Bringing Excitement to the Table with Chopsticks! Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan” Preserves Wakasa Lacquerware

Chopsticks are an indispensable part of the Japanese dining table. Did you know that more than 70% of the lacquered chopsticks distributed in Japan are produced in the port towns of Fukui Prefecture?

In this issue, we will introduce “Chopstick Store Matsukan,” a company that produces Wakasa lacquered chopsticks in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. What is their challenge to deliver excitement through chopsticks?

Delivering excitement! Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan

Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan, a chopstick maker since 1922, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2022 in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture, a major production center of Wakasa lacquered chopsticks.

The “excitement” of the people who use them
Excitement” of the people who make them
Excitement” of workers
Excitement” of the town

We have been mass-producing “excitement” through chopsticks, which are indispensable to the Japanese dining table. However, the path spun by four generations of chopstick makers has not been smooth.

Matsumoto Tsurunosuke, who originally ran a geta shop, changed his business to manufacturing and selling Wakasa lacquered chopsticks. From there, the company entered the turbulent Showa period. While the rapid economic growth of Japan led to a great increase in mechanization, Kichiji, the second generation, greatly developed the handcrafted chopstick business.

Lifestyles changed at a tremendous pace during the Showa, Heisei, and 2025 eras. Kichiji, the third generation, has continued to take on new challenges while preserving tradition.

Chopsticks that fit your lifestyle
Chopsticks to Enrich Your Heart
Chopsticks that add color to your dining table
Chopsticks that build bridges between people
Chopsticks that celebrate special occasions

We pursue all the possibilities of chopsticks and deliver the best chopsticks produced by our craftsmanship.

We produce more than 70% of lacquered chopsticks in Japan! Obama City, Fukui Prefecture

Obama City in Fukui Prefecture, where Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan is located, accounts for more than 70% of the nation’s lacquered chopstick production. The city is blessed with an abundance of marine products and other foodstuffs due to its geography along the Rias coast, and once flourished as the gateway to Japan along the Silk Road.

During the Edo period (1603-1867), the northern part of Obama City was inhabited by many ashigaru, low-ranking samurai. Legend has it that when there were no wars, the warriors made Wakasa-nuri as a side job to earn a living.

Because nearby Wajima, Echizen, and other highly skilled lacquerware production centers were located in the area, they started a chopstick industry that their competitors would not touch.

High-grade Wakasa-nuri lacquerware

With a history of over 400 years, Wakasa-nuri is a traditional craft designated by the national government. It is said to have originated in the early Edo period when Sanjuro Matsuura, a lacquer painter of the Obama domain, created it based on Chinese lacquerware.

Wakasa-nuri is made by painting colored lacquer over and over, and then drawing patterns with natural materials such as shells, eggshells, pine needles, rice husks, gold leaf, etc., interspersed throughout. The patterns are then polished with stones until they are well defined, a unique process that cannot be seen elsewhere.

The lacquered chopsticks of Wakasa are called “Baka-nuri of Wakasa” because of the many coats of lacquer that are applied. The craftsmen lavishly apply layers of lacquer, which is what gives the chopsticks their luxurious appearance.

Wakasa-nuri “Urushi Raden WAKASA” for daily use

I want a pair of chopsticks with mother-of-pearl inlay in Wakasa-nuri, but all I get are old-fashioned chopsticks with traditional designs…” “Many of them are too flashy and hard to use at the dinner table every day.
Many of them are too flashy and difficult to use at the table every day.
I’d be happy with something a little more elegant, encrusted with mother-of-pearl inlay, and that I can use without being overbearing.”

Urushi Raden WAKASA was born from the real voices of our customers.

The raden beautifully depicts Wakasa Bay, which is illuminated by the setting sun and turns the whole area orange. The design is also suitable for modern dining tables.

The beauty of “Night Sky” that is not bound by any frame.

While preserving the tradition of Wakasa-nuri, Chopstick Store Matsukan also challenges itself to create designs born from free ideas. The “Night Sky” is a representative example.

The creator of the night sky is Masayoshi Matoba.

While classic chopsticks in black and red were the norm, Mr. Matoba created many colorful chopsticks. He also searched for design hints in his daily life, such as brooches and stage lighting to liven up his clothes. Whenever an idea struck him, he would jump up and shut himself in his workshop, even in the middle of the night.

Today, Matoba’s sensibility and techniques are inherited by his apprentice, Yuya Fujii.

The vivid design is eye-catching, but at the same time, it has the appearance of traditional Wakasa-nuri lacquerware. The lame encrusted on the handles and the lines of the coloring add a touch of glamour to the dining table. The chopsticks are dishwasher-safe and are painted by a craftsman one by one with a brush.

Like a parfait? FUSION cream” with a playful spirit

Cute and delicious.

It looks like a sweet. The colors of the cream seem to melt together. The FUSION cream series of chopsticks is filled with a playful spirit.

The traditional Turkish painting technique “marbling (ebull)” is used. Each pair of chopsticks is painted carefully by a craftsman.

We hope that the users will enjoy a colorful dining experience by blending the aroma, color, and taste of the dining table with the chopsticks.

FUSION, meaning “fusion,” expresses the hopes and wishes of Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan. We believe that the sweet chopsticks will add brightness and fun to the dining table.

When is the time to buy new chopsticks?

When should we buy new chopsticks?

We use chopsticks everyday as a matter of course. Perhaps it is time to replace them.

It depends on how often they are used and how they are handled, but if the paint on the chopstick tips is peeling or the wood is exposed, it is a good sign that it is time to replace them. When the wood is exposed, the chopsticks absorb water, which allows mold and bacteria to grow.

Chopsticks always go into the mouth. It is important not only to wash them but also to check if the paint is peeling off. For hygienic reasons, we recommend replacing them if applicable.

Chopstick store Matsukan” accompanies your dining table both in daily life and on special occasions.

Chopsticks are an item that continues to accompany Japanese people throughout their lives, from daily meals to special occasions. Some of you may have received or given chopsticks as a gift to celebrate some occasion.

At Chopstick Store Matsukan, we have a wide selection of high-end chopsticks that are perfect as gifts for your loved ones for wedding, entrance, 60th birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other special occasions.

Not only are they beautifully designed, but they are also easy to use, dishwasher-safe, and so on. Please take a look at our chopsticks that you will want to use for even one day longer.

Click here to see the products of “Chopstick Store Matsukan
Official website of “Chopstick Storehouse Matsukan