---
title: "Kumano Brushes (Kumano Fude): Japan's Brush Town and Six Brushes Made There"
description: What are Kumano brushes? Their history, the 12 steps of brush making and the qualities of different hairs, plus six brushes made in Kumano, Hiroshima, from large to fine.
image: https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-6-brushes.jpg
---

[Ensō円 相](https://www.sumieart.art/)

[Article](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog?hsLang=en) [About](https://www.sumieart.art/en/about?hsLang=en)

[JA](https://www.sumieart.art/blog/kumano-fude) / [EN](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/kumano-brushes)

[Article](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog) — Suiboku

# Kumano Brushes (Kumano Fude): Japan's Brush Town and Six Brushes Made There

What are Kumano brushes? Their history, the 12 steps of brush making and the qualities of different hairs, plus six brushes made in Kumano, Hiroshima, from large to fine.

2026.10.20

![From left: Bokka and Ikki Sōun (large brushes), Kensei (medium brush), Hōraisan (small brush), Itachi Mensō (mensō brush) and Seifun (kana brush)](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-6-brushes.jpg)

From left: Bokka and Ikki Sōun (large brushes), Kensei (medium brush), Hōraisan (small brush), Itachi Mensō (mensō brush) and Seifun (kana brush)

From the broad stroke of a bamboo trunk to the tip of a leaf or the name you write beside a finished painting, sumi-e asks for many kinds of line. Choosing a brush to suit each one makes the work easier, and sooner or later one large brush is not enough.

This article looks at Kumano brushes (Kumano fude), made in the town of Kumano in Hiroshima Prefecture, which the local cooperative says has come to be called the capital of brushes. Drawing on official sources, it explains where they come from, how they are made and what the different kinds of hair do. It then introduces six brushes made by a brush maker in Kumano (two large brushes, a medium brush, a small brush, a mensō brush and a kana brush) with photos and catalogue specifications.

What you will learn:

- What Kumano brushes are: where they are made, how they began and their Traditional Craft designation
- How they are made, from selecting the hair to tying the brush head
- How goat, weasel, horse and raccoon dog hair differ
- Six brushes made in Kumano and where they fit in sumi-e practice

## What Are Kumano Brushes (Kumano Fude)?

Kumano brushes (Kumano fude) are brushes made in Kumano, a town in Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture. Brush making there began in the late Edo period, and in 1975 Kumano brushes became the first brushes in Japan to be designated a Traditional Craft by the national government. Their official English name is KUMANO Fude (Brushes) ([Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries](https://kougeihin.jp/en/craft/1007/)).

### Brushes from Kumano, a town in Hiroshima

The Kumano brush makers' cooperative (Kumano Fude Jigyō Kyōdō Kumiai) counts calligraphy brushes, painting brushes, make-up brushes and flat hake brushes as Kumano fude. In its survey for fiscal 2022, the cooperative's members in the town sold 3.2 million calligraphy brushes, 6.8 million painting brushes and 14 million make-up brushes ([cooperative FAQ, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/about-kumano-fude/faq/)).

About 2,000 people work in the brush industry, roughly one in ten of the town's population of about 23,000 (fiscal 2022), and the cooperative describes Kumano's output as the largest in Japan ([cooperative, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/about-kumano-fude/)). As of the end of September 2026, the town had 11 certified traditional craftspeople ([cooperative, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/traditional-craftsman/)).

### Born from seasonal work and travelling brush sellers

Kumano's brush making grew out of seasonal work. In the late Edo period, the town's farmers went to work in the Yoshino area of Nara and the Kishū area of Wakayama when there was little to do on their small farms. On the way home they bought brushes and ink in the Nara area and sold them in the towns and villages along the road.

In time, people from Kumano learned to make brushes themselves and came home to teach others. With encouragement from the Hiroshima domain, brush making took root, and Kumano grew into a brush-making town ([Kumano Town, in Japanese](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/11/3/1/1/4508.html)).

### The first brushes designated a Traditional Craft (1975)

On 10 May 1975, Kumano brushes were designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (today the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry), the first brushes in Japan to receive the designation ([Kumano Town, in Japanese](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/11/3/1/4497.html)).

