Urushi Nation Joboji

The party led by Mayor Fujiwara Jun of Ninohe City, Iwate visited New York again and held “Ninohe City Fair in New York 2015.”

2. Ninohe City Fair in New York 2015 Opening Reception / Joboji urushi × Nanbu Bijin Seminar

　The opening reception was held in Japan Club Oct. 6 (Tuesday) from 6:30 pm. Government and local government officials, an association of people from Iwate prefecture, the people involved in lacquer, art and Japanese sake were invited to the opening reception. Seminar of lacquer and Japanese sake was conducted in the Rose room on the second floor, and tasting of sake, exhibition, and sale of lacquer and introduction of local products were carried out in the gallery on the seventh floor. More reporters crowded the venue than last year and high attention to this “Ninohe City fair” was seen.
（Japan Club：http://www.nipponclub.org/?lang=ja）

4. Lectures on Joboji urushi “Ninohe’s persistent manufacturing. －Joboji urushi and Nanbu Bijin－”

　　A lecture on Japan lacquer was given in the same place of the exhibition (the seventh floor of Japan Club) from 7 pm to 9 pm on October 8, (Thursday). Demonstration of urushi tapping and coating, and also tasting of Japanese sake with Joboji lacquerware were conducted. Following this year’s concept that it is necessary to use lacquerware actually so as to convey its merit, we made opportunities for drinking Nanbu Bijin with a small sake cup of Joboji urushi.

　At the lecture by lacquer craftsman, these things were told; only Joboji can manage consistent manufacturing from procurement of materials to producing, lacquerware can be used through one’s life because it can be repaired (mending and re-coating) and, it is safe for the body due to natural paints. Visitors then showed great interest in it.

　Since visitors listened to the people involved in sake and lacquer craftsman closely, the venue was full of homey sense of unity and questions and answers were greatly warmed up While this proper event was held as a paid event, visitors more than the quota came and we had to add more seats in a hurry. Consequently, it was very successful.

5. Promotions of Joboji urushi in exclusive Japanese restaurants

　Promotions of using Joboji lacquerware were conducted in exclusive Japanese restaurants that were leading in New York from October 6, (Tuesday) to October 9, (Friday). Lacquer craftsman described the merit of lacquerware and how to use it directly to restaurant owners and chefs as well as top sales by Ninohe Mayor’s visit in those restaurants. Supported by these three years’ performance, Joboji lacquerware came to be used in these five restaurants.

• 〇 Exclusive Japanese restaurants that started to use Japan lacquer
• ・Ichimura at Brushstroke （30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013)
• ・Kyoya （94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009）
• ・Kajitsu （435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10016）
• ・Hi-Collar （125 E 10th, New York, NY 10003）
• ・Yopparai （151 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002）

6. Big challenge of the small town for the third time

　This project started from two years ago to promote the revitalization of the local industry and sell the “Ninohe brand” in New York, and this was the last year of the project, and all the events ended successfully as how a project should. In particular, it is significant that exclusive Japanese restaurants in New York started to use Joboji lacquerware. Also, Joboji lacquerware brought from Japan were mostly sold, and we realized that the high quality and utility of Joboji urushi was valued in New York too.

　Ninohe’s three-year project ended briefly, but the promotion of lacquerware to Japanese restaurants in New York is to be continued from now on. Mayor of Ninohe, Fujiwara has indicated its intention of aiming to expand overseas market from the next year, and it seems that this challenge supported by the joint operation of government and people will progress even more. We think this office will continue to carefully watch and support Ninohe’s project in the future.

From CLAIR
Assistant director, Matsushige