Born in 1941 in Hirosaki City, Aomori Pref. Shoji Wada is a lacquerer of Tsugaru Lacquer Ware. He first studied lacquering under Masatoshi Tanaka, later went up to Tokyo and continued studying under Shinji Yakutat and Takehiro Takeda. In 1981 he established his own workshop in Hirosaki City. Then in the next year in 1982, he contrived his own style of tsuge-nuri, which is a variation of kara-nuri, the most typical style of Tsugaru Lacquer Ware. In tsuge-nuri technique, a design of Ajiro pattern (geometrical patterns with vertical and lateral lines) is made by a comb-like brush. He has been in charge of many lacquering works such as the repair work of the Imperial properties, and the making of the Shumidan (the central altar) of the Main Hall at Zenbutsuzan Shoryuji Temple in Aomori City, and the console at Gokokuzan Tennoji Temple in Yanaka, Tokyo. In 1991 he was certificated as a traditional craftsman by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. He has been awarded a lot of prizes including “Master Craftsmen of the Present Age” given by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and also held one man exhibitions several times. At the present he serves as the vice chairman of the Tsugaru Lacquer Ware Association.