Editorial features on Japan's regional crafts — the makers, the materials, and the places each piece comes from.
Shōdai-yaki (小代焼) is the **reduction-fired stoneware tradition of Arao** in northwestern Kumamoto Prefecture — practiced continuously since 1632…
Tobe-yaki (砥部焼) is the **white porcelain tradition of Tobe Town**, in central Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku — practiced…
Hakata-ori (博多織) is the **silk-brocade weaving tradition of Hakata** in northern Fukuoka Prefecture — practiced continuously since 1241…
Sekishū-washi (石州和紙) is the **handmade paper tradition of Iwami region**, in western Shimane Prefecture — produced continuously since…
Kōshū inden (甲州印伝) is the **lacquered-deerskin tradition of Yamanashi Prefecture** — practiced continuously since the 17th century when…
Hakone yosegi-zaiku (箱根寄木細工) is the **wood-marquetry tradition of Hakone**, in western Kanagawa Prefecture — practiced continuously since approximately…
Banshū soroban (播州そろばん) is the **abacus tradition of Ono City**, in southwestern Hyōgo Prefecture — produced continuously since…
Nibutani attus (二風谷アットゥシ) is the **woven inner-bark cloth tradition of the Ainu** of Hokkaido — specifically the Saru…
Naruko kokeshi (鳴子こけし) is the **wooden folk doll tradition of Naruko-onsen**, in Ōsaki City, northwestern Miyagi Prefecture —…
Aizu-nuri (会津塗) is the **lacquerware tradition of the Aizu region** in western Fukushima Prefecture — practiced continuously since…
Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗) is the **multi-layer lacquer tradition of Hirosaki**, in western Aomori Prefecture — practiced continuously since 1685…
Kiso-shikki (木曽漆器) is the **lacquerware tradition of the Kiso valley**, in southwestern Nagano Prefecture — practiced continuously since…
Shigaraki-yaki (信楽焼) is the **stoneware tradition of Shigaraki**, in southern Shiga Prefecture — one of the **Six Old…
Mino-yaki (美濃焼) is the **largest pottery tradition in Japan by production volume** — producing approximately **50-60% of all…
Tsubame tsuiki dōki (燕鎚起銅器) is the **hand-hammered copperware tradition of Tsubame**, in central Niigata Prefecture — practiced continuously…
Sakai uchihamono (堺打刃物) is the **single-bevel forged-blade tradition of Sakai, Osaka** — Japan's most important professional-knife forging town…
Bizen-yaki (備前焼) is the **unglazed reduction-fired stoneware tradition of Bizen, in southeastern Okayama Prefecture** — one of the…
Ryūkyū glass (琉球ガラス) is the **hand-blown glass tradition of Okinawa** — born in the late Meiji era as…
Marugame uchiwa (丸亀うちわ) is the **hand-pasted bamboo fan tradition of Marugame**, in northern Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku —…
Ōdate magewappa (大館曲げわっぱ) is the **hand-bent cedar tradition** of Ōdate, in northern Akita Prefecture — splitting boards of…
Kumano fude (熊野筆) is the makeup-brush tradition of Kumano town in southern Hiroshima Prefecture — producing approximately **80%…
Authentic Shimazu-direct Satsuma Kiriko sake cup. The luxury Kagoshima cut-glass tradition founded in 1851 by Lord Shimazu Nariakira,…
Modern HASAMI Porcelain mug by Ishimaru Tōgei, one of the named workshops that produces the iconic line. 210…
Arita-yaki (有田焼) is the **founding tradition of Japanese porcelain** — born in 1616 when the Korean-born potter Yi…
Takachiho (高千穂) in northern Miyazaki Prefecture is the mythic origin point of Japanese Shintō — the place where,…
Kasama-yaki (笠間焼) is the Ibaraki Prefecture pottery tradition founded in 1772 — the earliest pottery center on the…
Tokoname-yaki (常滑焼) is the 1,000-year-old pottery of Tokoname, in central Aichi Prefecture — one of the **Six Old…
Kyō-yaki (京焼) and Kiyomizu-yaki (清水焼) are the named ceramic traditions of Kyoto — overlapping terms for the painted-porcelain…
Edo Kiriko (江戸切子) is the cut-glass tradition of Tokyo — born in 1834 in the Edo-period merchant districts,…
Kutani-yaki (九谷焼) is the five-color overglaze porcelain of the Kaga region in Ishikawa Prefecture — produced continuously since…
Echizen Uchihamono (越前打刃物) is the 690-year-old forged-blade tradition of Takefu, Fukui — a five-minute drive from the Echizen…
Kobaien (古梅園), founded in 1577 in Nara, is the oldest continuously-operating sumi-ink maker in Japan — and the…
The Kamado-san (かまどさん) is a clay rice-cooking donabe made by Nagatani-en (長谷園) — a Mie-prefecture pottery house founded…
Oigen (及源), founded 1852 in Mizusawa (Iwate Prefecture), is one of the largest producers of Nambu tetsubin (南部鉄器)…
The Nōsaku gui-nomi (model 501270, 90cc, 100% pure tin) is the smallest and most affordable entry into Nōsaku's…
Nōsaku (能作) is a 1916-founded foundry in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture — a Sea-of-Japan-coast city that was built in…
