PERLA Glass + Lacquer - YOSHIHIKO FUJII (Wakayama Prefecture)

PERLA Glass + Lacquer YOSHIHIKO FUJII (Wakayama Prefecture)

Kuroe lacquer traditions meet the feminine sensibilities of Kobe’s beloved pearls. Western-style lacquerware to suit a casual dining table.

Knifes and forks damage lacquerware, which makes using the material difficult. Challenging this notion, PERLA is a western-style lacquerware combining glass and lacquer together. Yoshihiko Fujii, the fourth generation head of family lacquerware company, which created kishu and kuroe lacquerware for many years, launched his brand YOSHIHIKO FUJII in 2015, and PERLA became a popular item.
Kishu lacquerware is one of Japan’s four main lacquerware styles, boasting a history of over 400 years. Quicker to act than other lacquerware-producing regions, kishu lacquerware is known for moving into a mass production model using plastic material. This lacquerware has been exported in great quantities, and Fujii spent his 20's attending overseas trade shoes and meeting with department stores, shipping the lacquerware products daily. “I began to perform the lacquer painting on my own, receiving instruction from my father when the workload couldn’t keep up with demand,” says Fujii. “But in the mid-90s, the Japanese yen shot up, and exports abroad completely crashed. Lacquerware workshops in the area began to go out of business one after the other.”

Considering a new made-to-order business model, Fujii momentarily left to work at a furniture manufacturer. After studying the world of made-to-order furniture, Fujii established “Nuri Kobo Fujii” (Fujii Finishing Workshop) in 2001, equipped with the tools required to provide finishing coats on large furniture and fittings. In addition to technical coating and design skills, Fujii ventured into developing in-house paints and primers. With pressure to succeed mounting, he broke into new territory based on a concept to provide services that other companies cannot. With a desire to make something out of glass and lacquer, various prototypes were continually developed since 2002. But it was Kobe-based designer Eri Inaba who provided the hint for a more feminine perspective. Realizing Inaba’s idea, the product was a big hit when it debuted in Kobe. The product is now moving into overseas markets as well. “My aim is to have kuroe – the firing method for this tableware – recognized once again throughout the world as a lacquerware, and I hope that we can create jobs and pass this technique on to the next generation,” says Fujii.

YOSHIHIKO FUJII(Nuri Kobo Fujii)

532-4 Nataka, Kainan-shi, Wakayama
642-0032
Tel.073-483-0323
http:/www.nuri-koubou.com

The lacquer is not damaged even when washed in the dish washer.

The lacquer is not damaged
even when washed in the dish washer.

Mass production made possible with large drying rooms utilizing infrared rays.

Mass production made possible
with large drying rooms utilizing infrared rays.

The showroom displays glass + lacquerware pieces, among others.

The showroom displays
glass + lacquerware pieces, among others.

PERLA Glass + Lacquer - YOSHIHIKO FUJII (Wakayama Prefecture)

PRODUCTS - 2019

PRODUCTS - 2018

PRODUCTS - 2017

PRODUCTS - 2014

PRODUCTS - 2013