Keep it long, treasure it long.

Natural wood sake cup

The sake cup is made of natural wood. As you hold, you might be surprised how light and symmetrical the cup is. Those characteristics are because of the process the sake cup was manufactured.

Woodturning sake cup

The sake cup is made by turning wood on a lathe. It is a unique process to form a wood piece into a product, especially a symmetric one. The material for the sake cup is Japanese zelkova, which is hard and extremely durable. The wood is usually used for furniture and building materials.

By having the process of woodturning, the sake cup becomes remarkably light and smooth. You would find the beautiful grain of zelkova.

There are two different finishes for the sake cup. The one of Fuki-urushi is covered with urushi lacquer. Urushi is a natural lacquer of the urushi tree and enables the products to be more stable and resistant to moisture and heat. You can enjoy the elegant sheen as well. The natural finish is covered with urethane coating that makes you easy to care.

Tradition of Yamanaka lacquerware

Yamanaka lacquerware is a kind of lacquerware produced in Kaga area, Ichikawa Prefecture of Japan. The production started over 400 years ago. The features of Yamanaka lacquerware are using woodturning to form products and being covered with urushi, which is made from the sap of the urushi tree.

KIHACHI KOBO is now the oldest manufacturer of Yamanaka lacquerware founded in 1882. The brand follows the traditional technique of grinding wood to create items, such as bowls, cups and plates. It suggests the modern style of Japanese lacquerware.