On 1 May 2025, the brush-making techniques of the Kumano area were designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hiroshima Prefecture. They are noted for a hair-mixing technique called bonmaze and for dividing the work by process ([Kumano Town, in Japanese](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/11/3/1/4497.html)).

"Kumano Fude" is also a collective trademark, registered by the cooperative in 2004. Only brushes that meet the cooperative's standards and are certified and registered by it may use the name Kumano Fude® ([cooperative, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/)).

## How Kumano Brushes Are Made: The 12 Steps

The bundle of hair at the end of a brush is called the brush head (hokubi). The cooperative describes making a calligraphy brush in 12 main steps, and traditionally it was said to take 73 ([cooperative, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/about-kumano-fude/how-to-make-shohitsu/)).

### Preparation, assembly and finishing

The 12 steps fall into three stages ([Fudenosato Kobo, in Japanese](https://fude.or.jp/jp/kumanofude/flow/)):

| Stage | Steps |
| --- | --- |
| Preparation (shita-shigoto) | selecting and combining the hair (senmō, kegumi); heating and rubbing (hinoshi, kemomi); aligning (kesoroe); removing reversed and worn hairs (sakage, surege-tori); cutting to length (sungiri) |
| Assembly (dai-shigoto) | mixing (nerimaze); forming the core (shintate); wrapping the outer hair (koromoge-maki); tying (itojime) |
| Finishing (shiage) | fitting into the handle (kurikomi); finishing (shiage); engraving the name (mei-chōkoku) |

In short, the hair is sorted and prepared, mixed and shaped into a brush head, and finally fitted into the handle and engraved.

### A core wrapped in outer hair and tied with hemp thread

A brush head is made by wrapping a core of hair in fine outer hair called koromoge. The outer hair gives the tip its clean shape and keeps the short hairs of the core from showing. Finally, the base is tied with hemp thread and pressed with a hot iron (itojime), which completes the brush head.

Traditional-craft Kumano brushes must also follow set techniques. Rice-husk ash is used in the heating and rubbing step, a wooden measure and scissors are used to cut the hair to length, the hair is blended by nerimaze, and hemp thread is used for tying ([Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries, in Japanese](https://kougeihin.jp/craft/1007/)).

### At least ten years to make a brush head alone

According to Fudenosato Kobo, the brush museum in Kumano, the hardest step is the first one: selecting and combining the hair. Almost all of the work is done by hand, and it takes at least ten years before a craftsperson can make a brush head alone from start to finish ([Fudenosato Kobo Q&A, in Japanese](https://fude.or.jp/jp/kumanofude/qa/)).

## Parts of a Brush and Types of Hair

Brush descriptions and catalogues use a few terms that are worth knowing before you compare brushes.

### Naming the parts of the brush head

A brush has two main parts: the brush head, which holds the ink, and the handle (jiku), which you hold. From the tip down, the brush head is divided into the inochige (literally "life hair", the very tip), nodo (throat), kata (shoulder), hara (belly) and koshi (waist) ([Fudenosato Kobo, in Japanese](https://fude.or.jp/jp/kumanofude/flow/flow1/)).

In the brush maker's catalogue diagram, the top of the handle carries a hanging cord (kakehimo) and an end cap (kotsu), and the joint between the brush head and the handle is called the daruma.

### Goat, weasel and horse hair

Kumano brushes use goat, horse, deer, raccoon dog, weasel and cat hair, among others. Here is how Kumano Town describes the hair used in the six brushes below ([Kumano Town, in Japanese](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/11/3/1/1/4523.html)):

- Goat hair: called yōmō ("sheep hair") in Japanese, but it is actually goat hair. It is very soft and fine yet springy, and it holds ink very well.
- Weasel hair: springy, gathers into a neat tip and glides smoothly.
- Horse hair: taken from almost the whole animal, including the belly (body hair), the mane and amao, the hair around the base of the tail. Body hair is used as outer hair and as the core of small brushes, while amao is very springy and makes a brush with a strong koshi (resilience).
- Raccoon dog hair: the tip is very springy; it is used in brushes for kana, Japanese painting (nihonga) and make-up.

