Nail art scratching surface of new future for folk lacquer technique

A nail technician and lacquer craftsman in central Japan are showcasing their combined talents through nail art that uses a traditional wood lacquerware technique to dazzle audiences at fashion shows and elsewhere.The Hida-shunkei lacquerware was developed in the Hida mountains around Takayama, a popular hot spring city in Gifu Prefecture, some 400 years ago but its future is now in doubt as the number of artisans has dramatically fallen in recent years due to a lack of successors keeping the tradition alive.For Naoko Sato, 48, the nail designer who runs a salon in Takayama and came up with…READ FULL ARTICLE