The History of Kintsugi Explained! Why is it favored by today’s youth and foreigners?

Motenas Representative
Motenas Representative

Kintsugi has been attracting attention overseas in recent years.

It is popular not only for repairing broken vessels, but also as “art” since it is beautifully decorated with gold.

Since there are an increasing number of places in and around Tokyo where you can experience kintsugi (metal-joining), we recommend it as a great way to entertain foreign guests.

Talking about the history of kintsugi not only stimulates conversation, but also provides an opportunity for people to learn about Japan’s unique sense of beauty and spirit.

In this issue, we will explain the history of kintsugi, which has more than 400 years of history, in depth, so please read to the end.

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What is the origin of Kintsugi?

What is the origin of Kintsugi?

Although there are few documents or records on the history of kintsugi, it is believed that the origin of kintsugi can be traced back to BC.

Let us now look at the origins of kintsugi.

What is Kintsugi? Did it originate in China? Why use gold?

First, let me reiterate what kintsugi is.

Kintsugi is a technique for repairing broken vessels using lacquer and gold powder.

Lacquer is a refined form of tree sap and has long been used as an adhesive.

It is said that the adhesive strength of lacquer is so strong that once it sticks to the surface, it is almost impossible to remove.

In fact, a similar technique of repair using lacquer seems to have existed in China, but the kintsugi technique using lacquer and gold powder originated in Japan.

The reason for using gold in kintsugi is to decorate the glued area beautifully, and it is also uniquely Japanese to enjoy the following.

The old tea masters called these “river currents” and saw in them the beauty of the uniquely Japanese wabi and sabi.
(Source: “What is Kintsugi, a traditional Japanese technique that is attracting attention due to the earthquake disaster?   Hidetake’s Yajima Curiosity – Nippon Broadcasting System News Online “)

The culture of enjoying imperfection as an art form is something unique to the Japanese that does not exist in other countries.

And the fact that kintsugi is still popular today shows that the Japanese people have always had a sense of “wabi sabi” (beauty in imperfection).

Jomon Period|The Origin of Kintsugi (metal-joining): Repair by “Urushi” (lacquer)

It is known that before kintsugi was born, lacquer was used for repair in Japan.

As mentioned above, lacquer is a glue made from refined sap, and it is surprising to learn that lacquer has been used for repair since the Jomon period.

In the Jomon period, however, gold powder was not used, but only lacquer was used for repairs, and lances repaired with lacquer have been found.

It will be a long time before “kintsugi” using gold powder appears, but if we look at lacquer restoration alone, it has a history of several thousand years, which is surprisingly long.

Muromachi Period|The birth of Kintsugi! Just like sprinkling gold powder on lacquer

Muromachi Period|The birth of Kintsugi! Just like sprinkling gold powder on lacquer

The exact date of the kintsugi’s birth is not known, but the most popular theory is that it was during the Muromachi period (1336-1573), when the tea ceremony became widespread, as many kintsugi tea utensils have been found.

Tea utensils were expensive at the time, so it is likely that people tried to make them last as long as possible, even if they were broken, by splicing them together.

Some tea masters intentionally broke tea utensils to perform kintsugi, indicating that kintsugi, which was originally intended only for “repair,” gradually spread as an “art.

Then, during the Warring States period, kintsugi evolved into something more significant.

Warring States Period – Edo Period|Kintsugi (metal-joining) enters its heyday.

Warring States Period - Edo Period|Kintsugi (metal-joining) enters its heyday.

Kintsugi, which originated in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), reached its heyday during the Warring States period (1336-1568) and the Edo period (1603-1868).

It is surprising to learn that some people’s lives were saved thanks to kintsugi.

Let us now take a look at the activities of kintsugi from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period.

The “kobitsugi” derived from kintsugi is also born.

As kintsugi has proliferated, so too has the “yobitsugi,” a derivative form of kintsugi.

Kohitsugi is a technique for repairing broken vessels by joining pieces of completely different vessels together.

▼Tea bowls that have been called over
Tea bowls that have been reconstituted
Image credit: ” The Shirasu Method: How to Raise Your Eyes to See, Episode 34 – Esquire “.

Originally, the purpose of kintsugi was to “beautifully repair a broken object,” but in yakitsugi, it is a kind of patchwork, so to speak, where the object is “reborn as a completely different work of art.

This repair technique is even more artistic than kintsugi, as it is made by joining pieces of different materials, colors, and patterns.

Even today, there are several classes that offer a hands-on plan for yakitsugi, so those who want to “exercise more creativity in repairing vessels” should definitely consider it.

Did some of them save their lives with a metal joint?

As an illustration of Kintsugi’s success, we will also introduce an episode in which a person’s life was saved by Kintsugi.

