Lacquered reflections

From a distance, I had always thought that Japanese products when done right (which is most of the time, when there is no compromise on quality or morals) are rather great, and this runs the gamut across every single discipline.  How this is so must be a reflection of a certain kind of mindset, one that embraces aesthetics as ethics, and which can be seen in any number of things.  My current (growing) infatuation with traditional handcrafts has included the addition of a set of chopsticks for daily use (the blue one which is mine), lacquered in the traditional urushi, adding to the pleasure of eating and of life.