The Appeal of Kintsugi, Rooted in Japan’s Sense of Beauty

The method of “repairing things with urushi lacquer” is actually said to date back to the Jomon period. Weapons such as spears repaired with lacquer have been excavated from Jomon-period strata. Around the same time, techniques for bonding with lacquer were also confirmed on the Asian continent. Liquid lacquer can cause a rash if touched with bare hands, but once fully dried, it is highly safe for the human body. With its extremely powerful hardening properties, lacquer was valued from ancient times as an adhesive for repairing broken objects. However, at that stage, it was used only for repair, and the repaired areas were not yet decorated with gold.
There are several theories about the origin of kintsugi, but the most widely accepted one is that it began in the Muromachi period. Tea culture is believed to have played a major role in its birth. During the Muromachi period, the eighth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, retired to Ginkaku-ji, a Zen temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area, and promoted cultural practices shaped by Zen Buddhism, including tea ceremony, ikebana, and ink painting. These arts then spread widely. As tea culture flourished, tea utensils also developed. Tea bowls were originally often imported from China and Korea, but were later produced in Kyoto and other regions across Japan. Because the utensils used in tea culture were extremely expensive, broken or cracked tea ware was repaired with lacquer and then decorated with gold, and this is thought to be the beginning of kintsugi. The technique was later popularized by Sen no Rikyu, who, like Yoshimasa, made a major contribution to tea culture. Sen no Rikyu valued emotion over splendor and is thought to have highly appreciated kintsugi because it aligned with the concept of wabi-sabi, which seeks beauty in simplicity and in the quiet melancholy of things fading and weathering over time.

The repaired areas finished with sprinkled gold are called “landscapes.” In the age when tea culture flourished, the patterns created by kintsugi were likely appreciated as resembling beautiful natural scenery. Rather than pretending the damage never happened, people saw it as part of the vessel’s history and even cherished the scars themselves. They found beauty in imperfection.

Prepare a lidded wooden box, cardboard box, or plastic case large enough to hold the vessel comfortably. Use a spray bottle or similar tool to moisten the inside of the box with water. Because lacquer hardens by absorbing moisture from the air, place a wet cloth at the bottom of the box.

Make mugi-urushi, the adhesive used to join broken pieces together. It is made with wheat flour, and the gluten in the flour combined with the stickiness of lacquer creates a very strong bond. This mugi-urushi is said to be so powerful that it cannot be peeled off with just a little force.
Dissolve wheat flour in water, then add an equal amount of raw lacquer to the flour-water mixture and knead it thoroughly with a spatula. As you knead, it becomes sticky. Once it reaches a sufficient stickiness, you have a traditional adhesive made from 100% natural materials. Mugi-urushi is made fresh each time because storing it slows the drying process.

Grind away any excess mugi-urushi using dry sandpaper, waterproof sandpaper, a crystal whetstone, or a craft knife. If a missing section was rebuilt with sabi, shape it to match the vessel using dry sandpaper, waterproof sandpaper, or similar tools. What matters here is not damaging the vessel with the sandpaper or whetstone, so the work must be done carefully.

Sand the areas repaired or joined in step 4 once more with finer waterproof sandpaper or a crystal whetstone to smooth the surface. If a section was shaped with sabi, sand that entire area. This makes it easier in the next step to draw lines or paint surfaces with lacquer. Here too, care must be taken not to damage the pottery.

The middle coat is a very important step that greatly affects the final finish. Use a maki-e brush to apply black roiro lacquer to the sanded areas. If a section was shaped with sabi, use a foundation brush to coat the entire area with black roiro lacquer. Then place it in the muro right away and let the lacquer dry for about 1 day. It is recommended to apply the middle coat carefully about 3 times.

Sand the areas coated with black roiro lacquer in step 6 using waterproof sandpaper or a crystal whetstone to smooth the surface.

Carefully apply a thin layer of “e-urushi” to the sanded area. Applying it thinly is very important. If it is too thick, the gold applied afterward may sink. If the gold sinks, more gold powder will be needed.

Put marufun gold powder into a powder tube, then tap it with your finger to sprinkle the powder onto the areas painted with e-urushi.
Place it in the muro and let it dry for 2 to 3 days.

