In Kawajiri, Hiroshima Prefecture, the traditional craft of Kawajiri Brushes has been handed down for generations. Among them, Bunshindo Hata Brush Workshop has carved its own path as Bunshindo, upholding an uncompromising stance rooted in responsibility for quality and deep respect for the user.

Its defining feature is the uniquely rare wool brush, invented by the current head, Yoshiyuki Hata. He turned his attention to fibers that had been considered too difficult to process and therefore never made into usable brushes. In the calligraphy world, certain formulas dominated: brushes that were “firm and easy to use,” or “suitable for children.” Yet these existing brushes often flattened or failed to hold ink. Yoshiyuki sensed the need for innovation: “If good hair hasn’t yet been made into a brush, it’s only because no one’s tried. Then I should be the one to dive in.” Thus, he challenged himself to create brushes using wool.

At Bunshindo, the finest materials are used: extremely rare chest hair taken from wild male goats, raised in the pure environment of over half a century ago. The brushes offer softness, excellent ink absorption, and a gentle touch on paper—an intimate dialogue between brush and hand. Cherished by renowned figures worldwide, Bunshindo brushes can last 30 to 40 years with proper care, becoming lifelong partners.

Brushmaking at Bunshindo involves an unbroken chain of meticulous steps. It begins with selecting raw hair. Since natural fibers vary, each strand is inspected under sunlight, flaws identified, and sorted for distribution. Next comes kegumi (hair assembling), in which the brush is designed for the ideal line envisioned by its user. This crucial stage, the blueprint of brushmaking, demands the maker’s experience and sense.

The selected hair cannot be used as is. Through boiling and cotton removal, its irregularities are eliminated. Then, processes such as hinoshi (pressing with heat) and haimomi (kneading with ash) straighten and refine the hair.

Once conditioned, the hair undergoes sakiyose, where tips are aligned over about three hours. This delicate process—especially with soft wool—cannot be done by machine. Instead, it is carefully tapped and arranged by hand.
Then comes nerimaze, a signature feature of Kawajiri brushes. The aligned hair is soaked in water and repeatedly mixed more than 50 times over two hours to prevent unevenness in the bundle. By blending fibers of different lengths, the brush is reborn as a tool of rich, expressive power.

The hair is then shaped, dried, and formed into a core. Around this, more hair is wrapped (shintate, uwake-maki). The tip is stabilized by yakishime (heat-tightening) to prevent fraying or shedding. Finally, the brush is completed by fitting the shaft with natural water buffalo horn (kurikomi).
If ordinary hair were used, such elaborate steps would not improve performance. But with the finest hair, these techniques reveal their true worth. “A craftsman makes something better than anyone else using the same raw material,” says Yukimasa. From careful selection through painstaking, delicate processes, a truly unique brush is born.

Yukimasa’s journey with brushes began at age three. From early childhood he was exposed to the highest quality hair, taught to distinguish good from bad. Growing up, he admired his family’s devotion to brushmaking and thought it was “cool,” a foundation that supports his skills today.
“My father probably knew it would take a lifetime of study to keep improving, which is why he started teaching me so young. I still believe brushmaking is lifelong learning,” says Yukimasa.
His father, Yoshiyuki—the third generation—was once his idol and now stands as both respected mentor and rival whom he hopes to surpass.

“When a customer tells me, ‘I was able to draw a better line,’ that’s when all the struggles and worries are rewarded. When someone says the brush allowed them to create lines they couldn’t before, I feel like I’ve expanded their possibilities. Once, hearing that brought tears to my eyes. That joy is the privilege of being a maker.”

Over decades of use, Bunshindo brushes change beautifully. Each wash deepens their silvery luster, the hairs maturing with time. Yukimasa finds deep romance in this evolving relationship between brush and user.

“I want to broaden the possibilities of brushes. For decades, brushes haven’t evolved. I want people with no interest in brushes to try them, to experience the emotions that come from using one.” He hopes to see new applications and to create opportunities for people worldwide to encounter Japanese culture through brushes.

In today’s busy lives, the moments spent facing a single brush, experiencing it with the senses, are invaluable. A Bunshindo brush will fit naturally in your hand, grow with you over the years, open new possibilities, and awaken the joy of living within a richer sense of time.