrysanthemum part of the autumn motif just right since the chrysanthemum is the flower of Yamaguchi, and they also work hard on the tan color. The origin Ouchi dolls also account for a large proportion of sales. These dolls come in pairs representing a lord and his lady. The characteristic pursed lips and long thin eyes of Ouchi dolls are manifested slightly differently by each artist. Isao says he hates to see the faces painted with inexpressive or cold eyes and he is always mindful to make them as charming as possible, but he admits it is not easy because the expressions on the dolls' faces tend to alter depending on the mood he is in that day and even small aberrations in the brushstroke can make all the difference. A legendary loving couple was the origin of these Ouchi dolls. New products, new ideas A variety of new Ouchi lacquer ware products have been added to the traditional repertoire recently. These include a blowfish doll, blowfish being a specialty of Yamaguchi, and there are also dolls in bamboo cages and Ouchi kokeshi dolls. Dolls are especially popular for hikidemono - the gifts given to wedding guests in return for their money envelopes - and other commemorative presents. Nakamura Mingei also makes a set of traditional hina-ningyo for the Dolls Festival in March complete with lanterns and folding screen. Isao says he is also trying to develop special products for the Tanabata star festival and other traditional ritual occasions which have not been tried before in Ouchi lacquer. At an exhibition of new Ouchi lacquer ware products planned by Yamaguchi City there were 245 unusual new ideas. I even saw cell phone straps, lampshades and false fingernails. Ouchi blowfish ornaments are a new product. Unusual classes People interested in making lacquer ware themselves can take part in regular lacquering classes at the Furusato Denju Center in Yamaguchi City. Three thousand people -- mainly elementary school children -- visit the center a year and learn how to apply decorations like gold leaf to chopsticks. There are also regular lacquering classes, which are attended by 60 enthusiastic amateurs from their 20s to 70s who even include some young people interested in becoming professional lacquer ware artisans. One of the class's instructors, Junji Tomita, points out that while pottery classes are easy to find in Yamaguchi it is rare to find a lacquering class and he hopes people from far and wide will take advantage of them.