After sprinkling the gold powder in step 9, a lot of it will stick to unwanted areas. Once the lacquer is dry, brush it off with a kebo tool to collect the excess powder.

Apply a thin coat of uwazuri lacquer with a brush over the areas where the gold was sprinkled. Then gently press tissue onto the coated areas to absorb the excess uwazuri lacquer. The key to a beautiful finish is to repeat this until no more lacquer transfers to the tissue. Place it in the muro and let it dry for about 1 day.

Carry out “tonoko dozuri,” a process in which tonoko powder is crushed with a spatula. Thoroughly knead the crushed tonoko powder with about the same amount of drying oil. Apply it to cotton and carefully polish the gold-sprinkled areas with a light touch, without pressing hard.

This is the final step. Put ishiko powder on your finger and firmly polish the kintsugi-repaired area until your finger feels hot.

Once the gold begins to shine, the process is complete. If the gold does not shine, go back to step 12 and repeat steps 12 and 13.

Gold or silver powder is generally used for the final finish, but sometimes the piece is finished with lacquer alone. In that case, lacquer mixed with powdered pigment is used. Pigments come in colors such as vermilion, light blue, and pink, and these cute colors are often used when repairing children’s tableware with kintsugi.

To maintain strength, when doing kintsugi on something like a cup handle, Japanese paper may be attached with a mixture of rice flour and lacquer for reinforcement. The kintsugi process varies by craftsperson and reflects individual style.

People who enjoy kintsugi at home as a hobby may also use simpler methods without lacquer.

Urushi is refined sap collected from the lacquer tree, a member of the Anacardiaceae family and the Toxicodendron genus, and it serves as a “natural adhesive.” It is a one-of-a-kind material unlike any other. It is harvested by making cuts in the trunk from around June, when sap secretion becomes active, but only about 200 ml can be collected from a single tree. What’s more, it takes over 10 years from planting before the sap can be harvested. It is a very limited and precious natural resource.

Urushi is widely distributed across Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia. Among them, urushi produced in Japan contains a high level of urushiol and is said to be of the finest quality. However, most of the urushi used in Japan today is produced in China, while Japanese-produced urushi accounts for only a few percent, said to be around 2% to 5%. In the past, lacquer trees were cultivated across many parts of Japan to produce urushi, but today they are grown only in a few limited areas such as the Joboji district of Ninohe City in Iwate Prefecture, as well as Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.
In particular, the Joboji district of Ninohe City in Iwate Prefecture accounts for Approx. 75% of domestic production. Records remain showing that trees were planted in this area from the Edo period. Since the Meiji era, the region has managed regrowth after felling and worked hard to restore lacquer forests, helping preserve Japanese-produced urushi.

Sap can only be collected from lacquer trees that are at least 10 years old. The harvesting of urushi is called “urushi-kaki” and is carried out every year from around June to around October. Scratches are made on the trunk, and the sap that comes out is scraped together with a spatula. Today, the most common harvesting method is called “koroshi-gaki.” In this method, the tree is cut down after the sap is collected, but new shoots sprouting from the stump are grown for more than 10 years until they can again produce urushi.

Various types of urushi are used in the kintsugi process. Here are some examples.

Marufun is made by burning thinly stretched gold foil into powder and shaping it into spherical particles, making it expensive. Under a microscope, the particles appear round, smooth, and uniformly spherical. When used in kintsugi, each particle is spherical, so the powder has thickness and takes more effort to polish. At the same time, it is durable, lasts well, and reflects light easily, so the more it is polished, the more luster it gains, producing especially strong gloss among gold powders.
The finished look makes the gold stand out, giving a glamorous and luxurious feel. For that reason, marufun is often used in high-end kintsugi works, and if marufun made from high-purity gold is used, the color is less likely to change and its beauty lasts for a long time. Marufun is also used in the restoration of artworks. There are about 20 sizes of marufun, but the kind used in kintsugi is the finest or second-finest grade.

