Where Are Japan’s Main Brush Production Areas?How are Japanese brushes made?
As I continue to explore the world of Chinese brushes, I often encounter references to Japanese brushes as well. So, where are Japan’s main brush production areas? How are Japanese brushes made?
Today’s article focuses on Kumano, Japan’s primary brush-producing region, and details the manufacturing process behind these brushes. The steps involved are quite similar to traditional Chinese methods, with one key difference: Japanese brush-making typically relies on “dry work” techniques and omits the “water basin” process commonly used in China.
I hope this article helps everyone gain a better understanding of Japanese brushes and the craftsmanship behind them.
Where Are Japan’s Main Brush Production Areas?
Currently, Japan’s brushes are mainly produced in Nara City, Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture, Tokyo, and Kumano-cho and Kawajiri-cho in Hiroshima Prefecture.
(Qi Ming’s note: Japan’s “cho” (まち, machi) is a basic administrative division under prefectures. In function and size, it’s most similar to China’s township-level administrative divisions, equivalent to China’s “township” or “town” level.)
These places aren’t actually where the animal hair for brush tips or bamboo for brush handles are produced. However, brush-making techniques have been passed down through generations. Today, let’s focus on Japan’s largest brush production area – Kumano.
About Kumano-cho
Kumano-cho is a town neighboring Higashi-Hiroshima City. When entering Kumano-cho, you’ll see many billboards with the character “brush” written on them. Walking through the town, you’ll discover many brush-making factories and family workshops. Kumano-cho is famous throughout Japan as the number one brush-making town.
Why Did Brush Making Flourish in Kumano-cho?
Kumano-cho’s brush industry began about 170 years ago during the late Edo period. At that time, due to scarce farmland, local farmers would travel to work in the Kishu, Kumano, Yamato, and Yoshino regions during off-seasons. When returning home, they would purchase brushes and ink, then sell them as traveling merchants. This encouraged some people to learn brush-making techniques and bring these skills back to their village, teaching them to other villagers.
With support from the Asano Domain (now Hiroshima Prefecture) for craftsmanship, brush and ink sales expanded throughout Japan. This marked the beginning of true brush making in Kumano.
Japanese Craftsmen Making Brushes
At that time, Kumano-cho had no other industries, so brush making became a completely new industry. Through villagers’ tireless efforts and passion, this outstanding craft has been continuously passed down for 170 years until today.
The brush-making movement was led by young villagers. According to some official websites from Kumano, Japan, Sasaki Tameji was sent by ink merchant Choubei to learn brush making in Arima (now Hyogo Prefecture). Additionally, Inoue Jihei learned brush making from a brush master hired by Magoida Saibei, who served in the Asano Domain. Meanwhile, Otomaru Tsuneta also learned brush making in Arima before returning to Kumano.
Led by these young people, brush-making techniques gradually took root in Kumano as they taught villagers the craft.
Growth and Recognition
During the Meiji period, more children began attending school and brushes became widely used, leading to increased production of Kumano brushes. Craftsmen worked hard to create better brushes.
Around 1955, production of painting brushes and makeup brushes began. In 1975, Kumano brushes were first designated as “Traditional Crafts” by the Minister of International Trade and Industry in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Since then, Kumano brushes have become famous throughout Japan. Today, their sales of writing brushes, painting brushes, and makeup brushes all rank first in Japan.
Fude-no-Sato Workshop
If you visit the “Fude-no-Sato Workshop,” which preserves brush-making traditions, you can see and learn about Kumano’s brush-making history and manufacturing processes.
Fude-no-Sato Workshop opened in 1994.
Friends interested in local brush making can visit for tours. For specific information, call TEL (082)855-3010. For opening hours and admission fees, check their official website: http://www.fude.or.jp
The workshop displays various types of brushes including writing brushes, painting brushes, and makeup brushes. Some brushes are even larger than a human body.
Materials Used in Kumano-cho Brush Making
Raw materials for Japanese Kumano brush hair include:
They also use various materials like raccoon dog and weasel hair. They even make “baby hair brushes” using hair from a baby’s first haircut.
Each year, Kumano-cho sells approximately 10 million writing brushes, 12 million painting brushes, and 28 million makeup brushes domestically and internationally. Most of these brushes are handmade by craftsmen.
How are Japanese brushes made?
Japanese Kumano Brush Making Process
The process can be broadly divided into 12 steps, or more than 70 detailed steps.
(Excerpted from Kumano-cho Government Office “Kumano Brushes”)
- Select and blend hair according to brush type.
- Apply ash to the hair, iron it with a fire iron, then wrap and rub it with deer skin.
- Gradually pull out hairs, align the hair roots together, and make all hair face the same direction.
- Use a small knife to remove reverse hairs and damaged hairs.
- Cut from tip to bottom to appropriate lengths for each section.
- Spread the hair thinly, fold and mix it, then apply a thin layer of paste.
- Put the hair into a tube for making the brush core, creating a core of specified thickness.
- Spread the outer hair thinly and wrap it around the dried brush core.
- Tie the base tightly with hemp rope, burn and fix it with a branding iron to complete the brush head.
- Use a small knife to carve the brush handle where the brush head will be inserted, then fix the brush head with adhesive.
- Dip the brush head in paste, rotate the previously wrapped rope to remove paste, and adjust the shape.
- Carve the nameplate on the brush handle with a triangular knife.
Words from a Brush Craftsman
“Without about 10 years of experience, you cannot master brush-making techniques. I’ve made countless brushes, and each one is different – no two brushes are exactly the same. I rely on years of intuition when crafting.
Depending on the hair type, sometimes the work involves finding and removing bad hairs from tens of thousands of individual hairs. Sometimes my eyes get very tired. Although I patiently persist, things don’t always go as planned. Some people who have been making brushes for 50 years still say ‘every day is learning.'”
