Wakasa lacquered pair of chopsticks & Imari ware chopstick set in a paulownia box

Bridging happiness through 110,000 meals.

In our 100-year lifespan, we experience 110,000 moments of meals. Craftsmanship honed by thoughts and history. With chopsticks made with care, each one crafted individually, every meal becomes a slightly richer moment. This is a pair set of chopsticks and chopstick rests, perfect for gifts such as wedding celebrations, filled with such heartfelt sentiments. This is a set of Wakasa lacquered chopsticks and Imari ware chopstick rests. The chopstick rests are traditionally considered symbols of longevity, featuring auspicious cranes and turtles. It is designed as an AKOMEYA TOKYO original by the Setada Pottery (Kiln Mark: Kanemon Kiln), a kiln for Imari and Nabeshima ware.

◎What is Wakasa Lacquerware?

It is a traditional craft passed down in the Wakasa region of Fukui Prefecture since the Edo period. Its techniques are highly regarded and it has been designated as a traditional Japanese craft. The most distinctive feature is the beautiful patterns that are created by layering colored lacquer over shells and eggshells and then polishing them. Its beauty is such that it is sometimes referred to as "jewelry lacquer." 

◎What is Imari ware?

It is a general term for porcelain fired in the Imari district of Saga Prefecture after the Meiji period. During the Edo period, there was a government kiln of the Nabeshima clan in the Okawachiyama area of Imari, and it was presented to the shogun and the imperial court as Nabeshima ware. However, its distinctive styles, such as underglaze blue, colored Nabeshima, and Nabeshima celadon, were not seen by the general public. Afterwards, due to the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, the Nabeshima clan was dissolved, and Nabeshima ware as the "official kiln of the Nabeshima clan" was lost. And now, the Okawachi kiln, which has inherited that style, The items produced are called "Imari ware" and "Nabeshima ware."