### Mixed-hair brushes (kengō)

A brush that combines two or more kinds of hair is called a kengō brush. The cooperative explains that goat-hair brushes are soft, mixed-hair brushes are of medium firmness, and gōgō brushes, made with stiff hair, have a strong koshi (resilience) ([cooperative FAQ for children, in Japanese](https://www.kumanofude.or.jp/about-kumano-fude/faq-for-children/)).

Of the six brushes in this article, only Seifun is made from a single kind of hair (weasel); the other five combine two or more. Ikki Sōun combines four: amao, raccoon dog, goat and hara-ge (belly hair).

## Six Brushes Made in Kumano

The six brushes below are made by a brush maker in Kumano: two large brushes, a medium brush, a small brush, a mensō brush and a kana brush. Their specifications come from the maker's catalogue, which groups brushes by calligraphy use, such as for regular script (kaisho), for medium-size characters, for small characters and kanji, or for kana.

![Six brushes side by side: a large brush with a dark brown bamboo handle and a black hanging cord, a large brush with a light bamboo handle and a blue cord, a medium brush with a bamboo handle and a blue cord, a small brush with a mottled bamboo handle and an orange cord, a fine-line brush with a black handle and a kana brush with a vermilion handle](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-6-brushes.jpg)

From left: Bokka and Ikki Sōun (large brushes), Kensei (medium brush), Hōraisan (small brush), Itachi Mensō (mensō brush) and Seifun (kana brush)

In the catalogue, "hair" (genmō) is the hair used in the brush head, while "diameter" and "length" (hotake) give the width and length of the brush head. For the large brushes, the catalogue also gives a tip-length category, such as short (tanpō) or long (chōhō).

### Bokka, a large brush (weasel and goat hair)

![The whole Bokka large brush with a dark brown bamboo handle and a black hanging cord, and a close-up of its weasel and goat hair tip](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-bokka.jpg)

Bokka, a large brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

Bokka is a large brush made from weasel and goat hair. The catalogue lists it for regular script (kaisho) and describes it as having a strong koshi (resilience) and a slightly short tip, calling it ideal for beginners. Its brush head is 10.5 mm across and 47 mm long, in the short-tip (tanpō) category.

The handle is dark brown bamboo with a black hanging cord. It combines springy weasel hair with goat hair, which holds ink well.

### Ikki Sōun, a large brush (four kinds of hair)

![The whole Ikki Sōun large brush with a light bamboo handle and a blue hanging cord, and a close-up of its tip made from four kinds of hair](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-ikki-soun.jpg)

Ikki Sōun, a large brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

Ikki Sōun is a large brush that combines four kinds of hair: amao, raccoon dog, goat and hara-ge (belly hair). The catalogue lists it for regular script and describes it as having a strong koshi and being suited to regular script. Its brush head is 10.5 mm across and 57 mm long, the longest of the six, in the long-tip (chōhō) category.

The handle is light bamboo with a blue hanging cord. According to Kumano Town, amao is very springy and makes a brush with a strong koshi, and raccoon dog hair has a very springy tip.

### Kensei, a medium brush (goat and horse hair)

![The whole Kensei medium brush with a bamboo handle and a blue hanging cord, and a close-up of its goat and horse hair tip](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-kensei.jpg)

Kensei, a medium brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

Kensei is a medium brush made from goat and horse hair. The catalogue lists it for medium-size characters and describes it as fairly firm, drawing cohesive lines. Its brush head is 8.0 mm across and 40 mm long, the thickest after the two large brushes.

The handle is bamboo with a blue hanging cord. Goat hair, which holds ink well, is combined here with horse hair, and the result, in the catalogue's words, is a firm brush for cohesive lines.

### Hōraisan, a small brush (weasel and horse hair)

![The whole Hōraisan small brush with a mottled bamboo handle and an orange hanging cord, and a close-up of its weasel and horse hair tip](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-houraisan.jpg)

Hōraisan, a small brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

Hōraisan is a small brush made from weasel and horse hair. The catalogue lists it for small characters and kanji and says its tip responds well and that it is easy to write with. Its brush head is 6.5 mm across and 30 mm long.

