Shigaraki ware (called Shigaraki yaki in Japanese) is a type of pottery made around the town of Shigaraki in Shiga prefecture. Clays such as kibushi, mizuchi, or gairome are kneaded to make a strong clay that can be used to make thick and large p…

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Hagi ware (called Hagi yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced mainly in the city of Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture. Hagi ware is rarely decorated, remaining as simple as possible to make the most of the features of the clay. This simplici…

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Echizen washi is a Japanese traditional paper made in the basin of the Okafuto river of the Echizen region, Fukui prefecture. Washi is made mostly from the inner bark fibers of plants such as paper mulberry, paperbush, and ganpi. Echizen washi fea…

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Tosa washi is a kind of traditional Japanese paper made in Kochi prefecture, both in the city of Tosa and around the town of Ino. In the past, it was used to make a holder for wallets and medicine or paper lanterns. Now it has a wide range of u…

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Echizen lacquerware (called Echizen shikki in Japanese) is produced in the area around the city of Sabae in Fukui prefecture. Lacquer is at the center of life in the Echizen district of Sabae, which is known as the city of manufacturing. The notab…

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Marugame uchiwa are a type of fan made in the area around the city of Marugame, Kagawa prefecture. It is believed that, in the early Edo period (1603-1868), the first Marugame uchiwa were made as souvenirs for pilgrims to the Konpira Shrine. The o…

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Kagawa lacquerware (called Kagawa shikki in Japanese) is produced in the area around the city of Takamatsu, Kagawa prefecture. There is a wide range of products, such as cake boxes, trays, low tables, and display cases, which are widely popular fo…

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Akama inkstone (called Akama suzuri in Japanese) is produced around the cities of Shimonoseki and Ube in Yamaguchi prefecture. A type of stone called akama, an ideal material for producing the inkstones, is used for Akama inkstone. Therefore this …

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Echizen ware (called Echizen yaki in Japanese) is a type of pottery produced in the town of Echizen, Fukui prefecture. This traditional handicraft comes from one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan which along with Bizen, Tamba, Tokoname, Seto, and …

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Omi jofu is a textile produced in the region surrounding the town of Koto in Shiga prefecture. It is made with handwoven ramie threads. This craft has chic kasuri* or ikat patterns and a refreshing texture from being woven with fine ramie threads.…

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Wakasa lacquerware (called Wakasa-nuri in Japanese) is produced in the area around the city of Obama, Fukui prefecture. It is said to have originated in the early Edo period (1603-1868) when a craftsman serving the Obama domain (now the city of Ob…

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Banshu abacuses (called Banshu soroban in Japanese) are produced in the city of Ono, Hyogo prefecture. Ono, an agricultural area blessed with a warm climate, started abacus production during its off-season. Japanese abacuses are traditional tools…

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Nara brushes (called Nara fude in Japanese) are brushes produced in and around the neighboring cities of Nara and Yamatokoriyama, Nara prefecture. Nara is considered to be the birthplace of brush making in Japan. The oldest existing brushes in Jap…

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Ouchi lacquerware (called Ouchi nuri in Japanese) is produced around the city of Yamaguchi, in Yamaguchi prefecture. This craft emerged under the Ouchi clan, which boasted significant influence and power in the region during the Muromachi period (…

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Tamba-tachikui ware (called Tamba-tachikui yaki in Japanese) is a form of pottery produced around Konda in the city of Sasayama, Hyogo prefecture. It is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns. Together with Bizen, Tamba, Echizen, Seto, and Tokoname…

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Echizen cutlery (called Echizen uchihamono in Japanese) is produced around the city of Echizen, Fukui prefecture. A double layering technique is used for knives and a rotated steel joining technique for sickles. Double layering is a forging method…

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Izushi ware (called

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Tosa cutlery (called Tosa uchihamono in Japanese) are hammer-forged blades produced in the eastern to central part of Kochi prefecture, including the town of Ino and the cities of Kami, Nankoku, Tosa, and Susaki. Kochi prefecture was once a provin…

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Hikone Buddhist Altars (called Hikone Butsudan in Japanese) are produced in the city of Hikone, Shiga prefecture. Using luxurious materials in altar bodies which are usually larger than 121.2 cm, this craft is synonymous with high-grade Buddhist a…

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Banshu Kebari are fishing flies used as artificial-bait hooks for fishing, produced in Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. They are characterized by their exquisitely fine workmanship; bird feathers wound with silk thread around a small 1cm hook, ad…

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Banshu Miki Uchihamono are metalwork produced around Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture. Like Shinshu Uchihamono and Tosa Uchihamono, Banshu Miki Uchihamono is renowned as a craft made using molding techniques. These areas are also known as large product…

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Echizen Tansu are lacquer coated chests of drawers made around Echizen City and Sabae City of Fukui Prefecture. They are mainly made of Japanese zelkova and paulownia, and decorated with iron fittings and lacquer. Japanese zelkova is a hard wood w…

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Takayama Tea Whisks, called Takayama Chasen in Japanese, are tea whisks produced in Takayama Town, Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture. Each tea whisk is completely made by hand and they have a top class share in the total Japanese tea whisk market. The t…

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Toyooka Wicker Crafts, called Toyooka Kiryu Zaiku in Japanese, is wickerwork produced around Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. The origins of the craft are found in the baskets woven from Salix koriyanagi, a species of willow naturally growing in th…

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Wakasa Agate Craft (Wakasa Meno Zaiku in Japanese) is agate craftwork produced around the city of Obama, Fukui prefecture. Agate has been appreciated from olden times as one of the seven treasures that decorated the sublime Buddhist paradise ment…

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Nara Ink, called Nara Sumi in Japanese, is Japanese ink (sumi) produced in Nara, Nara prefecture. It was the second sumi, following Suzuka Sumi of Mie prefecture, to be designated as a traditional craft. There are two types of sumi; shoenboku, mad…

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