Nara Fude (Nara Writing Brushes)

Nara Fude are calligraphy and cosmetic brushes made mainly in Nara City, designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Tradition holds that during the Nara period, Kukai (Kobo Daishi), who traveled to Tang China as an envoy to Tang China (kentoshi), mastered brush-making techniques there and, upon returning to Japan, transmitted them to Sakanai Kiyokawa of Imai in Yamato Province. For more than 1,200 years since, the technique has been passed down as Japan's birthplace of brush-making. Its defining feature is a technique called 'nerimaze-ho' (kneading and blending method), in which more than a dozen types of animal hair—including squirrel, weasel, raccoon dog, sheep, and horse—are carefully proportioned and blended according to hair quality to complete a single brush. This process is considered the most difficult step, and it is said to take many years for a craftsperson to master. In 1977, Nara Fude was designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of International Trade and Industry, earning high acclaim not only for calligraphy brushes but also in the field of cosmetic brushes.