Handcrafted Japan-grown premium ki urushi harvestd by hand during prime 3-weeks of the season. This is called Sakarihen urushi, a kind of kijomi urushi.  Japan's lacquer artisans use this urushi only on special kintsugi or lacquerware (e.g. antique restoration, high-end lacquerware). Working on a particularly precious or meaningful project?  This would be the ki-urushi to reach for. 
 
What makes Sakari-urushi so premium?
The species of urushi tree grown in Japan has the highest content of urushiol as compare to neighboring countries. High urushiol content means higher transparency and durability of Japanese lacquer.
A tree has to be nurtured for 10 years and can produce only 200ml of urushi lacquer during 4 months of "scratching" and collecting in the summer.
Lacquer are strategically collected. The most prized-quality urushi (collected between July and August) is called Sakari Urushi. They are batched and sold as premium-tier lacquer and used by Japanese lacquer craft artists and artisans to produce high-end lacquerware.
Sakari-urushi has the best level of transparency and glossiness compare to lower-tier urushi lacquer.
 
There are only a handful of uruhsi foresters in Daigo. To promote and sustain a shrinking industry of urushi-forestry in Japan, we partner with the youngest urushi foresters at Daigo, Mr. Yanagi and Mr. Watanabe to offer you their Labor of Love: Sakari-hen Premium Urushi from Daigo.
This is the very rare and precious "from farm-to-table" Japanese lacquer.
 
USE:
Because of the rarity, lacquer artisans sparingly use sakari-urushi on high-end pieces and on final coatings.
For kintsugi artisans, this level of urushi lacquer are used on final coat and finishing touches over lacquered surface, or gold-powdered surface. It has great transpency to allow the gold or silver underneath to shine, and it yields great glossiness.
 
Currently, Japan-grown urushi lacquer supplies only 2-3% of the industry needs, mainly due to the small forests and the limited qualified urushi-tree foresters and harvesters. The pride of Japan lies not only in it's exquisite lacquer art, but also in producing premium quality raw material (urushi lacquer) for the art.
 
CAUTION:
Premium ki-urushi have higher active urushiol content than regular ki-urushi, hence more prone to cause skin allergy and tends to ferment faster.  
Liquid urushi can cause severe skin allergic reaction
AVOID SKIN CONTACT. Symptoms include painful rash and blisters.
Wipe skin with rapeseed / vegetable oil immediate when urushi comes in contact with skin. In rare cases, urushi fume may trigger allergic reaction. Use in well-ventilated area.
Wear gloves and sleeves when handling wet urushi. Clean worksurface with alcohol and discard contaminated wipes.
Keep away from small children. If ingested, seek medical help immediately.
Store in cool, dark places.