Japanese Colour Chopsticks by Kawai

These Japanese colour chopsticks were made by Kawai, at their workshop in Obama, Fukui.

The sticks are made from natural bamboo, and completed with lacquer coating.

The series contains a total of 20 different colours each inspired from the traditional palette of Japan.  This refers to seasonality, the landscape and to art.  The chopsticks are 23cm long and weigh around 15g.

Each shade has its own story and here includes:

Kakitsubata:  Inspired by the purple Japanese irises of water gardens.  Originally this shade was made from their liquified petals.

Kaki:   The reddish orange of persimmon fruit, this is made by an early harvest of the fruit which are crushed and then mixed to produce the shade.

Yamabuki: A yellow flowering shrub that grows on mountain sides, yamabuki (Kerria japonica) denoted the end of spring, and was a shade favoured by the old aristocracy.

Wakaba:  The light green of fresh plant growth, the wakaba shade has an association with summer rather than spring, and the breath of the grass.

Aijiro:  This is the light blue that appears in the very first phase of indigo dying, just as the white disappears.

Konjo:  A blue with a hint of purple that becomes a kind of ultramarine.  A shade essential in Japanese art.

Fuji:  The colour of wisteria flowers.  With the edge taken off a full purple shade, this has an ancient association with gentleness.

Nasukon:  The deep purple of an aubergine, this colour first appeared in the Edo era (the late middle ages).  It was used for example, in kimono.

Shiro:  A white with a hint of colour, this is a shade of natural materials. 

Kodaishu:  The red most associated with lacquer ware.  It is matte, with a hint of tea within a strong red.  It is hence both celebratory and sophisticated.

About Kawai Chopsticks

The town of Obama in Fukui on the Japan Sea coast is known for its history in chopstick making.  The central moment in this history was surely when Wakasa-nuri, the regional technique in lacquer ware, was brought to the making of the eating implements.   The Kawai family chopstick business places this history at the heart of their modern manufacture.  They work with lacquer, natural wood and bamboo.  They also draw from a very Japanese colour palette, with shades from the decorative arts, and from nature.   But Kawai are cognisant too of the contemporary Japanese table, and make chopsticks that fit into the hands and the lives of their owners, and provide a flash of colour to enjoy.