What is a plasterer?

A craftsman skilled in plastering walls, floors, and mud walls of buildings with a trowel.

The term "sakan" (左官) derives from the fact that in the Ritsuryō system of the Heian period, the official post of "sakan" (属) referred to a wall plasterer, and subsequently came to be written as "沙官" or "沙翫."

Its origins date back to the Jomon period. The construction of mud walls by rolling raw earth into balls and stacking them is considered the beginning of this craft. During the Edo period, a method called "shikkui finish" became widespread, where entire walls were covered with plaster (shikkui). Plaster dramatically improves the fire resistance of buildings, and the slaked lime in plaster absorbs carbon dioxide during its hardening process into limestone, which helps create a comfortable indoor environment.

In 2020, UNESCO inscribed "Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan" as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.