Hida Shunkei lacquer work, a traditional craft based in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, is at risk of fading away because its masters are having serious difficulty finding successors to keep it alive amid weak sales.
To improve the situation, the Hida Shunkei Association Cooperative has started sharing the unique techniques used in each process with all of its members.
The first skill the artisans shared was "hegime," which involves carving lines along the grain lines in wood. There are precious few craftsman left who possess this skill.
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