Lacquer Trees

Growing, tapping and other uses besides lacquerware

There are three main varieties of urushi tree each with its own unique blend of chemical compounds. The tree which grows in China, Korea and Japan is Toxicodendron Vernicifluum and it has a high urushiol content ( the compound responsible for making urushi hard ) which is why Japanese urushi is the most durable and has a deep lustre.

98% of urushi used in Japan is imported from China and other countries, of the 2% domestically produced, 69%  is harvested in the heavily forested area of Iwate Prefecture in the North of Japan.

Urushi trees are difficult to grow needing space and well draining soil and are vulnerable to pests as well as wild animals. Harvesting the urushi is also difficult and it takes an average of twelve years before a tree is big enough to be tapped. Tapping starts in June and continues until late October when after every last possible drop of sap has been extracted the tree is chopped down. The next year, new shoots will spring up from the roots and by careful selection, the next generation of trees can be tapped in ten years instead of twelve.

Tapping starts by gouging a small diagonal groove into the tree’s trunk. Four days later a slightly longer groove is gouged out and this is repeated to build up the tree’s immunity and to make it produce more urushi as the tree produces urushi to heal itself (urushi contains antibacterial properties). The urushi which is opaque pale beige in colour, oozes out of the grooves and the urushi tappers carefully scrape off the sap a drop at a time leaving sufficient for the tree to heal. This process continues until late autumn when as much urushi as possible has been extracted. For all this patient work a mere 250ml~ 300ml of urushi is the reward!

So precious was urushi in days gone by that the production of urushi was mandatory by law and taxes were paid in it.

There are male and female urushi trees and in June they produce an abundance of tiny pale green flowers. These produce waxy seeds and in the Edo period candles were made from the wax that covered the urushi seeds. The seeds can be roasted and ground to make urushi coffee and also be soaked in white liquor with rock sugar to make urushi liqueur. You can even deep fry the young leaves for delicious tempura. The wood itself is yellowish in colour and makes a wonderful variety of colours when used for natural dyeing. Urushi wood itself is recently getting more popular to woodworkers by its attractive beautiful yellow colour.

Urushi’s healing properties have been known since ancient times and in Korea they make a chicken stew containing urushi branches to stimulate the body, they even sell urushi soup packs and they have developed a range of soaps, shampoos and conditioners using urushi. 

Urushi is indeed, more than just a tree!