Keshifun is made by finely grinding gold leaf or gold powder. Unlike marufun, its particles are irregular in shape, and one of its main characteristics is that it reflects less light than marufun. The finish has a matte texture. True to its name, it produces a result where the gloss seems to “fade,” giving a calm impression or one that blends naturally with the vessel. Keshifun is used when you do not want the kintsugi to stand out too much or depending on the atmosphere of the piece. It is also less expensive than marufun, so it is commonly used by people who do kintsugi as a hobby.
Because it is easy to handle, it is one of the gold powders well suited for beginners.

Hiragokufun has characteristics that fall between marufun and keshifun. It is among the finer types of gold powder made by firing and crushing gold leaf. Its particles are extremely fine and have a thin, flat shape. As a result, the finish has soft light reflection and an elegant, subdued luster. It does not have the very strong gloss of marufun, but it is brighter than keshifun, allowing the gold color to stand out in a restrained and beautiful way. Because it gives a smooth and softly lustrous appearance, it is used for finishing works that call for elegance. It is a very well-balanced gold powder.
Because it adheres well, it is also one of the gold powders that beginners can handle easily. It is well suited for drawing fine lines and delicate patterns. It is valued not only in kintsugi but also in traditional crafts such as maki-e.

Other types of gold powder used in kintsugi include kiriko, koikin-fun, and tankin-fun. The choice of gold powder used in the finishing step completely changes the impression of the final result, so selecting the right powder is very important. Choosing a type of gold powder that matches the texture of the vessel, how it will be used, and your ideal gold shine is key to bringing out the beauty of kintsugi even more.

There is a place in Kyoto where even beginners can try kintsugi: Shikata Kizo Urushi Shop, founded in 1867. This shop wholesales and retails urushi and lacquerware materials, and its deep knowledge and experience with urushi mean they can answer just about any question you may have about lacquer or kintsugi. For nearly 160 years, they have protected and refined techniques passed down through generations while working to share the excellence of urushi and kintsugi with the future. They reportedly receive 200 to 300 kintsugi repair requests a year, and because they use traditional methods, each item is repaired with great care over the course of several months. They have even repaired vessels as large as the width of outstretched arms and pieces broken into more than 30 parts. In other words, Mr. Shikata is such an expert in kintsugi that there is almost nothing he cannot fix.
The one-day workshop began around 5 to 6 years ago in response to growing demand from people saying they wanted to try it. You can bring in a treasured piece that is broken or chipped and repair it, but if you do not have such an item, the shop can provide one for the experience. It is so popular that around 40 to 50 people try it each month. In particular, more people take part from March to April as the number of tourists increases.

At Shikata Kizo Urushi Shop, you can enjoy a casual and fun kintsugi experience while drinking coffee. The experience takes Approx. 2 to 2.5 hours. Of course, you can take your repaired piece home and use it yourself. Even if it is your first time or you are not good at detailed work, there is no problem at all! They will kindly and carefully teach you how to do kintsugi.

There are a few points to keep in mind when handling tableware repaired with kintsugi.
Please take care so that the repaired areas last as long as possible.

Kintsugi is an old technique, but it has been reappraised in recent years. One major trigger was the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. Centered off the Sanriku coast, this magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the largest ever recorded in Japan, caused enormous damage across eastern Japan, especially in Tohoku. Due to intense shaking, massive tsunamis, fires, and other impacts, more than 130,000 buildings were completely destroyed. Many people lost treasured vessels and keepsakes when they were broken in the disaster.
At that time, kintsugi artisans reportedly received many repair requests. Recovery has no true endpoint, but kintsugi, which can restore vessels filled with memories, also helped emotional recovery and drew renewed attention. Japan is an earthquake-prone country, and many people also turned to kintsugi to repair treasured broken vessels after later disasters such as the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016, the Northern Osaka Earthquake in 2018, and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024.

In addition, during the stay-at-home period caused by the spread of COVID-19 beginning in 2019, kintsugi was introduced in the media as a new hobby that could be started at home, and it became especially popular among younger generations. Kintsugi, with its so-called “Instagrammable” appeal, spread across social media and drew attention not only in Japan but overseas as well. In the West, broken tableware has traditionally often been seen as unlucky, so Japan’s kintsugi technique may have felt especially fresh and striking.