Japan · Material Craft / Forest Harvesting
漆掻き (Urushi-kaki)
Urushi-kaki (漆掻き — lacquer scraping) is the practice of harvesting urushi sap from the Toxicodendron vernicifluum lacquer tree — the raw material for all Japanese lacquerware (CRAFT-0460, 0468, 0471). The harvesting is performed by specialist urushi-kaki-shi during the summer months (June–October), making incisions in the tree bark with a specialized curved blade and collecting the white sap that bleeds from the wound. A single tree produces approximately 200 grams of urushi per season — enough for a very small lacquer object. The kaki-oshi technique — the specific incision pattern — is the critical knowledge: incisions must be made at the correct angle, depth, and spacing to maximize sap flow without killing the tree; the tree is harvested for 10 years, then felled and replaced — but only if the incision pattern allowed sustainable recovery between harvesting sessions.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not separately inscribed; recognized within Japanese lacquerware heritage
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