Ki-urushi

Ki-urushi is raw urushi sap after filtering and basic water adjustment. It is used for foundation mixtures, adhesives, e-urushi, fuki-urushi, and as the starting material for processed lacquers such as suki-urushi and kuro-urushi.

Its behavior depends strongly on harvest season, tree source, and processing. Early-season hatsugama is often useful for adhesive mixtures and wipe-lacquer work because of its higher water content and bonding potential. Later sakari-urushi is commonly processed into transparent or black lacquer, while branch and late-season lacquers are usually treated as more specialized or lower-grade raw materials.