KISSUL: The Next-Generation Urushi Tumbler from Kyoto

Introducing a revolutionary urushi (lacquer) tumbler featuring special lacquer from Kyoto’s long-established lacquer house, “Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten.” We’ve applied the traditional Japanese lacquer firing technique to a stainless steel tumbler.

We named it “KISSUL” with the hope of cherishing the communication that begins when creators and users “partake” together. This hybrid of “urushi” and “vacuum insulation” not only offers excellent heat and cold retention but also features the gentle touch unique to urushi, superior natural antibacterial properties, and durability that withstands dishwasher use.

As we partake together, harmony is born, and connections are woven. It could be with your loved ones sharing a drink, or perhaps with the objects, creators, and cultures you’ll encounter from now on.

Utilizing vacuum insulation technology with a double-walled stainless steel container for heat and cold retention. Maintains uniform temperature even during outdoor parties.

• Organic texture and gentle lip feel unique to natural coatings
• Keeps temperature steady with vacuum insulation structure
• Resistant to acids and alkalis, suitable for any beverage or food
• Durability comparable to ceramic coating, dishwasher safe
• Natural antibacterial properties since ancient times, 99% antibacterial
• No worries about metallic odors typical of stainless steel, thanks to the urushi coating

• Colors that blend into any environment. Enjoy the unique hues only possible with urushi, which change beautifully over time.

• Our lacquer artisans, who have always been particular about color, have selected from 100 traditional Japanese colors. We’ve chosen the most suitable colors for KISSUL from this curated selection.

Urushi Tree

Urushi is sap extracted from the lacquer tree, primarily used as a coating and adhesive. It boasts various properties, including excellent water resistance, durability, and antibacterial qualities, allowing for long-term use in various environments.

The origins of urushi date back to the Jomon period, 10,000 years ago. Excavations from this era have revealed wooden items and pottery decorated with urushi. This natural material has long supported Japan’s traditional industries and culture, centered around lacquerware.

About 1,200 years ago, during the Heian period, urushi craftsmanship made significant progress, primarily in what is now Kyoto. Lacquering techniques and decorative technologies were refined, playing a crucial role in court culture.

For KISSUL, we use a special urushi called MR Urushi, developed by Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten, a long-established lacquer house operating in Kyoto for over a century since its founding in 1921.

This urushi is refined using a three-roll mill, which disperses the components within the urushi, making water-soluble components finer and reducing the water content. This process enhances the urushi’s inherent resistance to heat, UV rays, and water, maximizing its potential.

The current representative of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten, Mr. Sato, has been well-versed in this field since his student days. By incorporating this knowledge into urushi, we’ve succeeded in creating a new lacquer that fuses cutting-edge technology with tradition.

We’ve already released the 210ml (7.1 fl oz) KISSUL product as our first offering.

This 210ml (7.1 fl oz) size is inspired by the “soba choko,” which has been popular in Japan for hundreds of years since the Edo period. Originally a small vessel for soba sauce, its small and easy-to-handle size led to its use as a sake cup, dessert bowl, and appetizer dish. The 210ml (7.1 fl oz) KISSUL can be used for various purposes, just like the soba choko. It’s sure to be a hit in both everyday scenarios and party settings.

Now, as we expand KISSUL globally, we’re unveiling the 350ml (11.8 fl oz) KISSUL UTAGE, a size widely used around the world. As its name suggests (“utage” means banquet in Japanese), it’s perfect for festive occasions. We’ve carefully selected colors familiar to Japan since ancient times, lining up Kyoto’s three primary colors as Kickstarter-exclusive options. While letting you experience the essence of Japanese aesthetics, these cups are suitable not only for beer and other alcoholic beverages but also for everyday use as coffee or tea cups.

One of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten’s distinguishing features is its development of urushi for use on textiles. The company has operated for a century in Kyoto’s Nishijin area, long renowned as a production center for textiles like Nishijin-ori. Kyoto’s aristocratic culture demanded sophisticated and vibrant color usage in textiles. This influence naturally fostered an attitude of constant attention to color, leading Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten to become a rare urushi business in Kyoto that deals with colored lacquers.

Kyoto image(Photography courtesy of Ninna-ji)

Based on this expertise, we’ve prepared samples of 100 traditional Japanese colors, from which we’ve further selected colors that match KISSUL perfectly. We hope you’ll discover the subtlety of traditional Japanese colors through your experience with KISSUL.

