Our typical impression when we think of paulownia woodwork is a chest of drawers, but in Kanazawa, a region of heavy snow, it should be a Hibachi charcoal brazier made of good ‘sticky’ paulownia wood. Makie gold lacquered braziers are made by adding rust (a mixture of Urushi lacquer and polishing powder) onto the paulownia wood, the surface of which is burnt so that the wood grain becomes more vibrant. These are a daily necessity as a heating device which is light in weight and is damp- and fire-proof, as well as being an exceptional piece of craftwork wearing the elegance of the lacquer work over the burnt skin of beauty and warmth. When the fuel revolution happened in the middle of the Showa period (around 1955-1964), the brazier shifted from being a practical everyday object to a hobby item, and now of the numerous manufacturers who existed, only three remain.

Located in Hyotanmachi of Kanazawa City, Iwamoto Kiyoshi Shouten has been making products from paulownia woodwork since its establishment in 1913. Above the entrance, there is an aged sign saying ‘Paulownia Charcoal Brazier’. In the shop display, we see decorative accessories such as elegantly lacquered signature braziers, hanging scrolls, and folding screens, as well as practical products such as small round braziers and trays, and teacup saucers. There, we can physically touch and check the quality of Kanazawa paulownia woodwork – its feeling of lightness and softness, and a gloss emerging over time during use. When the present head, Seishiro Iwamoto, was thinking about closing the business, his daughter Ayumi and her husband Kensuke Uchida thought they would like to try and see what they can do, and moved to Kanazawa from Tokyo. That was 12 years ago. Together with Ayumi’s younger brother and turner Tadashi Iwamoto, the workshop has been creating products such as contemporary containers and revived braziers, and promoting the characteristic of the good old – yet at the same time new – paulownia woodwork craft.