Kumano brushes (called Kumano fude in Japanese) are traditional craftworks produced in the city of Kumano in Hiroshima prefecture, hence the name. They are made from a wide variety of hair including goat, horse, deer, Japanese raccoon dog, weasel…

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Bizen ware (called bizen yaki in Japanese) is a form of pottery produced in the area around the city of Bizen in Okayama prefecture. Bizen ware is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns. Together with Shigaraki, Tamba, Echizen, Seto and Tokoname, B…

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Hagi ware (called Hagi yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced mainly in the town of Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture. Hagi ware is rarely decorated, remaining as simple as possible in order to make the best use of its clay. One of Hagi war…

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Aizu lacquerware (called Aizu nuri in Japanese) is lacquerware made in the Aizu region of Fukushima prefecture. During the manufacturing process, the craft is classified into round pieces, such as bowls, and flat pieces such as trays or stationery…

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Kaba cherrybark woodcrafts (called Kaba zaiku in Japanese) are a type of wood bark craft produced in the former town of Kakunodate, Akita prefecture. While the character for kaba means birch, for this context the word refers to the bark of wild ch…

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Odate mage-wappa is a bentwood craft produced all over the city of Odate, Akita prefecture. This craft is well-known both domestically and abroad for having a beautiful curved shape and being lightweight. The key feature of Odate bentwood is the b…

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Chichibu-meisen silk is a textile produced in the city of Chichibu, Saitama prefecture. It is a plain-woven textile with both sides dyed equally because the threads will be stencil dyed. Since the textile is double-sided, it can be washed and rema…

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Kawatsura lacquerware (called Kawatsura shikki in Japanese) is produced in the town of Kawatsura in the southern part of Akita prefecture. Everyday use items like bowls and trays have been produced here for a long time. Kawatsura lacquerware has e…

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Obori-soma ware (called Obori-soma yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced around the town of Namie in Fukushima prefecture. This craft uses blue porcelain enamel which is made from locally collected grindstone. The distinctive feature …

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Aizu-hongo ware (called Aizu-hongo yaki in Japanese) is a traditional handicraft from the region of Aizu in Fukushima prefecture with a history of about four hundred years. This pottery, which is thought to have originated during the Sengoku perio…

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Iwatsuki doll (called Iwatsuki ningyo in Japanese) is a type of doll made in Iwatsuki ward, Saitama prefecture. This doll is known for its round face with big eyes, smooth and beautiful skin, and shiny human-like hair. The white skin comes from a …

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Sekishu washi is a traditional Japanese paper produced in the Iwami region of Shimane prefecture. As an ancient craft, it has a history of around 1300 years. The name Sekishu is found in writings from the Heian period (794-1185). There is also a s…

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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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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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Unshu abacuses (called Unshu soroban in Japanese) are produced in the town of Okuizumo, Shimane prefecture. Japanese abacuses are traditional tools that use columns lined with beads that are quickly moved with the fingers to do calculations. They …

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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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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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Iwami ware (called Iwami yaki) is a type of pottery produced around the city of Gotsu, Shimane prefecture. Iwami ware is strong, has low water absorbency and is resistant to salt, acid, and alkali which makes it suitable for storing pickled plums …

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Fukuyama-goto are koto, a flat Japanese 13 stringed instrument with a sound box, produced in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Today, Fukuyama produces about 70% of Japanese koto, which is quite fitting as the city coastal view was the inspirat…

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Miyajima Zaiku are wooden articles made in Miyajima Town, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Miyajima Island, one of the Three Great Sights of Japan, has long been regarded as an Island of Gods. More prosaically, Hatsukaichi City is also a co…

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Edo Kimekomi Ningyo are dolls mainly produced in the Taito, Sumida, and Arakawa Wards of Tokyo. The doll’s body, hands, and feet are made of toso, a mix of paulownia saw dust and wheat starch glue. The head is made from dolomite clay, and silk th…

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Hiroshima Butsudan refers to golden Buddhist altars which are mainly produced in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Hiroshima has always been the land where the Jodo Shinshu sect is widely worshipped since ancient times, prodding sect-recommend…

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Kawajiri brushes are called “Kawajiri fude” in Japanese. Kawajiri brushes are mainly used for calligraphy and they are produced in the town of Kawajiri in the east of the city of Kure, Hiroshima prefecture. This town, lying at the foot of Mt. Noro…

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Okuaizu Amikumi Zaiku is basketry produced in the Mishima Town area, Onuma County, Fukushima Prefecture. This mountainous area in the Okuaizu region has much snow and during winter farmers are unable to work in the fields; as handwork in the snowy…

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Kasukabe Kiri-tansu (paulownia chests of drawers) are masterpieces of traditional woodwork made in an area around Saitama City and Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture. The paulownia used to make Kasukabe Kiri-tansu has excellent moisture-barrier an…

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Katsuyama Take Zaiku are bamboo baskets produced in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture. Bamboo wares are made in many areas across Japan from a variety of bamboos such as mosochiku and hatake; Katsuyama Take Zaiku use madake bamboo growing around Man…

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Since around the late Heian period (11th century), handmade Akita cedar tubs and barrels have been produced from locally grown cedar timber in the cities of Odate and Noshiro of Akita Prefecture. Products made of masame (straight grain) wood and w…

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Izumo stone lantern is stone lanterns produced in the city of Sakai Minato in the Tottori prefecture, and in the cities of Matsue and Izumo in the Shimane prefecture. They are made of Kimachi stone, fine-grained tuffaceous sandstone quarried from …

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Gyoda Tabi Socks, known as Gyoda Tabi in Japanese, are produced in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture, which is the largest production center of tabi socks in Japan. Gyoda is surrounded by two large rivers, Tonegawa River and Arakawa River, and has an abun…

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Oku-Aizu Showa Karamushi Textiles (Oku-Aizu Karamushi Ori in Japanese) are a textile fabric produced in Showa Village of Ohnuma, Fukushima Prefecture. It is made from ramie, which is an urticaceous plant also known as China grass. Fine hemp cloth …

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