Edo Sashimono is a woodworking craft produced in Tokyo's Taito, Arakawa, and Koto wards, in which furniture and small items are made using the sashimono joinery (nail-free wood joinery) technique of carving and fitting together the joints of wood without using any nails. Sashimono itself dates back to Heian-period Kyoto, but the technique that reached Edo developed its own distinctive character alongside the economic and cultural growth of Edo from the 17th to 19th centuries. While samurai households favored solid, linear designs for their furnishings, sashimono for kabuki actors—known as 'Rien Sashimono'—and for townspeople gave rise to playful, chic, and delicate designs, and the craft gradually spread into the everyday lives of common people. Making the most of the natural grain of woods such as mulberry, zelkova, paulownia, and cedar, and keeping the use of metal fittings to a minimum, Edo Sashimono is characterized by simple design and achieves sturdy construction without nails through diverse wood-joinery techniques such as edge-joining (hagitsugi), mortise-and-tenon joints (hozotsugi), and halved joints (aikakitsugi). From paulownia chests of drawers to other pieces, it remains a craft of handmade work carried on by artisans today, cherished and used for decades. It was designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1997.
Origin
The history of sashimono itself dates back to the court culture of the Heian period and developed over a long period in Kyoto. It is said that specialist sashimono craftsmen emerged as an independent trade from carpentry in the Muromachi period. Sashimono techniques reached Edo after the founding of the Edo shogunate, and as the skills of artisans gathered from across the country intermingled, a distinctive Edo sashimono culture was nurtured.
History
From the 17th to 19th centuries, alongside Edo's economic and cultural growth, sashimono developed as solid furnishings for samurai households, then spread as sashimono for merchants and as 'Rien Sashimono' used by kabuki actors, eventually permeating the everyday lives of common people as well. Sashimono for samurai households diverged toward linear, solid designs, while that for townspeople diverged toward playful, chic, and delicate designs, and each established its own style reflecting its distinct aesthetic sensibility. It was designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1997.
Features
The greatest characteristic of Edo Sashimono lies in its wood-joinery technique, assembled entirely through the shaping of the wood's joints without using any nails. It makes the most of the beautiful grain of natural materials such as mulberry, zelkova, paulownia, and cedar, keeps the use of metal fittings to a minimum, and expresses 'Edo chic' through clean forms that avoid excessive ornamentation. Wood-joinery techniques such as edge-joining, mortise-and-tenon joints, and halved joints, combined with decorative techniques such as wiped-lacquer finish (fuki-urushi) and maki-e, achieve sturdy construction that gains character the more it is used over decades.
Techniques
Wood joinery (edge-joining, mortise-and-tenon joints, halved joints)
A technique of fitting pieces of wood together by carving matching recesses and protrusions, without using nails. Edge-joining joins boards together, while mortise-and-tenon and halved joints assemble components into a sturdy structure.
Wiped-lacquer finish and maki-e
Wiped-lacquer finish, in which lacquer is rubbed into the wood and then wiped off, brings out a luster that makes the most of the wood grain, while decorative techniques such as maki-e add an understated yet refined touch.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Selecting and cutting the wood
The wood is worked into boards or square timber suited to its intended use, judging the grain and character of each piece of timber.
- 2
Shaping the joints
Precise recesses and protrusions are carved for nail-free wood joinery, such as edge-joining, mortise-and-tenon joints, and halved joints.
- 3
Assembly
The carved joints are fitted together by hand, finished into a sturdy structure without the use of nails.
- 4
Finishing
A wiped-lacquer finish brings out a luster that makes the most of the wood grain, and metal fittings or maki-e decoration are added as needed to complete the piece.
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Artisans & Workshops
茂上工芸
A long-established Edo Sashimono workshop founded in 1912, based in Kuramae. The third-generation head, Shigekami Yutaka, is a certified traditional craftsman who carries on the sashimono technique, and communicates the appeal of Edo Sashimono through hands-on classes such as chopstick-making.
Official site →How to Buy
- 江戸たいとう伝統工芸館
- An exhibition facility in Asakusa, Taito Ward, displaying and selling around 250 pieces of Taito Ward's traditional crafts, including Edo Sashimono and Tokyo paulownia chests. Live production demonstrations by artisans are sometimes held. Admission is free.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
茂上工芸
東京都台東区蔵前4-37-10
Under the guidance of certified traditional craftsman Shigekami Yutaka, choose a fine wood and shave it with a plane to make your own original pair of chopsticks. The experience fee starts from around 11,000 yen (tax included), taking about 90 minutes.
View details →FAQ
Q. Why doesn't Edo Sashimono use nails?
A. Using nails would weaken the joints over time through rust and wood deterioration, so techniques such as edge-joining, mortise-and-tenon joints, and halved joints—carving pieces of wood so they fit together—are used to achieve both sturdiness and beauty.
Q. How does Edo Sashimono for samurai households differ from that for townspeople?
A. Sashimono for samurai households is characterized by solid, linear designs, while that for townspeople and the 'Rien Sashimono' used by kabuki actors developed into playful, chic, and delicate designs, each reflecting a different aesthetic sensibility.