筆 Maki Fude (cored brushes)

A brush made by wrapping and solidifying a core hair with washi paper, then putting another layer of hair on top and tightening it with linen thread. It is also known as a 'Maki Fude.' The distinctive features of this brush include excellent hair cohesion and resilience.

Most calligraphy brushes produced today are "Suihitsu" (coreless brushes, or Mushinhitsu), where the base of the brush head is hardened and fixed directly to the handle. However, until the Edo period, the mainstream style was "Makifude" (cored brushes, or Yushinhitsu). These are crafted by wrapping the core hair in Japanese washi paper before adding the outer layer of hair.

Its history is incredibly deep; the "Tenpyo-fude" preserved in the Shosoin Imperial Repository in Nara shares this same rolled-paper structure. This means that the very form of the brushes held by aristocrats and monks over a thousand years ago is still being passed down to us today.

Through its unique structure, the Kamimaki-fude awakens a profound aesthetic in calligraphy, offering a delicate richness and a quiet, poetic resonance to every line.

Currently, the only workshop producing this type of Maki Fude is HANKEIDO in Shiga prefecture in Japan. In 1979, upon request from the Imperial Household Agency, the 14th generation Umpei conducted an investigation of the original and delivered replicas of the Dai Jakuto Fude.

3 types of Maki Fude

general type
A fude made by wrapping the core hair with washi paper and then adding the outer hair. At first glance, it may not look much different from a regular fude, but upon closer inspection, you can see that the tip suddenly becomes very thin from the part where the paper is wrapped.
- SHIBIEN
sparrow head type
A fude made by wrapping the core hair with several layers of washi paper and then adding the outer hair. The brush tip is in the shape of a sparrow's head. It is believed to have been used for sutra copying and fine writing. Among the 18 brushes in the Shosoin Repository collection, one is a large sparrow-head brush.
- JAKUTO FUDE
- TENPYO FUDE
rattan-wrapped type
A large maki fude brush used for writing large Kanji characters, with the brush head and handle connected using rattan and wire mesh.
- RYUTOMAKI FUDE

Calligrapher Masae Ukon, while transcribing the "54 Chapters of the Tale of Genji," selected two types of Kamimaki-fude. In the book "The Origin of Brushes: The World of Makifude — 400 Years of Hankyodo Unpei Brushes," she describes her experience:

"While standard Suihitsu brushes often have their bristles break or scatter down to the base during use, Makifude remains stable thanks to its internal core, allowing it to be used until the very tip (the Inochige or 'life-hair') is worn out... Since I began using these specially-made Kamimaki-fude, I have been able to write with complete freedom. They offer not only the delicate variations in thickness required for Kana script but also the exceptional flow of sumi ink, and a stable sense of control when opening and closing the brush tip—a refined quality I had never experienced before."