Miyabi Urushi Kogei

About Miyabi Urushi Kogei

Leading Kiso woodworkers, Miyabi Urushi Kogei, have been producing great woodworking products in Kiso, Nagano Prefecture, with knowledge based on years of experience and achievement, and bonding with the craftsmen.

Miyabi Urushi Kogei views its role as a bridge between the beautiful Kiso's nature and the craftsmen, who are experts in wood and know how to make the most of the wood's characteristics and charms, and the household.

While preserving traditional techniques, the maker listens to the varying needs of the times and continues to produce various beautiful woodworking products, from distinctively Japanese products including Kamidana (Shinto household altars) and wooden tubs, to more modern items that fit in with contemporary living without compromise.

What is Kiso Woodworking?

Kiso woodwork is a traditional craft of Kiso, Nagano Prefecture. It is the hometown of woodworking, which has excelled in the restoration of shrines, temples, and historical buildings such as the Ise Jingu Shrine, as well as daily necessities that take advantage of the natural wood's excellent humidity control and antibacterial properties.

The forests of Kiso, which boasts one of the three most beautiful forests in Japan, mainly Hinoki, a cypress species unique to Japan, were so strictly protected in the early Edo period (1603-1868) that cutting down one cypress tree without permission was punishable by death, and was considered the property of the imperial family.

The beautiful natural fine wood that has been protected until now, when it was freed from this policy, is used to make comfortable products full of the gentle fragrance of Hinoki, by the precise handcrafting of craftsmen that as rivals even the most advanced mechanical industry.

1. Selecting Lumber

The makers and craftsmen make numerous visits to lumberyard together to pursue the discovery of truly high-quality wood materials. The annual rings on the trees tell you how they have grown over the years, in what kind of environment, and how they have been exposed to the sun.

2. Cutting

They discuss with skilled craftsmen how to make the most of the wood, look carefully at the direction of the grain, and decide how to cut the wood according to the product to be made. Miyabi Urushi Kogei producer is always present when the lumber is cut, and the craftsmen cut the lumber by hand as a beautiful material using a special large-size saw.

3. Scraping /Assembly

Miyabi Urushi Kogei products are handcrafted in the company's own workshops, one by one, by craftsmen who have mastered their skills while respecting the wood as a living material, inheriting the traditional Kiso woodworking method. The hospitality of accepting custom-made orders, even from small lots, is made possible by the bond between craftsman and manufacturer.

4. Quality Control

Products made from high quality local Kiso lumber are stored in an optimal environment with well-controlled temperature and humidity. Every effort is made to provide high quality but affordable products, all the way down to quality control.

About Kiso Hinoki–Cypress 

"Hinoki" is a cypress tree that grows up to 30~ 40 meters (100~ 130 feets) high and is widely distributed in Japan, with its northern limit in the Tohoku region. And only natural cypresses grown in the Kiso Valley are labeled "Kiso Hinoki," which Nagano Prefecture owns.

In the harsh natural environment of heavy rainfall, severe cold and deep snow in winter, Kiso Hinoki grows more slowly and over a longer period of time than normal cypresses. For this reason, Kiso Hinoki is known as a very superior wood with more dense and beautifully carved annual rings and a richer fragrance.

Hinoki wood has a refreshing aroma, and its aromatic component, Hinokitiol, has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that make it excellent for use in water-related household products like bathtubs and buckets, etc..

It is also a symbol of purity, having been used to make some of Japan's most famous shrines and temples and Buddhist statues, including Ise Jingu Shrine and Horyuji Temple in Nara, because of its shiny beauty and the ability to keep insects at bay.