伝統工芸品

Decorative Crafts

Art in the everyday

In Japan there is no rigid distinction between arts and crafts—both have a long, distinguished history and are equally prized. Traditional decorative crafts still thrive throughout the country, with the most skilled practitioners revered as Living National Treasures.

Across the country you can visit markets and workshops brimming with an array of beautiful decorative crafts—some even offer the opportunity to try your hand at making your own. The following are some of most popular types.

Be More Japan Decorative Crafts

Lacquerware
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D Lacquerware from Wajima often uses gold decoration

Glossy Japanese lacquerware (shikki) is a joy to behold. Originating over 5,000 years ago, it is made by covering wood with layers of lacquer (derived from tree sap) and then burnishing it to a smooth, lustrous finish. The elegant lacquerware from Wajima (Ishikawa Prefecture) displays beautiful techniques such as chinkin, inlaid with gold, and maki-e, decorated with metallic powders, while the area of Tsugaru (Aomori Prefecture) in the north of Honshu specializes in a technique that uses multiple layers of different-colored lacquers to create a mottled effect. Negoro lacquerware, from Wakayama Prefecture in west Japan, features an outer red layer that slowly wears away to reveal the black lacquer beneath. Quite apart from the artistic skills involved, a high degree of technical skill is required by artisans as the lacquer is poisonous until it dries.

Be More Japan Decorative Crafts

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D Left to right: The most common lacquerware colors are black and red; traditionally, wood used for marquetry is not stained or colored.

Marquetry

West of Tokyo, the hot springs resort of Hakone (Kanagawa Prefecture) is known for its intricate marquetry (yosegi-zaiku), where paper-thin slices of local wood are used to create elaborate geometric designs. Traditionally used for puzzle boxes and bowls, yosegi-zaiku is being adopted by a new generation of artisans on everything from mobile phone cases to jewelry.

Metalwork

The neighboring towns of Tsubame and Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture have been centers of metalworking for centuries. The area’s speciality is Tsuiki copperware, in which a single piece of local copperplate is hand-hammered into the shape of the desired object. Gyokusendo workshop in Tsubame is particularly special, having been designated an Intangible Cultural Property by Japan’s Agency of Cultural Affairs.

Papermaking

Made by hand from plant fibers, washi (Japanese paper) encapsulates wabi-sabi in its irregular, unique, and natural appearance. Used for items such as door screens and lampshades, it comes in many different types. Hosokawa washi, known for its strength and durability, is made from kozo (mulberry) fibers, and uses petals, grasses, and wood ash to create different colors and textures. Sekishu-banshi, made in Shimane Prefecture and valued for its toughness, adds Oriental paperbush, gampi (a clove-like bush), and fermented hibiscus roots to the mix.

Be More Japan Decorative Crafts

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D Washi has been made in Japan for over 1,000 years.

Dollmaking

In Japan, dolls (ningyo) have a much wider cultural appeal than just as children’s toys. Everyone buys papier-mâché daruma, roly- poly red dolls modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. These good- luck talismans are often sold with blank eyes: the idea is you paint in one eye when you set a goal and the other when the goal is achieved. Far more elaborate are hina dolls, dressed in the flowing, ornate robes of court nobles from the Heian Period (794–1185) and made for display during the hina-matsuri festival on March 3.

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D Colorful daruma dolls are a symbol of perseverance and luck.

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