What is the Kumano Brush, a global brand that Kumano-Cho, the largest brush production area in Japan, boasts to the world?
Kumano brushes, a specialty of Kumano-Cho, have a history of more than 190 years since the end of the Edo period. Kumano brushes are made by hand in a process that cannot be replaced by machines, and which can be divided into 12 major steps from preliminary work to finishing. In 1975, Kumano became the first brush manufacturer in Japan to be designated as a traditional craft by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (now the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry). Even today, approximately 2,500 people, led by 15 traditional craftsmen, or about one in 10 of the town's residents, are engaged in brush making. The town boasts the top share of the national market for brushes for calligraphy, painting and pottery, and makeup brushes.
Among them, the Kumano cosmetic brush has made a name for itself as a "made in Japan gem" and a "must-have item. Some of you may have paid attention to Kumano brushes as souvenirs for former U.S. President Barack Obama's wife when he visited Japan, or as commemorative gifts for the Japanese women's national soccer team, Nadeshiko Japan, when they received the National Honor Award. Today, Kumano brushes are trusted by famous makeup artists not only in Japan but also around the world, making people around the world glow with beauty.
The museum "Fudenosato kobo" is a place where visitors can see, touch, and experience the charm of the Kumano brush. The museum has a permanent exhibition of the "Four Treasures of Literature," consisting of the brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper, which have been prized in Chinese and Japanese culture since ancient times, demonstrations of brush making by traditional craftsmen, and various special exhibitions throughout the year. Visitors can try their hand at two of the 12 brush-making processes: "Jomo Maki" and "Finishing," and if they make a reservation at least one week in advance, they can have their name engraved on the brush's shaft. In addition, there are other hands-on activities using the Kumano brush, such as writing and painting on painted paper, making Japanese tapestries, writing travel memories on painted paper, making brush art badges popular among children, receiving one-pointed advice from a beautiful calligraphy craftsman (available only on weekends and holidays). Inside the museum, there is a museum store with original goods and items related to the exhibition, and a Kumano Brush Select Shop with approximately 1,500 types of Kumano brushes, where visitors can enjoy looking for souvenirs unique to the village of brushes.
In Kumano-Cho, the annual festival is also "Brush". The "Brush Festival," Kumano Town's largest event, is held on the Autumnal Equinox Day, September 23 every year. The festival was first held in 1935 to commemorate Emperor Saga, one of Japan's three brush makers, and to thank the pioneers of brush making in Kumano Town. Among the many events, the "Daisaku seat calligraphy" is particularly famous, with famous calligraphers writing large calligraphy works on a special piece of cloth about 15 tatami mats in size, and the sight of local people writing a variety of works all at once is a sight to behold. The "10,000 Brushes Street," where as many as 10,000 brushes are hung along both sides of the approach to the shrine, and the "Brush Market," with its wide variety of brushes, are just a few of the many attractions.
