Ujo Yoji

Ujo Yoji are ornamental toothpicks carved from kuromoji (Lindera umbellata) wood, a craft handed down in Kururi, Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture. It is said to have begun in the Edo period as a side occupation of samurai retainers of the Kururi Domain in Kazusa Province, who made toothpicks from kuromoji growing wild in the surrounding mountains; at the time they were a plain product known as ‘Kazusa ko-yoji’ (small toothpicks of Kazusa). After the abolition of the domain, production spread among former samurai who had lost their stipends and needed a livelihood, and by the end of the Meiji era, toothpicks of various designs that made the most of the wood's white grain and texture had been devised, becoming known as folk craft items. In the mid-Showa era, the craft was renamed ‘Ujo Yoji’ after ‘Ujo’ (‘Rain Castle’), an alternate name for Kururi Castle. In addition to the basic ‘zaku yoji,’ there are ‘novelty toothpicks’ shaped like pine, bamboo, plum, folding fans, eels, swords, and other auspicious or seasonal motifs, and their skillful craftsmanship and refined look have made them a favorite at tea gatherings and in Japanese restaurants to this day. Today, Mori Takao carries on the tradition as the second-generation holder of the name Mori Mitsuyoshi.