Yuki tsumugi silk is produced principally in the reaches of the Kinugawa River that straddles the Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. The Japanese name Yuki tsumugi comes from the name of a feudal lord during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Yuki. Al…

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Kasama ware (called Kasami yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced in the area around the city of Kasama in Ibaraki prefecture. This porcelain has long been considered a traditional souvenir of visiting Kasama Inari shrine (one of Japan&…

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Satsuma ware (called satsuma yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced in Kagoshima prefecture. There are three types of Satsuma ware: white, black, and porcelain. Then there are six categories: tateno, ryumonji, naeshirogawa, nishimochida…

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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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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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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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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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Tsuboya ware (called Tsuboya yaki in Japanese) is a form of pottery produced mainly in Tsuboya, city of Naha, Okinawa prefecture. This craft is one of the leading representations of Okinawan pottery (yachimun in the Okinawa dialect). The notable f…

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Miyako jofu is a textile produced on the island of Miyakojima, Okinawa prefecture. It is woven from a fabric called ramie and dyed with Ryukyu indigo, a type of indigo native to Okinawa. This textile has a fine kasuri pattern* and a smooth and lu…

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Ryukyu lacquerware (called Ryukyu shikki in Japanese) is produced in Okinawa prefecture. Lacquerware techniques imported from China were well-adapted during the development of Ryukyu lacquerware unique to Okinawa. The technology and artistry invol…

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Shodai ware (called Shodai yaki in Japanese) is a form of pottery baked mainly in the northern part of Kumamoto prefecture. This craft is distinguishable because of its simple texture, strong form, and bold design, which is due to the pouring meth…

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Yamaga toro are lanterns made of washi (traditional Japanese paper) produced in the area surrounding the city of Yamaga, Kumamoto prefecture. For the Yamaga Lantern Festival, an annual summer event, this craft is worn by one thousand dancing women…

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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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Kumejima tsumugi silk is a textile produced on the island of Kumejima, Okinawa prefecture. The history of this craft goes back all the way to the Muromachi period (1336-1573). This textile is distinct because of its elegant texture and deep color …

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Ryukyu kasuri is a textile made in Okinawa prefecture. It is made mostly from silk and dyed with both plant and synthetic dyes using a kasuri* or resist-dyeing technique. This craft features over six hundred different kinds of patterns inspired by…

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Suruga bamboo ware (called Suruga take sensuji zaiku in Japanese) is produced in the city of Shizuoka, Shizuoka prefecture. High quality bamboo has grown wild in the basin of the upper reaches of the Abe River in Shizuoka since ancient times. Bamb…

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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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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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Chibana hanaori is a textile produced in Chibana, Okinawa, Okinawa prefecture. It has flowery patterns woven in the base textile as well as a continuous geometric pattern. This kind of textile with a continuous geometric pattern is called mon orim…

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Yaeyama minsa is a fabric produced in the town of Taketomi, Yaeyama district and the city of Ishigaki, Okinawa prefecture. The origin of this craft is not clear but it is thought that the kasuri belt was brought to Okinawa from Afghanistan via Chi…

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Yaeyama jofu is a fabric produced in the area surrounding Yaeyama ward in Ishigaki city, Okinawa prefecture. This textile is woven with hand-spun ramie threads and used to be produced as a tax to the Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa) in ancient…

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Honba Oshima Tsumugi is a fabric made on the island of Amami, Kagoshima prefecture. It is one hundred percent plain silk that has been dyed and made on handlooms like shime-bata or te-bata. This textile has deep, muted tones as it is dyed with ye…

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Shuri brocade (called Shuri ori in Japanese) is a woven fabric produced on the main island of Okinawa. There are two types of fabric, kasuri orimono and mon orimono, and these include hanaui, hanakura ori, doton ori, kasuri and minsa. The Ryukyu …

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Yomitanzan hanaori is a textile produced in the village of Yomitan, Okinawa. The threads of this craft are first dyed before being woven in a geometric, flowerlike design. This craft is woven with silk or cotton threads dyed with plant-based dyes …

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Amakusa ware (called Amakusa Tojiki in Japanese) is a form of pottery or porcelain baked in the Amakusa region of Kumamoto prefecture. The name was newly applied when the craft was designated as a national traditional craft. In Amakusa, where high…

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Kawanabe Buddhist Altars (called Kawanabe Butsudan in Japanese) are made in the Kawanabe area of Minamikyushu, Kagoshima prefecture. There is a specific type of altar called gamado that is unique to this craft. Gama means cave in the Kagoshima dia…

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Ryukyu Bingata is a dyed and woven textile produced around Shuri, Okinawa prefecture. Its origin goes back to the 14th to 15th century. The ladies of the royal family or the families of the warrior class wore Ryukyu Bingata. There are two kinds of…

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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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Higo Zogan is inlaid metal work produced in Kumamoto, Kumamoto prefecture. This craft was formerly used to adorn the gun barrels or sword guards of samurai. Today, however, the skills are used to make personal accessories or interior ornaments. Th…

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