DiscoverCraft makers and the evidence for their practice
Portrait of Tomokichi Miyashita.
Portrait of Tomokichi Miyashita. · Photo © Yuriko Takagi (maker’s official site ABOUT page) · Headshot source page for Tomokichi Miyashita · Headshot image for Tomokichi Miyashita
Classification
wood, lacquer

宮下智吉

All makers

Tomokichi Miyashita

Miyashita Tomokichi (宮下智吉) was born in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture. He graduated from the lacquer course at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2006 and completed its graduate school in 2008 and a research-student course in 2009. He established a workshop in Matsumoto, Nagano, in 2020 and from 2025 teaches lathe practice part-time in the university's lacquer laboratory. [7, 20]

Profile

Background

Tomokichi Miyashita was born in Okaya, Nagano, and received formal lacquer training at Tokyo University of the Arts: undergraduate lacquer study, a master's degree completed in 2008 and an additional research-student year in 2009. Miyashita works as one person from wooden substrate through final urushi surface, rather than dividing the work among specialist wood turners, ground-layer workers and finishers.

The studio practice includes more than tableware. He also repairs old objects, undertakes architectural/interior lacquer work, makes frames and furniture, and teaches lathe work. He established his current Matsumoto workshop in 2020 and now also holds professional roles in lacquer preservation and education.

Miyashita prefers the identity kōjin—a working craftsperson—to "artist." His journals return to predecessors, unnamed specialists and the obligation to find a use even for awkward wood rather than selecting only ideal stock.

Practice

Works in lacquer continuously from the wood blank through topcoating and finishing, including lathe turning of the wood base. [7, 18, 22]

Work over time

  1. Education Graduated from the lacquer (urushi) course at Tokyo University of the Arts. · Tokyo University of the Arts · Urushi [7, 20]
  2. Education Completed the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts. · Tokyo University of the Arts · Graduate school [7]
  3. Education Completed a research-student course at the Tokyo University of the Arts graduate school. · Tokyo University of the Arts [7]
  4. Programme or membership Became director of the Japan Cultural Properties Lacquer Association (stated as a current role on his About page; Ayumi Gallery lists it in 2018). [20, 7]
  5. Studio Open Established his workshop in Matsumoto, Nagano. · Matsumoto, Nagano, Nagano, Japan [7]
  6. Teaching Became a part-time instructor for lathe practice in the Tokyo University of the Arts lacquer laboratory. · institution: Tokyo University of the Arts [7]
  7. Teaching Instructor of lacquer repair, spoon-making and after-hours lacquer research classes at the 神楽坂一水寮漆研究室 (Saturdays, May to March). · institution: 神楽坂一水寮漆研究室 [21, 7]

Evidence and sources

References

  1. 様々な木の癖 — Tomokichi Miyashita journal
  2. 小人の靴屋 — Tomokichi Miyashita journal
  3. 本日から — in-kyo (2017/12/1) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  4. 家族の漆 — in-kyo (2015/11/20) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  5. 家族の漆　『漆を知るごはん会』 — 宮下智吉 漆の器 Retrieved 2026-09-28
  6. 「家族の漆」の検索結果 — in-kyo Retrieved 2026-09-28
  7. 宮下智吉 漆の器 — ABOUT Retrieved 2026-09-28
  8. 家族の漆　番外編 — in-kyo (2023/12/4) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  9. 漆工・宮下智吉　「家族の漆」 — in-kyo (2025) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  10. 宮下智吉さん個展 — in-kyo (2022/12/9) Retrieved 2026-09-28
  11. Headshot source page for Tomokichi Miyashita Retrieved 2026-10-01
  12. Headshot image for Tomokichi Miyashita Retrieved 2026-10-01
  13. Official journal — Tomokichi Miyashita
  14. Travel Tools — Babaghuri, 2025
  15. Current board — Japan Cultural Property Lacquer Association
  16. Family Lacquer solo archive — in-kyo, 2021
  17. 漆工・宮下智吉『家族の漆』 — in-kyo
  18. 雅姫さん、漆作家・宮下智吉さんの工房を訪ねて — LEE
  19. Babaghuri Table 宮下智吉展 — official journal, 2024
  20. 宮下智吉 個展 漆の器 — アユミギャラリー Retrieved 2026-10-02
  21. 神楽坂一水寮漆研究室 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  22. 曲物その３ 仕上げ〜完成編 (blog, 2019.05.23) Retrieved 2026-10-02