Japan Craftmakers See Hope

Lacquerware: Disaster-Hit Region Recovers

Lacquerware maker Takaho Shoji hunches over his desk in the disaster-hit city of Wajima in central Japan, applying another layer of coating to a dark, wooden box. One brushstroke at a time, the 53-year-old is determined to bring life back to his remote community after a devastating New Year's Day earthquake, followed by severe floods a year ago.

"I need to do whatever I can to move forward with the reconstruction and to continue this tradition and pass it on to the next generations," said the soft-spoken father of two. "We have to work harder together; otherwise, the local lacquerware industry will fade."

Wajima, a coastal city with a population of just over 20,000, is a nationally celebrated center for fine lacquerware. Products made there are known as Wajima-nuri, and a basic soup bowl can command a price of $150 (about R2 800) or more.