Approximately 100 Color of Lacquer

When Japanese people hear “urushi,” many imagine lacquerware such as tableware or chopsticks. However, for those unfamiliar with urushi overseas, it might be difficult to understand what it is.

Urushi has many functions and characteristics. By scientifically evaluating and quantifying these properties, we’ve introduced various “urushi × ○○” products to the world, opening up new applications and possibilities.

The most notable example is automotive painting, made possible by developing urushi that can withstand outdoor use. This application has also been used for bus painting and even in decorating world-renowned luxury car brands like BMW and high-end stationery brands.

Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten’s technology has been widely used in fields previously considered challenging, such as materials for modern architecture, high-end attaché cases planned by department stores, and “Makie Pearl” - a collaboration with jewelry brands that applies urushi makie (sprinkled picture) to pearls.

We want to continue pursuing the possibilities of “urushi × ○○” with free thinking, creating novel and interesting products together with many people. That’s why we’ve launched KISSUL on Kickstarter.

Takahiko Sato, CEO of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten

Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten is a company that leverages its urushi technology and knowledge to fulfill its role as a material supplier, delivering necessary items where they’re needed. As a Kyoto-based company, we supply various materials for textile printing screens used in dyeing local traditional products like kimono, obi, and yukata. We also manufacture textile printing paper cross patterns, a technique that was on the verge of disappearing due to the lack of successors.

This is because we have a desire to preserve Japan’s valuable traditional industries, not limited to urushi. Traditional industries often face succession problems, and if techniques are lost, there’s a risk of losing Japanese heritage cultivated over many years.

Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten fulfills its social mission as a material supplier and continues to provide stable supplies where needed to convey the excellence of traditional industries to present and future generations. We hope that through this project, people around the world will come to appreciate the goodness of urushi.

The basic urushi color that deepens with use

A color favored by tea masters and connoisseurs in the late Edo period

Said to be the color of gromwell root dye

A color derived from the indigo plant

A color like dark shade, also called dark green

210ml Specifications

A color inspired by the fresh greenery of May when the Aoi Festival is held, and matcha green tea

Kyoto’s symbol color, long loved and representing nobility and tradition

Kyoto has many famous cherry blossom viewing spots like Daigoji Temple, Ninnaji Temple, and Heian Shrine. Cherry blossom pink is another color symbolizing Kyoto

A color inspired by the fresh greenery of May when the Aoi Festival is held, and matcha green tea

You can check all lineup of KISSUL below the link

Urushi Refinement

The process starts with filtering the urushi tree sap, then stirring to refine the components “nayashi”, heating to evaporate moisture “kurome”, and finally using a centrifuge to remove any remaining impurities. Only after this process is the urushi ready for use.

Traditional technique of full surface lacquer coating baking process

We apply urushi to stainless steel that has been surface-treated with sandblasting at a metal processing factory. Applying the urushi evenly requires great care, as applying it too thickly can cause shrinkage and imperfect finishing. This process demands highly skilled craftsmanship.

Sayaka Lepron, Artisan of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten

We sift the base material, jinoko (diatomaceous earth powder), and fire it in a special oven at 80°C to 300°C (176°F to 572°F). By repeating this process multiple times, we form the urushi layer, making it resistant to rust and corrosion.

Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten

A Kyoto-based urushi manufacturer founded in 1921. The fourth-generation owner, Takahiko Sato, inherits traditional techniques as an urushi refining craftsman while conducting his own scientific research on urushi and continuing to develop new applications.

Through an academic approach to urushi, he’s involved in innovative and wide-ranging manufacturing, including architecture, automobiles, shoes, metal tools, and artwork by world-renowned artists. He also wears the hat of a yoroishi (armor maker), engaging in the preservation of techniques from ancient dynasties and Japanese cultural preservation activities as a lacquer master.

In addition to traditional techniques and know-how related to urushi, Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten develops urushi products suitable for the modern era with expanding applications by conducting scientific evaluation and research on urushi. We believe that the strength of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten as an “urushi specialist” lies in this fusion of time-honored techniques and modern science - a true embodiment of “onkochishin” (learning from the past to create new wisdom).