Oshima Tsumugi Silk Stole: Amami’s Mud-Dyed Kasuri Weave Guide [2026]
Oshima Tsumugi is one of the world's most labor-intensive silk weaves, dyed in Amami's iron-rich mud and woven…
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Editorial features on Japan's regional crafts — the makers, the materials, and the places each piece comes from.
Myochin Hibashi Furin: Where to Buy the Himeji Armorer’s Iron Wind Chime [2026]
Forged by a samurai-armorer lineage in Himeji, the Myochin hibashi furin turns iron fire chopsticks into a wind…
Bingo Kasuri Indigo Cotton Kinchaku Pouch: Where to Buy Hiroshima’s Heirloom Ikat [2026]
A drawstring kinchaku pouch woven from Bingo Kasuri, the indigo cotton ikat of eastern Hiroshima counted among Japan's…
Takaoka Shikki Raden Lacquer Tray: Where to Buy Toyama’s Urushi Craft [2026]
Takaoka Shikki pairs urushi lacquer with raden mother-of-pearl inlay, born in the same 1609 castle town that gave…
Kiso Oroku-gushi Wooden Comb: Nakasendo Minebari Hair Comb Guide [2026]
Hand-cut from dense minebari hardwood in Nagano's Kiso valley, the Oroku-gushi is a fine-tooth comb perfected along the…
Ise-Katagami Stencil: Suzuka’s Hand-Carved Komon Dyeing Paper from Mie [2026]
Ise-katagami are the persimmon-tanned washi stencils that gave Japan its komon and yuzen patterns. Hand-carved in Suzuka, Mie…
Awaji-ko Sandalwood Incense Sticks: Where to Buy Japan’s Senko [2026]
Awaji Island has perfumed Japan since agarwood drifted ashore in 595 AD. Here's where US readers can buy…
Shiraiwa-yaki Namako Blue Glaze Yunomi: Akita’s Oldest Pottery, Where to Buy [2026]
Shiraiwa-yaki is Akita's oldest ceramic, born in 1771 under the Satake clan's Kubota domain. Its signature namako-yu glaze…
Murakami Kibori Tsuishu Carved Lacquer Tea Saucer (Chataku): Where to Buy [2026]
Murakami Kibori Tsuishu is Niigata's carved-and-lacquered wood craft, where the grain is chiseled before layer upon layer of…
Chichibu Meisen Silk Stole: Where to Buy Saitama’s Taisho Ikat Silk [2026]
Chichibu Meisen is Saitama's reversible ikat silk, born from mountain sericulture and the daring patterns that dressed Taisho-era…
Ojiya Chijimi Ramie Stole: Niigata Snow-Country Crepe Linen, Where to Buy [2026]
Ojiya Chijimi is Niigata's snow-bleached ramie crepe, a UNESCO-listed summer textile with a crisp shibo pucker that lifts…
Kiso Hinoki Ohitsu Wooden Rice Container: Where to Buy [2026]
A wooden rice tub turned from Kiso cypress, the protected timber of Japan's central highlands. Its bare grain…
Hakata-ori Silk Gamaguchi Coin Purse: Where to Buy the Kenjo Weave [2026]
A firm, crisp silk coin purse woven in Fukuoka's 800-year Hakata-ori tradition, carrying the kenjo-gara stripe once presented…
Awa Washi Awagami Fine Art Paper: Tokushima’s Handmade Washi Sheets [2026]
Awagami Factory's Awa Washi is handmade kozo and mitsumata paper from Tokushima's Yoshino River, engineered into archival fine-art…
Sanuki Shikki Kinma Lacquer Natsume Tea Caddy: Where to Buy [2026]
Sanuki Shikki from Takamatsu carries Tamakaji Zokoku's Kinma carved-and-inlaid urushi tradition. A natsume tea caddy for matcha, distinct…
Hirashimizu-yaki Zankin Glaze Yunomi: Yamagata Pottery Tea Cup [2026]
Hirashimizu-yaki from Yamagata City fires local iron-rich clay into a nashiji 'pear-skin' celadon, its dark speckles surfacing through…
Banshu-ori Cotton Handkerchief: Where to Buy Nishiwaki Gauze [2026]
Banshu-ori is Japan's leading yarn-dyed cotton, woven in Nishiwaki since 1792. A soft gauze handkerchief shows why this…
Nara Ittobori Carved Wooden Deer Okimono: Where to Buy [2026]
Nara Ittobori is a single-knife wood carving born from Kasuga Shrine festival figures. This carved deer okimono pairs…
Tamba Tachikui-yaki Guinomi Sake Cup: Ash-Glazed Six-Kiln Ware [2026]
Tamba Tachikui-yaki is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, fired in Sasayama, Hyogo for over 800 years. This…
Otaru Glass Hand-Blown Tumbler: Where to Buy Hokkaido Glasswork [2026]
