A Taste for Luxury

During the Genroku era (1688–1703), around a century after the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the political situation stabilized and a diverse culture unique to the Edo period (1603–1867) bloomed among the general population, including ukiyo-e prints, literature and kabuki plays. Against this historical background, shikohin such as alcoholic beverages, tea and tobacco became part of the lives of the general population, as a source of joy that enriched the daily lives of adults who played a major part in supporting society. Various utensils were created and developed that reflected the features of the times and the taste of adults, which complemented the custom of enjoying these shikohin in a well-mannered and sophisticated way.

As featured in the previous issue, tobacco trays that were placed in zashiki or guest rooms as a tool for showing hospitality became one of the necessities for all households, regardless of social class. Outdoor smoking was also permitted after the Genroku era, leading to the development of utensils for carrying tobacco as well. A tobacco set is a combination of a kiseru pipe for smoking and a case (bag) for carrying cut tobacco leaves. Since kimono robes do not have pockets, Japanese people used kinchaku drawstring bags and flint bags hung from the obi sash belt. Utensils used exclusively for tobacco gradually developed out of these conventional utensils. They are broadly categorized into the tucked tobacco set that connects a kiseru pipe case with a bag for carrying cut tobacco leaves and is tucked directly beneath the obi sash belt; the hung tobacco set that is hung by a string or chain, to the end of which the netsuke fastener is attached for hanging from the obi sash belt; and the pocketed tobacco set, to be tucked beneath the chest section of the kimono robe without using the obi.

Once outdoor smoking was permitted, tobacco became a necessity as an important shikohin to soothe fatigue while on journeys, making tobacco sets an essential commodity for traveling. While tobacco sets served a practical purpose, they were also important as an accessory. At the time, men of the samurai class were permitted to tuck a long sword and a short sword under their obi sash belt. Peace prevailed after the middle of the Edo period, however, and with the lack of conflict, the two swords became more important as accessories for men, rather than as weapons, just like the inro case used for carrying seals, pills and so on. On the other hand, people other than samurai were not permitted to carry swords, so the general population did not have any accessory that could be worn with kimono robes. As a result, the men of the Edo period became interested in tobacco sets. Perhaps in part because they wanted to compete with the samurai class, the general population began using tobacco cases to accentuate their attire, and they developed into an accessory that was crafted artistically and creatively.

Throughout the Edo period, the shogunate warned the general population not to use luxury goods and insisted on thriftiness. The shogunate was displeased with the ways the general population enjoyed luxurious goods, and made particular mention of tobacco cases in the luxury prohibition orders that were issued quite frequently. In the Prohibition issued in the seventeenth year of the Genroku era (1704), the use of gold and silver with tobacco cases was prohibited. Looking at the situation from another angle, this means that numerous tobacco cases were produced at the time from gold, silver and other costly materials. The general population of Edo was shrewd, and people were becoming increasingly affluent after the Genroku era. Hiding behind the practical nature of tobacco cases, the general population devised many ways to enhance the value of tobacco cases as an accessory, circumventing the prohibition orders issued by the shogunate.

Even a tobacco case that appeared simple and ordinary was lined with expensive calico fabric imported from India. Gold and silver were used in tiny points in the metal parts of bags, netsuke and pipe cases in a subtle way so that no one would notice without looking closely. Some commoners had skilled craftsmen carve sophisticated designs on the metallic parts. Behind the restrictions imposed by the shogunate, the general population competed with each other over a highly refined sense of aesthetics using the familiar accessory of the tobacco case. Netsuke, which developed as a fastening component at the time, attracted the attention of Western people after the Meiji period (1868–1912), and became a valuable collector's item. To begin with, it was a component for hanging a tobacco case or other bag onto the obi sash belt. Looking at the tobacco cases of the time, we find many that use costly, precious materials such as calico, velvet and other imported textiles, and cuoi d'or leather from Holland that was originally used in interior decorating in Europe. As can be seen, tobacco cases were typical accessories of the general population during the Edo period.

The situation was similar with kiseru pipes. Whilst they were a practical tool for smoking finely cut tobacco, they were also decorated with exquisitely carved metal parts, accentuated with gold and silver, and adorned with many crest patterns and designs using an alloy uniquely developed in Japan called shibuichi (an alloy of copper and silver in a ratio of 4:1) and pure copper.

As time went by, the fire bowls of the kiseru pipes of the Edo period became smaller, and the kiseru pipes themselves became more compact. The major reason behind the changes was the way tobacco leaves were processed. The cut tobacco leaves of Japan during the Edo period measured about 0.1 millimeter in width and about 80 millimeters in length, which made them thinner than a hair and as fine as silk thread. They were found nowhere else in the world. We can see a glimpse of the capabilities of the Japanese people in the way they created precise, compact products based on the culture of other countries in the tobacco culture of the Edo period.

The utensils for smoking that developed during the Edo period, with their practical and artistic nature, matured further during the Meiji period. The restrictions imposed by the shogunate were lifted, and sword decoration craftsmen who had lost their jobs after the decree banning the wearing of swords was issued became engaged in the production of tobacco cases. Although numerous distinguished utensils for smoking were created during the Meiji period on the foundation cultivated in the Edo period, the culture of traditional Japanese smoking utensils declined after the Taisho period (1912–1926), after which Western-style clothing and cigarettes became popular.