Edo kiriko is the most famous glass craftwork in Japan. It was originally produced in the city of Edo which was Tokyo's name during the Edo period (1603-1868). Kiriko means "cut glass" so its name means "cut glass from the city…

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Tobe ware (called Tobe yaki in Japanese) is a form of ceramic ware produced around the town of Tobe in Iyo district of Ehime prefecture. Production began in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868) and it was registered as a traditional craft by t…

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Takaoka copperware (called Takaoka doki in Japanese) is a type of copperware produced in the area around the city of Takaoka in Toyama prefecture. The various products range from small items such as indoor ornaments, Buddhist tools, and vases to l…

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Inami woodcarvings (called Inami chokoku in Japanese) are produced in the city of Nanto, Toyama prefecture mainly in the form of transoms*, decorative objects, and single-leaf screens**. They are usually made of Japanese camphor, paulownia, or zel…

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Otani ware (called Otani yaki in Japanese) is a form of ceramics that is the most famous product of the city of Naruto in Tokushima prefecture, and is the representative craft for the prefecture. The notable characteristics of Otani ware are its s…

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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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Ogatsu inkstone (called Ogatsu suzuri in Japanese) is a craft produced in the former town of Ogatsu (now city of Ishinomaki), Miyagi prefecture, where artisans still carefully hand carve and polish every piece. What is unique to Ogatsu inkstone i…

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Edo sashimono is a type of wood joinery made in Tokyo with hand-cut dovetail joints and without nails. The word sashimono comes from the process of measuring with a monosashi or woodwork ruler. This craft is characterized by its restrained ornamen…

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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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Edo glassware is crafted in the Edogawa, Sumida, and Koto wards of Tokyo. It is also now produced in some areas of nearby Chiba prefecture, but it has been recognized as a local industry of Tokyo. This craftwork uses manufacturing methods, materia…

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Inshu washi is a handmade traditional Japanese paper made in the former Inaba province, the eastern part of Tottori prefecture. The most famous type of paper is a textured drawing paper that is ideal for calligraphy and ink painting, boasting high…

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Takaoka lacquerware (called Takaoka shikki in Japanese) is produced in the area around the city of Takaoka, in Toyama prefecture. A defining feature of this lacquerware is the wide range of techniques and styles. Aogai-nuri is a technique that use…

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Murayama oshima tsumugi is a silk textile produced in the region surrounding Musashi murayama in western Tokyo. This craft is produced from hand-spun threads pulled from dupioni silk and has kasuri patterns* woven with both warp and weft patterns.…

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Tokyo silverware (called Tokyo ginki in Japanese) is a form of metal handicraft produced mainly in different wards of Tokyo like Taito, Arakawa, and Bunkyo. It is a traditional craft that has been passed down from the Edo period (1603-1868), and e…

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Edo karakami is a type of decorated traditional paper produced in the Bunkyo and Taito wards of Tokyo, as well as Matsudo, Chiba prefecture, and Tokigawa, Saitama prefecture. Designated as a traditional craft by the Japanese government in May 1999…

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Tokyo fine-patterned dyeing (called Tokyo some komon in Japanese) is a stencil dyed textile produced in different wards of Tokyo like Shinjuku and Setagaya. It was designated as a traditional national craft in 1976. This textile can seem plain fro…

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Yumihama traditional resist-dyed textiles (called Yumihama gasuri in Japanese) is produced near the city of Sakaiminato, Tottori prefecture. The name comes from Yumigahama, which is a curved shore that stretches for more than twenty kilometers (ab…

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Edo wazao are fishing rods that are produced in the Kanto region, mainly Tokyo and the prefectures of Chiba and Saitama. This craft is named after the Edo lineage of the craftsmen and not the production area of Edo (now Tokyo). It is made from sev…

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Awa washi is traditional Japanese paper made in Yoshinogawa, Naka-cho, and Ikeda-cho in Tokushima prefecture. It is produced using the traditional papermaking methods of nagashisuki (papermaking in flowing water), and tamesuki (papermaking using s…

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Naruko lacquerware (called Naruko shikki in Japanese) is a form of lacquerware produced around the city of Osaki, Miyagi prefecture. Lacquerware is a craft coating layers of lacquer on wooden tableware and other utensils. Lacquerware is produced i…

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Ozu traditional Japanese paper (called Ozu washi in Japanese) is a handmade paper made in the town of Uchiko, Ehime prefecture. The history of papermaking of Ozu washi dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), and the current style of Ozu washi e…

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Tama brocade (called Tama ori in Japanese) is a woven silk fabric produced around Hachioji, Tokyo. Since ancient times, Tama ori has been well-known under the name of Hachioji woven fabric. The following five different types of woven fabric are …

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Etchu washi is traditional Japanese paper made in Asahi, Yatsuo, and Taira in Toyama prefecture. Each production area makes their own type of washi which are called Gokayama washi, Yatsuo washi, and Birudan washi. This craft has slight regional va…

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Miyagi Kokeshi Dolls (called Miyagi Dento Kokeshi in Japanese) are wooden dolls produced in and around the cities of Sendai and Shiraishi, Miyagi prefecture. Categorized based on region into five styles including Naruko kokeshi and Togatta kokeshi…

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Honba Island Silk (called Honba Kihachijo in Japanese) is produced on Hachijojima Island in Tokyo. The name of this craft derives from a silk fabric with stripe and check patterns mainly dyed in bright yellow called kihachi. Patterns mainly dyed i…

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Techniques for woodblock prints were developed and refined during the Edo period (1603-1868), and Edo Woodblock Prints called Edo Mokuhanga in Japanese, contributed to spreading beautiful printed art forms such as ukiyoe (a genre of Japanese art).…

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Awa Shoai Shijira Ori is a cotton textile produced in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. Shijira Ori had been produced in Awa since the 18th century, and the Shijira Ori dyed with Awa indigo was referred to as Awa Shoai Shijira Ori. It was desi…

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Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen are kimono textiles produced in Shinjuku Ward, Nerima Ward and Nakano Ward, Tokyo. Having been produced in the townsmen culture of Edo (current Tokyo), a refined stylishness is expressed in its soft, subdued colors. Unlike other…

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Shogawa woodcrafts are mostly woodcraft articles such as bowls or trays made in a wide area of the Toyama Prefecture including the city of Takaoka and the city of Tonami. Shogawa woodcrafts were designated as a traditional craft by the Ministry of…

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Edo Sekku Ningyo are dolls produced in 12 of the wards in Tokyo and four cities in Saitama Prefecture. They are costumed dolls, such as ichimatsu ningyo (play dolls), gosho ningyo (palace dolls) and fuzoku ningyo (dolls in period costumes), as wel…

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