It began in Hatasuku in the Hakone Mountains during the late Edo period, and initially, marquetry using random patterns and unit patterns was the mainstream.
At the beginning of the Meiji era, the marquetry technique from the Shizuoka region was introduced, and this was established as the small marquetry pieces with continuous patterns that we see today.
Hakone marquetry is widely known for its intricate handcraft techniques, and it is the only place in Japan where it is produced.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. Drying should be done by natural drying.

   

  2. The creation of "marquetry boards" shall be carried out using the following techniques or methods:
  (1) The pattern shall be a combination of undyed wood grain.
  (2) For making patterned unit materials, use a "cutting stand," a "saw stand," a "shaving stand," a saw with a single tooth, a "flat plane," and a "long-handled plane."
  (3) To perform "gathering" and "large gathering".

   

  3. For "removing the grain," use a "large plane" or a "small plane." In this case, the thickness of the grain should be 0.25 millimeters or more.

   

  4. In the case of joinery, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (1) When attaching "zuku" or split wood panels to a joinery base, the cut edges must not be visible on the surface of the product.
  (2) The joints shall be made by pitonth and pitonth, dovetail joint, or equivalent joints.

   

  5. In the case of turned wood, the following techniques or methods shall be used:
  (1) Shape the object using a potter's wheel and a potter's plane.
  (2) For finishing the turning and polishing the horsetail, use rotation of the lathe in both left and right directions.

   

  6. When inlaying decorations, they must be done by carving or hollowing out.

   

  7. When finishing, the method should be "waxed," "rubbed lacquer," or "wood grain finish."

   

  raw materials

  1. The wood used for the "inlaid wood base plate" must be natural wood.

  2. The wood used for joinery (excluding solid wood joinery) (excluding the wood used for marquetry boards) shall be cedar, cypress, paulownia, katsura, magnolia, sen, kihada, mulberry, zelkova, camphor, walnut, ebony, rosewood, or tagayasan, or timber of equivalent quality.

  ３ 漆は、天然漆とすること。

• Work scene

  Work scene

  In marquetry, pieces of wood with different colors are glued together, and the pattern is progressively expanded from the base material, pattern components, unit pattern materials, and finally to the structural pattern. The resulting base board is then carefully shaved thin with a large plane, requiring immense strength and skill. Marquetry is a craft that demands both precision and boldness.

  工程1： 乾燥

  Dry the marquetry materials in the shade until they are thoroughly dry.

  Process 2: Material selection

  We decide on the pattern for the marquetry piece to be made, and then select and gather the materials accordingly.

  ●Types of patterns
  Typical examples include Ichimatsu, Asanoha, Seigaiha, Sayagata, Nikuzushi, Mimasu, Yakko, and Yabane. Recently, more creative patterns have also been developed.

  ●Color and materials
  White varieties: Japanese spindle tree, holly, linden, sen, dogwood
  Grayish Magnolia, Japanese Rose, and Blue-spotted Blossom
  Pale yellow bitter orange/spindle tree
  Yellowish lacquer trees, mulberry trees, bitterwood trees, Japanese wax trees, and linden trees
  Red-colored padauk lengas (imported material)
  Green Magnolia
  Brownish varieties: Japanese yew, Japanese yew, Japanese pagoda tree, Katsura tree, walnut, camphor tree, mulberry, Japanese honeysuckle, zelkova tree, cherry tree, linden tree, Chinese cypress, Japanese holly, Japanese maple, Japanese nato
  Brown wigs: Jindai, Zelkova Jindai, Sakura Jindai, Walnut, Mansonia
  Black wigs (Kamishiro, Kurikami, Kokutan, Mansonia)

  

  Step 3: Cutting the wood for the components

  Multiple pieces of colored wood to be used for the marquetry pattern are planed to the required thickness using a hand plane. Glue is applied to the surface of each piece, and they are glued together and then tightened with a clamping block. This forms the "base material for the pattern."

  画像をクリックすると動画が再生されます

  Step 4: Planing

  The edges of the base material for the pattern are beveled at a 45-degree angle, placed in a mold, and cut with a handsaw. To further ensure the angle is precise, it is then placed in a planing mold and planed to create the "patterned component."

  Step 5: Marquetry

  Identical pattern pieces are combined, glued together, and tied with cotton cord to create "unit pattern pieces." The precision of these unit pattern pieces is a crucial factor that determines the overall finish of the marquetry.

  

  Step 6: Even out the thickness

  Two or four unit pattern pieces are combined and glued together to enlarge the pattern. They are then tied together with string and cut vertically or horizontally to a uniform thickness using a handsaw to create several blocks. By combining multiple blocks to form a continuous pattern, a "structured pattern" is created, which becomes the "inlaid wood base plate."

  

  Step 7: Wood veneer cutting process

  The marquetry boards are carefully shaved thinly, one by one, using a special large plane. The resulting pieces are called "zuku."

  画像をクリックすると動画が再生されます

  Process 8: Wood processing

  The shaved zuku is usually curved, so it is flattened with an iron. In some cases, it may be backed with Japanese paper.

  

  Step 9: Applying thin wooden veneers

  We use lumber to create marquetry products by attaching it to small boxes and other items. There are also solid marquetry products that use thick marquetry boards as they are.

   

• Close-up

  Close-up

  HAKONE Yosegi Zaiku (Marquetry Wood Mosaics), where the natural colors of the wood create intricate patterns.

  Marquetry, a craft that uses over 50 different types of wood, sorted by color to create intricate patterns, is generally believed to have originated as a souvenir along the Tokaido road. However, its skill and aesthetic sensibility far surpass that of a mere souvenir. It is an exquisite work of art and craftsmanship born from the diverse array of trees found in the Hakone mountains.

