{"product_id":"toyohashi-fude-kengo-kana-brush-fukuzui","title":"601-DKS-FZ-04 Japanese calligraphy ink brush traditional craftsman \"Fuku-zui\" made \"Toyohashi-Fude\" (Toyohashi ink brush), Weasel Mixed-Hair Kana Calligraphy Brush JAC-THF-601-04","description":"Japanese calligraphy ink brush traditional craftsman \"Fuku-zui\" made \"Toyohashi-Fude\" (Toyohashi ink brush), Weasel Mixed-Hair Kana Calligraphy Brush.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\"Toyohashi fude\" (Toyohashi brushes) are mainly used for calligraphy, and are manufactured in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, and the surrounding area.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis Weasel Mixed-Hair Kana Calligraphy Brush is a kengō brush, crafted by blending the firm, resilient hair of weasel with the soft, highly ink-absorbent flank hair from a horse’s tail, making it ideal for kana calligraphy.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is “horse tail flank hair” (owakige)?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThis refers to the short, dense hair that grows at the base of a horse’s tail. Known for its excellent resilience and flexibility, it combines softness with strength. Because of these qualities, it is highly valued and used sparingly as a precious material for premium calligraphy brushes, high-end clothes brushes, and cosmetic brushes.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHorse tail flank hair\u003c\/strong\u003e is considered part of the amao (upper tail hair) category and is distinguished from other horse hair by its fine texture and unique properties, enabling delicate expression and smooth, supple handling.\u003cbr\u003e\nBy combining the strengths of both firm and soft hairs, this brush achieves an ideal balance of resilience and excellent ink retention, offering superb writing performance.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe brush has an approximate bristle length of 38 mm, a diameter of 7 mm, and an overall length (including the tip) of approximately 260mm.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n*Image shown is a sample image.\u003cbr\u003e\nWe will send an equivalent item.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\n\nDetails\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\nThe tip gathers easily and offers excellent control, making it suitable for a wide variety of scripts and artistic works.\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/1093\/6995\/files\/JAC-THF-601-04-04.jpg?v=1769046464\" alt=\"いたち兼毫仮名書用筆\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n            \nThis well-balanced brush is suitable for a wide range of scripts, from kaisho (standard script) to gyōsho and sōsho (semi-cursive and cursive).\u003cbr\u003e\nEasy to handle for both beginners and advanced users, it allows for beautiful expression of tome (stops), hane (hooks), and harai (sweeps), and can be used across various calligraphic styles.\u003cbr\u003e\nIt glides smoothly across the paper, offering excellent responsiveness and making it easy to create dynamic variations and expressive strokes.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe brush has an approximate bristle length of 38 mm, a diameter of 7 mm, and an overall length (including the tip) of approximately 260mm.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a “Kengō” brush?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nA kengō brush is a calligraphy brush made by combining firm hairs (stiff hair) and soft hairs, allowing it to balance the strengths of both. This structure provides an ideal combination of moderate resilience (spring) and excellent ink retention.\u003cbr\u003e\nWith its well-balanced elasticity and ink-holding capacity—neither too stiff nor too soft—a kengō brush is highly versatile and suitable for a wide range of scripts, including kaisho (standard script), gyōsho (semi-cursive), and sōsho (cursive), making it ideal for beginners through advanced users alike.\u003cbr\u003e\nTypically, resilient hairs such as weasel, horse, or raccoon are used for the core, while softer hairs such as sheep (goat) are applied to the outer layer, achieving an excellent balance of control and smooth writing performance.