Shodo / Toyohashi fude 豊橋筆

Inside a brush workshop in Toyohashi.

Our hometown has made calligraphy brushes by hand since 1804. We visited Sakakibara Mofude, a brush workshop in Toyohashi, to see how a brush is made.

The senior craftsman smiling as he holds up a large white brush — The senior craftsman with a large brush

A craft since 1804

Why Toyohashi makes brushes

In 1804, a brushmaker from Kyoto named Suzuki Jinzaemon was invited to the Yoshida domain, the old name of Toyohashi. The craft took root, and the city has made brushes ever since.

Craftsmen mix the hairs by hand in water, a method called neri-mase. It gives the brush an even body that holds ink well and comes back to a fine point. Making one brush takes about 36 steps, all done by hand.

1804Brushmaking begins in Toyohashi
1976Designated a Traditional Craft of Japan
About 36Steps to make one brush, all by hand
MostOf Japan’s high-grade calligraphy brushes are made here

The workshop 榊原毛筆

Sakakibara Mofude

The sign by the gate reads 伝統工芸士・豊橋筆: certified traditional craftsman, Toyohashi brushes.

Inside, craftsmen work at low desks on the floor. Brushes hang from the ceiling, finished ones stand in cans on every desk, and brush heads wait in boxes and bags along the walls.

What we saw

From a bundle of hair to a brush

Two bundles of brush hair, one loose and one shaped, held in a hand — **The hair**Each brush head starts as a bundle of animal hair, sorted and mixed by hand.

A box full of brush heads next to finished brushes — **Brush heads**Finished heads wait in boxes beside the brushes they will become.

Hands trimming a brush head with a small knife — **Trimming**The head is trimmed with a small knife, a few hairs at a time.

A craftsman shaping brush heads at his desk — **Shaping**Each head is turned in the fingers and shaped, one at a time.

The senior craftsman showing the point of a white brush on his palm — **The point**The craftsman checks that the brush comes back to a fine point.

Wooden drawers full of brush heads in plastic bags — **Ready**Drawers of brush heads, sorted by kind and size.

Our team sitting on the floor of the workshop, listening to the senior craftsman

The senior craftsman handing a brush across his desk

Our visit

Brush after brush, in our hands

We sat on the workshop floor while the senior craftsman talked us through his work. He passed us brush after brush, large and small, and showed us how each one should feel in the hand.

Our teachers use brushes like these every week. Seeing how they are made is part of how we choose the brushes for our sets.

For your practice

Why a good brush matters

A good brush holds ink evenly and springs back to a sharp point after every stroke. That is what lets a beginner feel the difference between pressing, pulling and lifting the brush.

Our Toyohashi Set includes a large brush handmade in Toyohashi. Made-to-order master brushes from Toyohashi craftsmen are coming soon.

See the sets Join the waitlist