The handle is mottled bamboo with an orange hanging cord. Weasel hair, used in its brush head, is described as springy and quick to gather into a neat tip.

### Itachi Mensō, a fine-line brush (weasel and horse hair)

![The whole Itachi Mensō brush with a black handle, and a close-up of its fine weasel and horse hair tip](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-itachi-mensou.jpg)

Itachi Mensō, a mensō brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

A mensō brush has a very fine tip and is used for delicate lines and details. Its name is said to come from its use for painting faces ([Musashino Art University, in Japanese](https://zokeifile.musabi.ac.jp/%E7%B7%9A%E6%8F%8F%E7%AD%86/)).

Itachi Mensō ("itachi" means weasel) is a mensō brush made from weasel and horse hair. The catalogue says its tip responds well and draws extremely fine lines. Its brush head is 4.0 mm across and 21 mm long, the shortest of the six. The handle is black.

### Seifun, a kana brush (weasel hair)

![The whole Seifun kana brush with a vermilion handle, and a close-up of its fine weasel hair tip](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-seifun.jpg)

Seifun, a kana brush. The whole brush on the left, the tip on the right

Seifun is a kana brush made from weasel hair alone. Kana are the Japanese syllabic scripts, often written with fine, flowing lines. The catalogue lists Seifun for kana and says its tip responds well and draws extremely fine lines. Its brush head is 2.5 mm across and 25 mm long, the thinnest of the six.

Its vermilion handle stands out. Although it is the thinnest brush here, its brush head is longer than Itachi Mensō's (25 mm against 21 mm).

## Comparing the Six and Using Them in Sumi-e

### Brush-head sizes at a glance

Side by side, the six brush heads range from 10.5 mm to 2.5 mm across and from 57 mm to 21 mm long.

| Brush | Type | Hair | Catalogue use | Diameter | Length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bokka | Large brush | Weasel and goat | Regular script (short tip) | 10.5 mm | 47 mm |
| Ikki Sōun | Large brush | Amao, raccoon dog, goat and belly hair | Regular script (long tip) | 10.5 mm | 57 mm |
| Kensei | Medium brush | Goat and horse | Medium-size characters | 8.0 mm | 40 mm |
| Hōraisan | Small brush | Weasel and horse | Small characters and kanji | 6.5 mm | 30 mm |
| Itachi Mensō | Mensō brush | Weasel and horse | (Mensō brush) | 4.0 mm | 21 mm |
| Seifun | Kana brush | Weasel | Kana | 2.5 mm | 25 mm |

From thickest to thinnest: the two large brushes, Bokka and Ikki Sōun (both 10.5 mm), then Kensei, Hōraisan, Itachi Mensō and Seifun. The catalogue uses calligraphy categories, but for sumi-e the more useful question is how fine a line you want to draw.

### Your first two brushes, and the next one

To start sumi-e, two brushes are enough: one large and one small. The large brush handles broad strokes such as tree trunks and rock faces, and the small brush handles fine detail such as thin branches, grass blades and inscriptions (see our [Sumi-e Tools for Beginners](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/sumi-e-essential-tools)).

Among these six, Bokka or Ikki Sōun would serve as the large brush and Hōraisan as the small one. Bokka has a slightly short tip, and the catalogue calls it ideal for beginners; Ikki Sōun has a long, 57 mm head made from four kinds of hair.

If you add a third brush, choose it by the line you want to draw:

- Broad areas and thick strokes: Bokka or Ikki Sōun, the large brushes
- Firm, cohesive and slightly broader lines: Kensei, the medium brush
- Thin branches and inscriptions beside a painting: Hōraisan, the small brush
- Even finer lines and details, such as leaf tips: Itachi Mensō or Seifun

Treat this as a guide rather than a rule. The same brush can draw very different lines depending on whether you use only the tip or lay the brush head down, as you do for the trunk in our [How to Paint Bamboo](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/how-to-paint-bamboo-sumi-e-1) tutorial. Try each brush on paper and keep the one that feels right in your hand.

