Our Philosophy

Craftsmanship

Each item created painstakingly
by the craftsman

During the Edo period, the House of Senoshi hired many craftesmen of Washi paper, bamboo, and lacquerware to produce the materials they needed for Ikkanbari products.
The reason they did so is because even at the time, they required materials made using a proprietary approach for use in Ikkanbari that typical craftsmen would not have been able to produce.

The Edo Shogunate ultimately declined and the status of traditional crafts changed with the passage of time, such that the number of craftsmen still working today has declined as well.
And though it has become necessary to procure the bamboo, lacquer, and Washi paper from suppliers, the materials are still chosen with the utmost care, and the craftsman painstakingly creates each work with the same focus and care that has been passed down over generations.

Only natural, unadulterated materials

  • The adhesive paste used to layer the Washi paper is a natural starch paste with no additives.
    While “Starch Paste” is found for sale in most normal shops, we do not use these products as we feel the production and processing methods are important. We procure a special starch paste from a craftsman, designed painstakingly to work well with the production of Ikkanbari.
    And we do not use normal paste or glue.
    We also carefully adjust the concentration of the paste depending on the type of Washi paper being used.

  • We use only natural materials for the wood and bamboo used in the framework of each item.
    The quality and strength of wood and bamboo can vary significantly. Some might even warp when moistened.
    Accordingly, we choose our materials to leverage their natural properties.
    Besides the wood an bamboo, we also use clay to create complicated or streamline shapes. In the production process, the clay will be washed away to finalize a product.

  • 和紙

    We use a great deal of hand made Washi paper for its strength and the ability to blend the edges.
    Today, there are few craftsmen left in Japan who can create Washi paper by hand at a precise thickness. Among them, we procure our paper from only the most exacting craftsmen.
    The Ikkanbari craftsman chooses the optimal choice from a wide range of papers depending on the appearance and texture of the work they wish to produce.

  • 柿渋・漆

    Only natural Urushi lacquer is used for the final coating.

    We use a proprietary coating technique created by the House of Senoshi because general traditional approaches do not work well with Ikkanbari.

  • Traditional Ikkanbari from the House of Hirai Ikkan Senoshi Atelier Yume Hitori
    Address: Ukyo-ku, Kyoto Detail
    Closed: irregularly (please contact us for operating days) Zuiho Onoe, 14th generation proprietor

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