For Yurie Akaiwa, what began as a graduation project at the University of Toyama has turned into a unique artistic endeavor that fuses Japanese art with traditional Western musical instruments.
The 26-year-old craftswoman, an employee of Yanagisawa Wind Instruments Co., has already used her urushi (lacquer) technique to recraft five saxophones to stunning effect. One tenor sax she produced through meticulous manual labor, applying layers of lacquer, is decorated with patterns of clouds and peach flowers painted with gold powder.
"It is interesting that we can still try new things today by using an ancient natural material," Akaiwa says, as she shows off her work in a shop in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture.