Member-only story
Last Updated: Apr 28, 2024
Kumano Hiroshima
The Calligraphy Brush Capital of Japan
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Kumano — no, not that Kumano in Wakayama. Instead, this time, we’re going to look at the sleepy town of Kumano in Hiroshima Prefecture. Likely, most of you have never heard of this hamlet before. Heck, I only recently learned about Hiroshima’s Kumano last year when I started working with the Setouchi DMO to promote the region overseas. Despite its obscurity, Kumano is internationally famous for its fude brushes.
How a village located in this mountainous area of Hiroshima Prefecture became so celebrated in both Japan and the rest of the world is quite the tale. Allegedly, Kumano’s master craftsmen got their start way back in the Edo period (1603–1868) when the local lord wanted to create a new industry to supplement what his farmers could produce. Since its inception hundreds of years ago, this Japanese artisanal culture has continued to thrive in the town of Kumano.
These days, around 1,500 of the 27,000 inhabitants of Kumano are involved in the industry. Altogether, this comparatively small population produces a mind-boggling 15 million fude brushes per year. From what I’ve learned online, this accounts for as much as 80% of Japan’s total brush production. Because of this, Kumano has earned the title of “Calligraphy Brush Capital of Japan.”
Unfortunately, the demand for calligraphy brushes has been dropping year over year. Not wanting to let the Kumano fude brush brand go to waste, the industry has shifted a lot of its infrastructure to also create makeup accessories. Due to their handmade nature and extremely high quality, they’ve become highly sought after by high-end makeup artists all over the world. Before we go any further, though, let’s cover some key logistics.
How to Get There
As you can see in the Google Map embedded above, Kumano is located to the southeast of Hiroshima City. Being situated high up in the mountains…