Otaru's hand-blown glass grew from herring-port lamp and float making into delicate drinkware. This guide explains where to…
Kishu Negoro-nuri Lacquer Round Tray (Obon): Where to Buy [2026]
Wakayama's Kishu Shikki in the Negoro style layers vermilion urushi over black so it wears to reveal the…
Beppu Bamboo Basket: Where to Buy Oita Takezaiku Woven Craft [2026]
Beppu Takezaiku is Japan's only nationally designated bamboo craft, hand-woven from madake bamboo in Oita's hot-spring city. Here's…
Shitoro-yaki Yunomi: Shizuoka’s Enshu Seven Kilns Tea Cup [2026]
Fired in Kanaya since the 1500s, Shitoro-yaki is one of Kobori Enshu's Seven Kilns. Its iron-glazed stoneware makes…
Hyuga Hamaguri Clam Shell Go Stones: Miyazaki’s White Igo Set [2026]
From the clam-rich coast of Hyuga in Miyazaki come Japan's finest white go stones, sliced from thick hamaguri…
Hokkaido Kibori Bear: Wood-Carved Bear Okimono, Where to Buy [2026]
Hokkaido's iconic kibori-no-kuma is a hand-carved wooden bear that began as winter farm work in Yakumo and grew…
Chiba Koshogu Hand-Forged Grass Sickle (Kama): Where to Buy [2026]
A nationally designated Chiba craft, Koshogu hand-forges blades on the Kujukuri plain. This high-carbon steel grass sickle carries…
Yumachi-gama Fujina-yaki Egg Baker: Bernard Leach Mingei Pottery of Izumo [2026]
A yellow-glazed stoneware egg baker from Shimane's Yumachi kiln, shaped on advice from Bernard Leach himself. Izumo mingei…
Suwada Classic Nail Nipper: Sanjo Forged Niigata Blade Care Tool [2026]
A precision nail nipper hand-forged by Suwada in Sanjo, Niigata, where the Shinano River's blacksmith tradition runs deep.…
Obi Cedar (Obi-Sugi) Wooden Tumbler: Miyazaki Cedar Woodwork, Where to Buy [2026]
Obi-sugi cedar once grew tall and oil-rich for the Ito clan's Edo-era ships. Today the same fragrant Miyazaki…
Tamba Tachikui-yaki Yunomi: Six Ancient Kilns Ash-Glaze Teacup [2026]
A natural ash-glaze teacup from Tachikui in Hyogo, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns. Eight centuries of anagama…
Kaga Yuzen Silk Scarf: Kanazawa’s Hand-Painted Dyeing, Where to Buy [2026]
Kaga Yuzen is Kanazawa's painterly silk dyeing, built on five earthy 'gosai' colors and realistic bird-and-flower motifs. A…
Kabazaiku Cherry Bark Tea Caddy: Kakunodate’s Akita Woodwork [2026]
From the samurai town of Kakunodate in Akita, kabazaiku wraps polished wild cherry bark around a tea caddy…
Bizen-yaki Beer Tumbler: Unglazed Six-Ancient-Kilns Stoneware [2026]
A wood-fired, glaze-free Bizen stoneware tumbler from Okayama's Inbe village. Its microscopically rough surface breaks beer into a…
Ryukyu Bingata Noren: Where to Buy Okinawa’s Dyed Door Curtain [2026]
A Ryukyu Bingata noren carries Okinawa's vivid stencil-dyed motifs—hibiscus, waves, and birds—to your doorway. Here is where to…
Keijusha Etchu Washi Katazome Notebook: Toyama Stencil-Dyed Paper [2026]
Keijusha's Etchu Yatsuo washi notebooks wrap Serizawa-style katazome stencil-dyed covers around handmade Toyama paper — a mingei stationery…
Edo Kumiko Coaster Set: Tokyo’s Nail-Free Wood Lattice, Where to Buy [2026]
Edo Kumiko coasters lock dozens of tiny cypress slats into a geometric asanoha hemp-leaf lattice with no nails…
Echizen Shikki Lacquer Soup Bowl: Where to Buy Fukui Urushiware [2026]
Echizen Shikki is the workhorse of Japanese lacquerware, supplying most of the nation's restaurants. A durable urushi miso…
Kasama Yaki Pottery Mug: Ibaraki’s Free-Spirited Stoneware [2026]
Kasama is the Kanto region's oldest pottery town, born under Mito domain patronage. This everyday Ibaraki stoneware mug…
Higo Zogan Damascene Pendant Necklace: Where to Buy Kumamoto’s Gold-Inlaid Iron Craft [2026]
Higo Zogan inlays pure gold and silver into rust-blackened iron, a samurai-era damascening craft from Kumamoto. This pendant…
Arimatsu Shibori Scarf: Aichi’s 400-Year Tokaido Tie-Dye Craft [2026]
Arimatsu-Narumi Shibori is Japan's most refined tie-dye tradition, born in 1608 along the old Tokaido. This hand-bound, indigo-dyed…