There are a number of theories as to how urushi production started in Wajima but as yet none of them have been comfirmed. Vessels that contain locally found power mixed in tith the urushi undercoating have been discovered in a number of local excations which date bakc to medieval times. from evidence found in the small number of handed doiwn texts that have survived the centureis, it si thought that urushi was beeing produced in Wajima in the Muromachi Period(1333-1573)

Important factors in the development of trushiware production are both the local abundance of readily available materilas suc as NOTO crypress, zelkova, urushi trees and Wajima jinoko powder and the are's favorable climatic conditions. Wajima was historicallly a port of call on a major sea toute which made it convenient for the transportaion of materials and goods This was probably an important contributing factor to the local develpment of the industry. However, the fact thtat the poeople involved in the production an distribution of urushiware had sauch pride in their work, and that the level of the techniques were continuously being honed, are probably the most important factiors in ensuring that the tradition has been passed down so successfully to the presnt day.

Urishi is the sap of the urushi tree. It has strong adhesive properties and is used as a lacquering material that on hardening becomes extremely durable and produces a glossy finish.
It can be found widely throughout Eastern Asia and has been used in Japan for several thousand years. The Word 'urushi' is thought to have originated form the Japanese URUWASHI or URUMU which approximated to the English for fresh and vibrant gloss. When urushi hardens it is very resistant to both acids and alkails and is durable enough to last several thousand years. Urushi vessels have been found in excavations that date from the Jomon period(800BC- 300 BC). There have even been cases reported where the original wooden base has completely rotted away but the original urushi coating has remained with its color and quality preserved.

Urushi is also a very delicate substance. The quality of urushi changes depending on the time of day and year in which the urushi is taken from the tree and it is also affected by the method by which it is collected. Urushi is different from other coating materials in the way that it is dried. It contains a substance called urushiol which reacts with oxygen and hardens through a process of oxidization. For this process to occur a suitable temperature and level of humidity are both necessary. The drying process also proceeds gradually over a considerable length of time after the piece has been completed. Therefore a piece that has just been finished should be treated very carefully when it is first used. It can be used normally after the first year and after about three years of used the gloss fully matures and the piece can be said to have come of age.

With its raw materials of wood and urushi, urushiware is a collaboration of two of the blessings of nature. The production process uses almost all natural materials which means that a very small amount of energy is required. Further, there are no harmful side-effects associated with the production process and it creates minimal environmental pollution or ecological damage.