## Caring for Your Brush

Rinse your brush thoroughly in clean water right after use, reshape the tip gently with your fingers while it is still damp, and store it hanging with the tip pointing down, or lying flat. A hanging cord makes hanging easy. These simple habits help a brush last ([Sumi-e Tools for Beginners](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/sumi-e-essential-tools)).

## Visiting Kumano: The Brush Museum and the Brush Festival

Fudenosato Kobo, Kumano's brush museum, stands at 5-17-1 Nakamizo, Kumano. It opened in September 1994 and received its current official name in April 2026. It is open from 9:30 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays (the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday) and over the New Year holidays ([Fudenosato Kobo](https://fude.or.jp/en/)).

Every year on the autumn equinox day, the town holds the Kumano Brush Festival (Kumano Fude Matsuri), with a brush market and large-scale calligraphy performances (taisaku sekisho). The one-day festival draws about 50,000 people each year, and the 92nd festival was held on 23 September 2026 ([Kumano Town, in Japanese](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/11/2/1/2/4430.html); [2026 notice](https://www.town.kumano.lg.jp/announcement/8184.html)).

## FAQ

### What are Kumano brushes?

Kumano brushes (Kumano fude) are brushes made in Kumano, a town in Hiroshima Prefecture. Brush making there began in the late Edo period, and in 1975 they became the first brushes in Japan designated a Traditional Craft by the national government. The local cooperative counts calligraphy brushes, painting brushes, make-up brushes and flat hake brushes as Kumano fude. The name is a collective trademark, and only brushes certified by the cooperative may use the name Kumano Fude®.

### How are Kumano brushes made?

The cooperative describes making a calligraphy brush in 12 steps grouped into three stages: preparation, assembly and finishing. The brush head is a core of hair wrapped in fine outer hair and tied at the base with hemp thread. Almost everything is done by hand, and it takes at least ten years to be able to make a brush head alone.

### What is the difference between goat hair and weasel hair brushes?

According to Kumano Town, goat hair (called "sheep hair" in Japanese) is soft and fine yet springy and holds ink very well, while weasel hair is springy, gathers into a neat tip and glides smoothly. Brushes that mix two or more kinds of hair are of medium firmness.

### What is a mensō brush?

A mensō brush has a very fine tip for delicate lines and details. Its name is said to come from its use for painting faces. Itachi Mensō, introduced in this article, is a mensō brush made from weasel and horse hair, with a brush head 4.0 mm across and 21 mm long.

### Which of these six should a beginner choose?

Start with one large and one small brush; among these six, that would be Bokka or Ikki Sōun with Hōraisan. After that, add brushes by the line you want: Kensei for firm, cohesive lines, and Itachi Mensō or Seifun for even finer lines and details. This is a guide rather than a rule.

## Summary

- Kumano brushes are made in Kumano, Hiroshima, and in 1975 they became the first brushes in Japan designated a Traditional Craft.
- Their brush heads are made almost entirely by hand, from selecting the hair to tying the base with hemp thread.
- The kind of hair, and how hairs are combined, changes how a brush behaves.
- The six brushes made in Kumano run from large brushes to a mensō brush and a kana brush, 10.5 mm to 2.5 mm across, so you can choose by the line you need.

Once you have a brush in hand, the next step is practice. Our [5 fundamental brushwork drills](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/sumi-e-brushwork-practice-drills) are a good place to start.

## RelatedArticle

### [![Art Beyond Boundaries Comes to Brazil: Sumi-e at the Federal Senate (2026 Report)](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-1.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie / Art Exhibition Art Beyond Boundaries Comes to Brazil: Sumi-e at the Federal Senate (2026 Report)](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/art-beyond-boundaries-brazil-2026)

### [![How to Paint a Sumi-e Landscape: Near, Middle and Far Distance in Ink](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rTkcLsG1eEA/maxresdefault.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie How to Paint a Sumi-e Landscape: Near, Middle and Far Distance in Ink](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/how-to-paint-landscape-sumi-e)

### [![How to Paint Chrysanthemums in Sumi-e: Layered Petals, Leaves & Small Flowers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_N5jWnF09E/maxresdefault.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie How to Paint Chrysanthemums in Sumi-e: Layered Petals, Leaves & Small Flowers](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/how-to-paint-chrysanthemum-sumi-e)

