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History
of the Art
Yosegi
Zaiku and Zougan Zaiku are traditional Japanese works of
art with a history dating back 1,000 years. It was first
created in the town of Hakone, an important stop on the
road from Kyoto (the old Capital) to Edo (the new
Capital, now known as Tokyo). This road was made famous
by Hiroshige in his woodblock print set “The 53
Stations of Tokaido”
Click
Here to view the Prints
 The
mountainous area surrounding Hakone made it a difficult
task for any traveler to make it through without
stopping to rest. During the Edo Period, the affluent
traveler was carried in palanquins. (sedan chairs) The
palanquin bearers (Kagokaki) would wait in Hakone for a
group of travelers to make their way down the mountain
slopes and into the town in need of fresh men to
continue their trip. In an around Hakone, tea shops (Chayas)
and restaurants began to spring up to serve the needs of
the weary travelers.
As
the town grew, vendors would sell other goods in and
around the Chayas. This included arts and crafts made
from the abundance of exotic wood from the surrounding
forests. During some seasons, the Kagokaki might wait
days or weeks for his next fare and began to supplement
his income producing arts and crafts to sell to the
visitors.
Over
time, the hot springs and amazing views of Hakone
made it a tourist destination that is still
popular today. Technology has made the palanquin and the
Kagokaki obsolete, but the art they created lives on.
The
Art
 The
woodworking arts of Hakone include two basic styles. The
first, Yosegi Zaiku, is an intricate mosaic marquetry
process that is made into a beautiful veneer. This
veneer is used to decorate everything from chopsticks
and serving trays to the amazing Himitsu Bako (Japanese
Puzzle Boxes). Various woods of different colors are
harvested, dried, and shaved or cut into different
shapes that are then combined to make the basic
patterns. These patterns are then arranged to make
sheets that are shaved into the veneer.
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