The person whose life was saved by Kintsugi was a retainer of “Toyotomi Hideyoshi,” a warlord of the Warring States period.

One day, the retainer breaks Hideyoshi’s favorite tea bowl.

These were the days when one could be avenged simply by breaking the Shogun’s teacups.

At that time, it was Kintsugi that saved the life of the retainer.

By repairing the vessels with kintsugi, Hideyoshi’s anger was calmed and he was able to escape a hand-to-hand combat.

It is hard to believe that “just fixing a vessel with glue is considered a good thing,” so to speak, but it is an episode that shows that the beauty of kintsugi was highly valued even in those days.

What is Kintsugi in the modern age?

What is Kintsugi in the modern age?

Kintsugi reached its heyday around the Edo period (1603-1867), but its role has been gradually changing since the Meiji period (1868-1912).

This is especially true today, because vessels have become something that can be easily and inexpensively replaced when broken.

Why has kintsugi still been handed down in Japan?

Finally, we will introduce the position of kintsugi in the modern age and its reputation abroad.

Kintsugi (metal-joining) to connect vessels broken by the earthquake

One thing that cannot be overlooked when discussing kintsugi in the modern era is the role of kintsugi in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

Japan has experienced several major earthquakes, including the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Many of the memorable vessels and works of art were broken in the process.

At such times, kintsugi was the process of repairing the memorabilia as beautifully as possible.

The technique of kintsugi, created by our ancestors, has become a means of healing the emotional wounds of modern Japanese people.
Reference site: ” What is Kintsugi, a traditional Japanese technique that is attracting attention due to the earthquake disaster?   Hidetake’s Yajima Curiosity – Nippon Broadcasting System News Online

Kintsugi becomes popular during stay-home period

The other time that attention was focused on Kintsugi outside of the earthquake was during the stay-home period due to the spread of the coronavirus.

I know that during the stay-home period, more and more people of all ages are reevaluating their lives.

In reviewing the items in their homes, many people said, “I can’t throw away broken vessels because they hold memories for me,” or “They are broken, but I want to keep them because they are precious mementos.

In fact, according to the results of the “National Kintsugi Awareness Survey,” it is estimated that about 40% of people have broken vessels that they cannot throw away because they have a special attachment to them. (From the ” National Kintsugi Awareness Survey 2021, ” a survey conducted in May 2021)

This review of life during the stay-home period has brought renewed attention to kintsugi, especially among the younger generation, who are now interested in kintsugi.

Some celebrities and models are uploading photos of their kintsugi vessels on social networking sites, establishing kintsugi as a “fashionable” art form.

Kintsugi’s appeal has been embraced overseas as well, leading to a boom.

Kintsugi is becoming increasingly popular overseas as well.

As evidence of this, Tsugtsugu Corporation, a company that sells kintsugi kits for do-it-yourself kintsugi, says that more than 20% of its kintsugi kit sales come from overseas orders.
Reference site: “With the renewed boom in kintsugi (metal-joining), the amount of ceramic waste in 2022 has been reduced to zero. | Press Release by Tsugutsugu Co.

Kintsugi has become popular because of the unique Japanese spirit of “beautifully restoring broken things and continuing to use them with care.

This is because in the West, it is common to believe that broken vessels are bad luck, and the idea that even the marks of repair by kintsugi, which is unique to Japan , are “the history of the vessel” is fresh and attractive to people overseas.

In recent years, more and more foreigners are paying attention to “ecology” due to the influence of the SDGs.

The fact that the broken vessels are used with care by being reassembled and reused is also highly valued as an environmental consideration.

Kintsugi, the art of connecting “cherish and treasure” that has remained unchanged over the years.

Kintsugi, the art of connecting

Kintsugi is a Japanese repair technique and art that has been practiced since the Muromachi period (1333-1573).

The fact that kintsugi has been handed down for more than 400 years shows that the desire to “cherish and use vessels with memories for as long as possible” has not changed.

Kintsugi is attracting attention from overseas, and Motenas Japan can offer custom-made experience plans.

Interpreters and coordinators can also be arranged, so foreign visitors can enjoy the kintsugi experience without worrying about language barriers.

If you are considering a kintsugi experience that will give you a sense of “wabi and sabi,” please feel free to contact us at Motenas Japan.

▼ Related Articles
Kintsugi is popular among foreigners! Explanation of how to do it and facilities where you can try it out | Traditional Culture Experience for Foreigners|Motenas Japan

▼Reference Site
What is Kintsugi | The History of Kintsugi and the Difference between Kintsugi and Vessel Repair Techniques
What is “Kintsugi”? Thorough explanation of its history and charm – Otakara-ya, the store that buys gold and precious metal brands

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