Kagura Kobo Hashimoto

Greetings

Festivals are just like "hometowns" . Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture, where our workshop is located, also holds the Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival, one of the three major lantern festivals in Japan, every October. Some people stay in their hometowns because of the festival, while others take time off from their studies or work to return to their hometowns to participate in the festival. I believe it is just because the hometown festivals are very attractive.

In recent years, the shortage of successors to traditional arts such as festivals has become a problem, not only because of the declining birthrate and aging population, but also because of the exodus of the local population. If this situation continues, one of the charms of the region may be lost.
Through the restoration of tools used in traditional performing arts, including intangible folk cultural assets, we hope to help pass on traditions through festivals, culture, and faith, and to bring smiles to the faces of local people involved in the traditional arts.

Atsushi Hashimoto

April 1982 : Born as the second son of Hashimoto Buddhist carving store
Mar. 2000 : Trained in Kanazawa under Shogyo Oba, a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) in maki-e lacquerware
November 2005: Returned to Nihonmatsu City and worked at Hashimoto Butsugu Engraving Shop.
April 2012: Held "Shoushokai Lacquer Art Exhibition of Shogyo Ohba" at Matsuzakaya, Nagoya.
November, 2016: Held "Shoshokai Lacquer Art Exhibition" at Shinonoki-geihinkan, Kanazawa.
May 2019: Became independent under the name "Kagura Koubou Hashimoto".

Examples of Production and Restoration

These are works that have been produced in our workshop.

Yanagi-Aizu Okame

A horizontal brush line is drawn against the mask to give the finished product an air of refinement.
Fukushima Inari Shrine plaque

The shrine frame, which is exposed to a harsh environment, is finished with thick gold leaf.
Shishi-gashira of Ena

The hairs are planted unaligned to create a sense of dynamism.

Order

Kagura Kobo Hashimoto"" was founded to specialize in the restoration business independently from Hashimoto Butsugu Engraving Shop, which had been in business for about 130years (5 generations) in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
The Hashimoto Butsugu Engraving Shop has gone from engraving and restoration of shrines and temples to the business of Buddhist altars and Buddhist altar fittings.

The workshop has inherited several techniques related to the restoration of cultural properties and tools for traditional arts, as well as techniques for lacquering and foil stamping.

Media

Workshop Information