Certified Master
Junko Sakurai 櫻井 じゅんこ
Kintsugi Artisan
Kintsugi ya Meduru金継ぎ屋 めづる
“I love restoring old things, cherished things, and objects that carry someone's memory.”
Junko Sakurai is a kintsugi artisan working under the name Kintsugi ya Meduru.
Her work is not simply to repair broken ceramics. It is to receive the time, memory, and affection held within each object, and return it to a form that can be used and loved again.
She works with hon urushi, genuine Japanese lacquer made from the sap of the lacquer tree. This natural material has been used in Japanese craft for more than a thousand years.
Today, many pieces sold as kintsugi are finished with synthetic coatings that imitate the appearance of lacquer. Hon urushi is different. It requires patience, skill, and time. Depending on the piece and the season, it may take weeks or even months to fully cure.
But that time matters.
Once completely hardened, hon urushi can be used safely for tableware. It also develops strength and a deeper luster over time.
Junko takes no shortcuts.
An old bowl, a favorite cup, a gift from someone dear. Each piece she restores once mattered to someone, and still does.
Through her hands, cracks and chips are not erased. They are carried forward as part of the object's story, with gold seams marking not damage, but the beauty of continued life.