![Jin](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/IMG_3607-2.jpg)

Jin

Sumi-e Artist

Jin is a sumi-e artist and calligrapher whose practice brings Western calligraphy into dialogue with the Japanese tradition of ink painting. In Jin's work, letterforms, brushed lines, and ma — the resonant negative space at the heart of sumi-e — come together in compositions that speak across cultures. This East–West synthesis grounds an ongoing exploration of artistic possibilities that reach beyond cultural boundaries. Jin currently serves as a Director of the International Association of SUMI, and was recently honored with the Special Jury Award — the Arisumi Mitamura Prize — at Art Beyond Boundaries. Rooted in tradition yet attentive to the present, Jin continues to share a contemporary vision of sumi-e with audiences around the world.

Ensō

A bilingual platform dedicated to the aesthetic sensibility of Japan through the art of ink painting.

[Article](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog?hsLang=en)  
[About](https://www.sumieart.art/en/about?hsLang=en)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Jin",
    "url" : "https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/author/jin-e"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-10-20T02:13:51.232Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-10-20T02:13:51.000Z",
  "headline" : "Kumano Brushes (Kumano Fude): Japan's Brush Town and Six Brushes Made There",
  "image" : [ "https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/kumano-fude-6-brushes.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/kumano-brushes",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject"
    }
  }
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Article",
  "about" : {
    "@type" : "Thing",
    "name" : "Kumano brushes (Kumano fude)"
  },
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Jin",
    "url" : "https://www.sumieart.art/about"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-10-20",
  "datePublished" : "2026-10-20",
  "description" : "What are Kumano brushes? Their history, the 12 steps of brush making and the qualities of different hairs, plus six brushes made in Kumano, Hiroshima, from large to fine.",
  "headline" : "Kumano Brushes (Kumano Fude): Japan's Brush Town and Six Brushes Made There",
  "image" : "https://246015485.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na2.net/hubfs/246015485/kumano-fude-6-brushes.jpg",
  "inLanguage" : "en",
  "keywords" : "Kumano brush, Kumano fude, Japanese brushes, sumi-e brush, large brush, weasel hair brush, goat hair brush, mensō brush, kana brush, kengō",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/kumano-brushes",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "name" : "Ensō",
    "url" : "https://www.sumieart.art/"
  }
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity" : [ {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Kumano brushes (Kumano fude) are brushes made in Kumano, a town in Hiroshima Prefecture. Brush making there began in the late Edo period, and in 1975 they became the first brushes in Japan designated a Traditional Craft by the national government. The local cooperative counts calligraphy brushes, painting brushes, make-up brushes and flat hake brushes as Kumano fude. The name is a collective trademark, and only brushes certified by the cooperative may use the name Kumano Fude®."
    },
    "name" : "What are Kumano brushes?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "The cooperative describes making a calligraphy brush in 12 steps grouped into three stages: preparation, assembly and finishing. The brush head is a core of hair wrapped in fine outer hair and tied at the base with hemp thread. Almost everything is done by hand, and it takes at least ten years to be able to make a brush head alone."
    },
    "name" : "How are Kumano brushes made?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "According to Kumano Town, goat hair (called \"sheep hair\" in Japanese) is soft and fine yet springy and holds ink very well, while weasel hair is springy, gathers into a neat tip and glides smoothly. Brushes that mix two or more kinds of hair are of medium firmness."
    },
    "name" : "What is the difference between goat hair and weasel hair brushes?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "A mensō brush has a very fine tip for delicate lines and details. Its name is said to come from its use for painting faces. Itachi Mensō, introduced in this article, is a mensō brush made from weasel and horse hair, with a brush head 4.0 mm across and 21 mm long."
    },
    "name" : "What is a mensō brush?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Start with one large and one small brush; among these six, that would be Bokka or Ikki Sōun with Hōraisan. After that, add brushes by the line you want: Kensei for firm, cohesive lines, and Itachi Mensō or Seifun for even finer lines and details. This is a guide rather than a rule."
    },
    "name" : "Which of these six should a beginner choose?"
  } ]
}
```