Shikkui is a type of lime plaster used throughout Japan, with deceptively simple ingredients and a wide range of applications. In use since the 6th century, shikkui is a very thin finish application typically used to protect large uninterrupted wall surfaces on castles and storehouses (or ‘kura’). It can be polished to a high level and because it has a high fiber content and frequently has no aggregate added, it’s flexible, too.
During the week of filming for “Who Wants to Come to Japan?”, I visited a renowned Japanese sakan, Shuhei Hasado and he taught me more about how to make shikkui and apply it.