   

  A mysterious universe of geometric patterns: marquetry

  The Hakone Mountains, once sung about as "the most treacherous mountains in the land," are not merely steep. Their embrace is vast and deep, and the forests, reminiscent of a loving mother, have nurtured a wide variety of trees. HAKONE Yosegi Zaiku (Marquetry Wood Mosaics) is crafted from these very trees. Arrow feathers, three squares, irregular marquetry, scales, sword flowers, sayagata... A variety of geometric patterns are repeated, creating a mysterious universe of marquetry.
  When you realize that the intricate patterns of brown, white, black, yellow, and red are made up of different types of wood, you can't help but sigh in admiration. Anyone living in the Tokyo metropolitan area would associate Hakone with marquetry. But how many people have truly experienced the exquisite craftsmanship and magnificence of the real thing?

  

  These are carving molds used to create the base material for patterns. Approximately 30 different molds are used depending on the pattern being created.

  The plane is essential for marquetry.

  "Back then, it wasn't such a naive era that individuals could choose a profession based on their own abilities. In my case, my father was a marquetry craftsman, so I naturally entered this field," says Noboru Honma. He has his home and workshop located very close to Hakone-Yumoto Station.
  Mr. Honma started this job shortly after the war, when he was 16 years old. Unlike today, everything was done by hand back then. He says that at first he was frustrated because he couldn't use the plane properly.
  "In this job, the plane is everything. I believe you're not a true craftsman until you can properly adjust the plane's blade."
  Back then, I sharpened my plane blades about 10 to 20 times a day. I started when I was 16, and after three years, when I felt I had become reasonably proficient with a plane, I decided to make an inkstone box. With the thought of "never forget your beginner's spirit" in mind, I continue to use that inkstone box to this day.

  

  For Mr. Noboru Honma, the plane is everything in this job. Countless works of art are created from these hands.

  I was enlightened by the beauty of marquetry.

  When Mr. Honma was in his 30s and 40s, the marquetry industry entered a difficult period, and there was a time when he had to do other woodworking jobs. However, he foresaw that the time would come when handmade items would make a comeback, so he carefully preserved his old marquetry pieces. In his 40s and 50s, he was just barely able to make ends meet. "It wasn't until I was over 55 that I finally started to feel that this job was worthwhile," he says with a wry smile.
  At the age of 50, he envisioned a concrete plan: to create a marquetry museum when he turned 60. He began working on establishing the museum in his mid-50s, and after three years, he made his dream a reality. He still had a few years to spare before reaching his target age of 60. As Mr. Honma began collecting marquetry for the museum, he was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity and high quality of the pieces that had gathered from all over the country.
  "I had an epiphany about the craft and artistic value of these pieces. Until then, even I thought of marquetry as just a souvenir. It would be a waste to keep it as a hobbyist's collection. I thought it would be good to open it up to the general public to raise awareness among visitors about marquetry. I also thought it would be good to let young people who are potential successors see it freely as part of their training."

  

  The carved pieces are less than 1 millimeter thick. It's an astonishingly meticulous piece of handiwork.

  Let's leverage the local advantages and create a system to support successors.

  Even traditional crafts cannot survive if they cling to outdated manufacturing and sales systems. Craftsmen must also improve their profit margins, otherwise, successors will not be nurtured. Mr. Honma is sharp-tongued and cuts through old customs. After much thought, he created the current model, which allows him to sell directly to customers while still maintaining a proper distribution network to wholesalers. His son, who had been working in another field, has returned home and is currently training in marquetry.
  "What do you think will happen now? I'm confident that marquetry won't disappear. It's because it's located right in the heart of Hakone, a popular tourist destination, meaning the production area and consumption area are combined. It's about making it carefully and selling it carefully. High-quality products will always survive. I always tell my son that."
  Before lamenting the lack of successors, Mr. Honma emphasized that those currently in the business must first create a welcoming environment for those who will follow, taking advantage of the local resources.
  Hakone's marquetry is like a miniature version of the forest where diverse tree species coexist. Boxes, drawers, trays, plates, tea coasters—using everyday items adorned with marquetry will allow you to feel even closer to the richness and generosity of Hakone's forest.

  • 

    Mr. Honma's marquetry shogi board has the air of a sophisticated adult toy. "I have a lot of passion for wood, so I make two or three unusual pieces each year."

  • 

    The museum ceiling, meticulously crafted by Mr. Honma, has the feel of a marquetry planetarium when you look up at it.

  Craftsman Profile

  Noboru Honma

   
  Born in 1931, he beams with joy when he sees customers buy the products he has painstakingly created right before his eyes.

  Anecdotes

  The roots of marquetry lie in high-end furniture and furnishings.

  The founder of HAKONE Yosegi Zaiku (Marquetry Wood Mosaics) was a man named Ishikawa Jinbei (1790-1850), who lived in Hatasuku, Hakone Town. There are many documents that mention marquetry, and Siebold's "Travelogue of a Journey to Edo," published in 1826, mentions that the marquetry technique was used for furniture and furnishings. Although marquetry is generally thought of as a souvenir today, its origins suggest that it was originally a luxury item. Marquetry also appears in other works, such as the "New Edition of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Sugoroku" from the Tenpo era (1830-1844) and the Nishiki-e print "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido: Odawara" by Ando Hiroshige and Utagawa Toyokuni. In addition, a replica of a writing box that the literary figure Kitamura Tokoku cherished as a memento of his father is on display at Mr. Honma's museum, which was featured in the close-up.

  • 

    Inside the Honma Museum of Art. Seeing this will completely change your image of marquetry as just a souvenir.