Wajima Lacquer Museum

Founded by a cooperative of lacquer artisans to preserve important pieces and explain their craft to the public. One piece of Wajima lacquerware requires more than 100 individual steps, from carving wood to layering up to 30 coats of urushi sap, each dried for 24 hours in a dust-free environment. What distinguishes Wajima work is the addition of locally occurring diatomaceous earth to the base coat for durability, and cloth reinforcement at the thin edges of dishes and bowls. The museum displays 133 bowls in sequence illustrating each phase of production. Above the store, historical examples and seasonal exhibitions are on view.