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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Etchu Fukuoka no suge gasa, Etchu Fukuoka Sedge Hats, are a traditional craft produced in Takaoka, Tonami, Oyabe, and Nanto of Toyama prefecture. The sedges produced in Fukuoka, Toyama are top quality as they survive the severe winters of the Hok…

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Hasami ware (called Hasami yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced in Hasami in Nagasaki prefecture. It is a traditional handicraft that was first produced in the latter part of the Sengoku period (1467-1603) and remains popular today as…

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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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Kaga Embroidery (Kaga-nui in Japanese) is traditional embroidery produced in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, using a variety of threads such as colorful silk threads, luxurious gold and silver threads, and lacquered threads. Kaga-nui is…

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Kaga textiles (called Kaga yuzen in Japanese) are kimonos produced around the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. This craft is noteworthy because of its use of five underlying tones: indigo, khaki, green, dark reddish purple, and deep red. Kyo…

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Kanazawa Buddhist Altars (called Kanazawa Butsudan in Japanese) are made in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. In the past, Ishikawa was an incredibly wealthy province called Kaga. This wealth was reflected in the rich Kaga culture of luxurious crafts…

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The word haku means metal leaf and Kanazawa haku is gold leaf produced in and around the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. This craft possesses the dazzling and elegant radiance of gold even after being worked on by craftsmen. A small piece o…

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Kanazawa lacquerware (called Kanazawa shikki in Japanese) is produced in the area around the city of Kanazawa, in Ishikawa prefecture. It was developed for the liking of feudal lords as it had the financial backing of the Kaga domain (present day …

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Kishu bamboo fishing rods (called Kishu herazao in Japanese) are produced in the city of Hashimoto, Wakayama prefecture for catching Japanese crucian carp. The bamboos: suzutake, madake, and yadake are cut, left to dry for several years, and only …

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Kishu lacquerware, also known as kuroe-nuri, is produced around the Kuro-e region northwest of the city of Kainan, Wakayama prefecture. This craft is simple, durable, and practical and has been popular as a household good since the Edo period (160…

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Kishu Tansu are masterpieces of traditional woodwork made in an area around Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture. Kishu Tansu are so called because the manufacturing technique was established in Kishu, the current Wakayama Prefecture. As high-qualit…

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Kutani ware (called Kutani yaki in Japanese) is a type of pottery manufactured in and around the city of Kaga in Ishikawa prefecture. It is a traditional handicraft that was first produced during the early Edo period (beginning of the 17th century…

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Mikawachi ware (called Mikawachi yaki in Japanese) is a form of porcelain produced around the city of Sasebo, in Nagasaki prefecture. Mikawachi ware has long been regarded as a high-class item due to its simple yet eyecatching blue dye on white po…

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Nagasaki tortoise shell crafts called Nagasaki Bekko in Japanese, are mostly produced in the city of Nagasaki or Isahaya in the Nagasaki prefecture. The shells used come from a type of sea turtle living around the Equator called Hawksbill turtle. …

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Nanao Buddhist Altars called Nanao Butsudan in Japanese, are Buddhist altars produced in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. As part of the Hokuriku region where the Buddhist sect Jodo Shinshu became widely spread long ago, Ishikawa is home to many w…

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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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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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Okuaizu Basketry, called Okuaizu Amikumi Zaiku in Japanese, is basketry produced around Mishima Town, Onuma County, Fukushima Prefecture. As this mountainous area in the Okuaizu region has much snow and farmers are unable to work in the fields in …

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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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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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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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Ushikubi tsumugi is a silk textile produced in the city of Hakusan, Ishikawa prefecture. It was recognized as a traditional craft in 1988. Some distinctive features of Ushikubi (which literally translates to cow's neck) tsumugi silk are its m…

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