Hi and thanks in advance - I’m aware we have a few posters based in Japan so maybe you could help or know someone who could help.
I was donated these two containers with what I suspect to be some form of Japanese drawing paste - I don’t think it’s ink in the way we know it and I have a suspicion it’s “bokuju” if not a thick sumi ink.
Then again - it could be lipstick or the secret of eternal youth for all I can read Japanese…
I have googled the name Nerizumi and Genrin and found nothing.
If you have Google translate on your phone, it can show you the translation as you point the camera at the box. It will overlay the translation on the image live, pretty nifty.
@JoeS - thanks for that, the Google translation is a bit janky in places but there’s enough accurate translation in there (ignoring the bits about flying farmers and roasting ducks) to see it’s a paste that mixes with water to create a smooth and glossy Sumi Ink.
I see the forum software has placed a “solution” and is telling me not to reply…
If I’m not supposed to post any reply and say thanks ever again to someone who has helped, I think I’ll be off and find another forum where discussion is encouraged.
As it is, the new job is keeping me very busy so I’ll give this forum a break for a while.
Genrin is a place in Nara, famous for its traditional crafts. In this case it might be the name of the family that makes the ink. That they originally came from Genrin (it means the “original orchard”). Nerizumi is kneeded ink, so you grind the stone with some water on it to create the amount of ink you need to write. The package also says “high quality for calligraphy use”.
Kuma’s sorted you out there. What you do with the ink is down to preference - we’re not the Japanese culture police.
As for the forum software… it can be very nanny like. Just ignore it, though if it causes any problems just message @Hifihedgehog and he’ll sort it out.
Anyway, I’ve removed the solution tag for you as it didn’t really seem appropriate.
You can absolutely reply! I just tagged the solution to help. Sorry for the unexpected bite back from it. I had no idea the software would be passive aggressive about it and add a message shutting you down. I should have expected as much as it has done that before to us in the past. I found the default evil message they put in and replaced it with a friendly one. EDIT: Better still, I found an option to fully disable it. The forum software calls it user “education.” I call it user lashes, as in 50 lashes for not listening. Merciless wee beastie, it is.
