A knife carves a soft bar of soap into a piece of decorative art. The craft known as soap carving is easy to try, and the resulting artwork gives off a pleasant scent when added to the decor of a room.
Soap bars specifically intended for carving are softer than regular ones to make them easier to work with. Master Soap Co. based in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, sells such bars via online shopping sites.
The company sells palm-size soaps in round, oval or bun shapes in a choice of 47 colors such as pink, orange and purple.
Soap carving was brought to Japan about 20 years ago from Thailand, where the craft originated. It has recently become popular among young women in Japan who say the carvings look good on social media.
Sachiko Ishikawa, 46, gives soap carving classes mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
"It's easy to start making them, and you can enjoy the feeling of decorative art. The art also turns out to be an aromatic interior decoration, too," she said.
Ishikawa has a special knife with a 4-centimeter-long blade for carving. To begin carving, she cut off the soap's roundish parts to make a square shape. There are two major ways of carving: abrading the surface and cutting out parts of it. The latter is used when carefully carving flowers and other detailed objects.
"Think three-dimensionally, and keep working carefully and persistently," she advised.
She recommends beginners carve flowers such as dahlias for starters.
In October, Ishikawa organized a workshop in Tokyo, giving a lesson to eight women.
A 47-year-old nurse made a gift box with ribbons out of a light-blue soap.
"It's difficult, but rewarding, too," she said.
Master Soap's managing director Yoshiko Okunaka is a soap carving devotee. "With just a knife, I can enjoy a craft that freely expresses what's in my mind," she said.
Ishikawa's works are kept in her studio in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture. An elaborately carved wedding dress propped on wires stands gracefully. Such items as cakes, perfume bottles and hair clips, playfully arranged on a plate so that they resemble frosted cookies.
A Christmas wreath inspired by wings is displayed in a glass-fronted white wood box, where it looks just like a framed painting.
There is a technique to form an inlay whereby several kinds of soap with different colors and shapes are carved to be assembled three-dimensionally.
In her masterpiece "Mermaid Lagoon," Ishikawa used 10 bars of soap in pink and white to express artistry and dynamism.
"Use beads, rhinestones, pearls and artificial flowers to accentuate elegance," she said.
Store for longevity
Soap can crack if stored in a dry environment. Master Soap's Okunaka keeps her artworks, such as gorgeous pink and purple roses, in clear cases.
"You can appreciate them for a longer time if your artworks are kept in a clear glass or plastic case," she said.
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