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n            \n            \n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eFukuo Kawai, Traditional Craftsman \"Fukuzui\" Biography\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e \u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n    \n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/1093\/6995\/files\/kawai-01.jpg?v=1769040900\" alt=\"Fukuo Kawai, Traditional Craftsman Fukuzui Biography\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n    \n1952 Born in Atsumi City (now Tahara City), Aichi Prefecture\u003cbr\u003e\n1967 Apprenticed to Mr. Suzuki, a Toyohashi brush craftsman\u003cbr\u003e\n1996 Certified as a traditional craftsman\u003cbr\u003e\n1999 Awarded the Aichi Prefecture Governor's Commendation for Excellence in Traditional Craft Industries\u003cbr\u003e\n2005 Awarded the Distinguished Service Award in the Traditional Crafts Industry, presented by the Governor of Aichi Prefecture\u003cbr\u003e\n2009 Awarded the Outstanding Craftsman Award in the Traditional Crafts Industry, presented by the Director-General of the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry\u003cbr\u003e\n2011 Awarded the Distinguished Worker Award in the Traditional Crafts Industry, presented by the Director-General of the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry\u003cbr\u003e\n2012 Chairman, Toyohashi Brush Traditional Craftsmen's Association\u003cbr\u003e\n2014 Awarded Chairman's Award, Japan Traditional Craftsmen's Association, Japan Traditional Crafts Chairman's Award\u003cbr\u003e\n2016 Awarded Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Commendation, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Excellent Craftsman Award\u003cbr\u003e\n2019 Awarded Autumn conferment of the Order of Sacred Treasure Single Light\u003cbr\u003e\n    \n    \n    \u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\n\nWhat is a \"Toyohashi Fude\"?\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/1093\/6995\/files\/cornerback-05.jpg?v=1769041220\" alt=\"豊橋筆\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n            \n\"Toyohashi Fude\" is a brush manufactured in Toyohashi City and surrounding areas in Aichi Prefecture.\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is used by many calligraphers as a high-quality brush for calligraphy.\u003cbr\u003e\nIn addition to calligraphy, the Toyohashi Fude is also used for Japanese painting, cosmetics, and crafts.\nThe Toyohashi Fude is characterized by its smooth writing feel that easily blends with ink, which is created by the \"nerimaze\" technique of the brush craftsman's hand.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe tip of the Toyohashi Fude is made from the hair of animals such as raccoon dogs, weasels and horses.\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is made by combining the materials used for the core of the ear and the materials around the core, taking into consideration the differences in hardness and elasticity of the animal hair material, according to the intended use.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Toyohashi Fude easily blends with sumi ink created by mixing (kneading) selected materials with water.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n            \n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\n\nAbout the materials used for brush tips\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\nThe following materials are mainly used for the tip of the Toyohashi Fude.\u003cbr\u003e\n■\"Sanyou-mou\" goat hair, \"Owaki-ge\" horse tail hair (*the hair that grows at the base of a horse's tail), \"Amao\" (*horse mane), weasel hair, raccoon dog hair (white raccoon dog, black raccoon dog), etc.\u003cbr\u003e\n**The \"Owaki-ge\" horse tail hair (*the hair that grows at the base of a horse's tail) is subdivided into white amao \"Shiro-Amao\", black amao \"Kuro-Amao\", white and red amao \"Shiroaka-Amao\", red sesame amao \"Akagoma-amao\", white sesame amao \"Shirogoma-amao\", black sesame amao \"Kurogoma-amao\", and others. The \"Naichi-no-Aka-amao\" is considered to be of the highest quality.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn some cases, a combination of several materials is used to take advantage of their respective characteristics.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e●\"Kolinsky brush\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nBrushes made of weasel hair are also called \"Kolinsky brushes,\" but since weasel hair alone lacks strength, Toyohashi Fude's Kolinsky brush is made by mixing weasel hair with \"Nachi-no-Akaamao\", the highest quality horse hair, to produce brushes that are strong and have good ink filling.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e●\"Kolinsky-Jyomou-Jyokengou brush\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe core is made of \"Sanyou-mou\" goat hair and \"Naichi-no-Akaamao\", and the top hair is wrapped with Kolinsky hair.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e●\"Jyokengou brush\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe core is made of \"Sanyou-mou\" goat hair and \"Owakige-Akaamao\" tail hair of a domestic horse, and the top hair is also wrapped with Sanyou-mou.