Three months after the earthquake devastated Wajima, the birthplace of Wajima lacquerware, Haruo Nakamiya returned home to rebuild his business from the ashes. Published on By Three months after the , Haruo Nakamiya picked up his brush for the first time since the disaster. As he applied a coat of vermilion, a simple vessel began to emit a radiant sheen.
The Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck on January 1 caused extensive damage to numerous lacquerware shops and workshops in , Ishikawa Prefecture. It destroyed many pieces, a traditional craft of the city. Amid concerns about the craft's survival, one craftsman returned to Wajima from his evacuation shelter.
There, he re-established his workshop and even managed to restart production. That craftsman is 68-year-old Haruo Nakamiya, the president of Nuritaro, a lacquerware manufacturer and seller at the Wajima Morning Market. The market was destroyed by a fire that broke out after the earthquake.
Although his employees and family survived the disaster, his home, workshop, and three storehouses were completely burnt down. His products and tools were also destroyed, leaving him feeling at a loss. The turning point came from a remark by a fisherman he knew: "It's just lacquerware — I'm sure you can work it out somehow.
" The fisherman was unable to set sail due to the uplift caused by the earthquake around the port. But all Nakamiya needed was his unharmed body, his tools, and a place to work. With that thought, Nakamiya began t.