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n            \n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\n\nHow to choose a brush\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\n            \n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/1093\/6995\/files\/toyohashifude-01.jpg?v=1769041656\" alt=\"豊橋筆-01\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n            \nIt depends on the preference of the person using the brush, but the most important question to ask yourself is \"What do I require of a brush?\".\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is important to choose a brush that suits your purpose, such as strength (firmness, power, etc.), good ink penetration, or both, or to choose one for fine writing such as sutra copying, for writing on calligraphy paper, or writing for a hanging scroll.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMake sure to select a brush that suits your purpose with the right material, thickness, length, firmness and softness, etc.\u003cbr\u003e\n            \n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\n\n\nHandling your brush\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\n●The following are precautions for using your brush for a long time.\u003cbr\u003e\n・Do not soak the brush in a pool of water.\u003cbr\u003e\n*The ear of a brush is finished by binding the base of the ear with thread and burning it with a burning iron, and then gluing the ear to the shaft.\u003cbr\u003e\nTherefore soaking the brush in water may cause the threads to come off or the adhesion to loosen, which may cause the bristles to fall out.\u003cbr\u003e\n・If the brush is not washed thoroughly, the tip of the brush will crack and not hold together if it is hardened with ink.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n●How to care for your brush\u003cbr\u003e\n・After use, wash the brush before the end of the day.\u003cbr\u003e\n・When washing, do not wash the brush in a bowl of water, but carefully and gently massage the base of the brush under running tap water to rinse off all the ink contained in the brush.\u003cbr\u003e\n　After washing, adjust the tip of the brush with your fingers, drain off the water lightly, and hang it on a string with the tip of the brush facing down to dry in the shade.\u003cbr\u003e\n*After washing, do not lay the brush on its side while it is still wet or stand it on its side with the tip of the brush up, as this will cause the brush shaft to expand and deform the brush.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHandmade Suzuka Sumi ink \"Shinseido\" Page Link\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e \u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\n\u003ca title=\"手作り鈴鹿墨『進誠堂』\" href=\"https:\/\/kurokigoishiten.com\/collections\/%E6%89%8B%E4%BD%9C%E3%82%8A%E9%88%B4%E9%B9%BF%E5%A2%A8-%E9%80%B2%E8%AA%A0%E5%A0%82\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b00ff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHandmade Suzuka Sumi ink \"Shinseido\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSpecification\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e \u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJapanese calligraphy ink brush traditional craftsman \"Fuku-zui\" made \"Toyohashi-Fude\" (Toyohashi ink brush), Weasel Mixed-Hair Kana Calligraphy Brush\u003cbr\u003e\nProduct No.：JAC-THF-601-04\u003cbr\u003e\nSize：Total length 260 ㎜ × brush tip 38 ㎜ × Shaft Diameter 7.0 ㎜\u003cbr\u003e\nWeight：7 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.\u003cbr\u003e\nPlease bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible Collapsible--large\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton class=\"Collapsible__Button Heading u-h6\" data-action=\"toggle-collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eNotice about Product\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c!-- 折り畳みのタイトル --\u003e \u003cspan class=\"Collapsible__Plus\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Collapsible__Content\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容 --\u003eAs the products are made of natural materials and manufactured by hand, they may have some defects. We try to provide as much information as possible in text and images, but please understand that there may be cases where such defects are not shown.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c!-- 折り畳みの内容ここまで --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"kurokigoishiten","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46865394368675,"sku":null,"price":5800.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0606\/1093\/6995\/files\/JAC-THF-601-03-04.jpg?v=1769054914","url":"https:\/\/kurokigoishiten.com\/en\/products\/toyohashi-fude-kengo-kana-brush-fukuzui","provider":"kurokigoishiten","version":"1.0","type":"link"}