Japanese craft & handicraft overview, insights, history and shopping

Japanese handicrafts are the finest in the world and continue to play a key part in the cultural life of Japan. Japan’s history of handicraft excellence is unparalleled and based on process and precision, just like its modern manufacturing prowess. In the 21st century Japanese craft traditions are adapting and thriving in surprising ways.

Japan is the only country where craft workers at the very highest levels receive the distinction of being Living National Treasures. My Japanese woodworking teacher’s (sensei’s) father was a Living National Treasure and I used to stand in front of his work in awe. And when I see work of this quality and perfection, I am always moved by what people can achieve. In Japan you can see this level of excellence in many areas of daily life.

The size and excellence of Japan’s handicraft or craft “industries” can only be compared to northern Italy. For a craft to survive in contemporary societies it needs to evolve and adapt to change. When you stroll around Kyoto or Tokyo it doesn’t take long to appreciate Japan’s craft genius. Bamboo utensils in the kitchen. Exceptional ceramics in good restaurants. Wax paper umbrellas. And an exceptional range of textiles for every need.

The biggest distinguishing features of Japanese handicrafts are process and precision. For example, many people are familiar with lacquer as a craft which is also practiced in Thailand and Myanmar. But in Japan lacquer work is on another level. Often a piece of wood has been coated 20 times but after each coat of lacquer has dried it is mostly removed. In this way a super shiny and fairly strong surface is created. Tourists who see a lacquer plate sell for $100 or $200 think its plastic and don’t understand the process. Another example is Japanese woodworking for making cabinets and old traditional furniture. No country in the world matches the process and precision of Japan for woodwork. The same can be said for wax paper bamboo umbrellas or yuzen textile dye work. Japanese crafts are extremely well made and this is all based on process and precision. And these characteristics are also what separates Japan from other modern manufacturing cultures. For example, certain parts on the Space Shuttle could only be made in Japan.

Crafts or kogei have a long history in Japan and each region of the island nation has its own specialties. Lacquerware from Wajima on the remote Noto Peninsula. Bamboo basket craft perfections from Kyushu. Kitchen knives and swords from Osaka. Most of these crafts are produced by individual craft workers working in small teams who represent generations of passing on knowledge that is almost a secret.

Japanese traditional crafts are divided into eight separate categories. These include pottery | ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, metalworking, dollmaking, bamboo and woodworking, papermaking, and a number of traditions that are categorized as other.

For a craft work or object to be officially recognized as a traditional Japanese craft, it must meet all of these five conditions:

1. The item must be practical and resilient enough for regular use in the home or for rituals, etc.
2. The item must be made by hand and use as little machinery as possible. An example would be handmade lacquerware versus industrial process lacquerware.
3. The item must be crafted using traditional techniques and processes (again no machines or chemicals).
4. The item must be crafted using traditional materials and include no synthetic materials only “natural” materials.
5. The item must be crafted in a single geographic location as opposed to multiple locations. And thus is becomes a specialty craft work of a single area or place in Japan.

Japanese handicrafts and the traditions behind them are unique and easy to experience no matter where you go in Japan. In the next sections, we give an overview of the main Japanese crafts types, where you can find crafts in Kyoto and Tokyo and a short history of Japanese handicrafts. Learn more!

Key Japanese craft forms, what makes them special & where to find them

Ceramics: The Japanese are said to be the oldest pottery culture in the world and their contribution to ceramic art has influenced the entire world. Ceramic artists and kilns are found all over the country with concentrations in Shiga (next to Kyoto), Bizen (west of Kobe), northwestern Kyushu (Arita) and many other areas. Japanese ceramic art is known for its simple design and natural colors. A lot of the finest work is still unglazed with the final finish coming from the minerals in the pine fired climbing kilns. As a craft it is by no means easy for a potter to make a living but it is much easier than in most countries. Restaurants, especially, buy a lot of pottery. And ceramics are also a cornerstone of the tea ceremony and ikebana flower arrangement.

Textiles: Japanese textiles are probably the finest in the world and Japanese people still have a high understanding of textiles, textures, quality and value. Traditional textiles can be found in high end fashion items, hand towels, textiles for wrapping things (furoshiki), handmade kimono and summer kimono (yukata), in the obi sashes used to tie a kimono together, and in many other areas of daily life. Japan is also world famous for its indigo dye work, deep blues that fade over the years but last for a lifetime. Japanese textiles include silk, hemp, and cotton, everything from simple folk designs to sophisticated patterns. The emperor’s ritual clothing is made from hemp. The “collapse” of the kimono industry in the 1980s has resulted in a lot of unemployed textile craft workers. For a while, in Kyoto, every second or third taxi driver you spoke to was a former textile artisan. However, many textile craft businesses have survived and transitioned to contemporary fashions and interior decoration markets.

Lacquerware: Japanese lacquerware dates back to the earliest days of Japanese civilization. And Japan lacquer crafts remains without exception the finest in the world. The work is unique because of the long process, the high luster finish and the amazing reds (and blacks). Lacquer products have always varied greatly, and include everyday utensils, articles for Buddhist altars, weapons, and writing materials. The special lacquer made from the urushi tree has traditionally been applied to wood, as well as to materials such as metal, cloth, paper and leather. A lot of lacquer work by crafts people that are not famous is reasonably priced. Lacquerware is generally suited to humid climates. Avoid placing lacquerware near stoves, heaters, or in direct sunlight. For ordinary care, after removing dust, wipe lacquerware with a soft, dry cotton cloth. In case stains remain, wipe with a slightly moist cloth, and then wipe with a dry cloth. Bowls should be washed in lukewarm water, then wiped with a soft dry cloth.

Wood and bamboo: Things made from wood and bamboo can be seen nearly everywhere you go in “traditional” Japan. Fences, kitchen utensils, tansu cabinets, serving trays and high end furniture. Japanese wood joinery (sashimono) is the basis of all the old temples and shrine buildings and allows for flexibility in earthquakes and no nails are used. Bamboo tea ceremony spoons might look simple but they can cost thousands of dollars. For over 500 years, Kyoto has been known as the “bamboo capital of Japan”. It is the center for bamboo crafts for the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, landscape gardening, and several other traditional industries. The simplicity, strength, easy workability, relatively low cost of bamboo has made it a part of Japanese daily life for more than 1,000 years. In the tea ceremony, bamboo is used to make sealed tea containers and fine ladles and spoons. In the world of ikebana, high-quality baskets, nowadays often costing thousands of dollars, have long been woven from bamboo. In addition to tea ceremony and flower arrangement accessories, bamboo is also used to make extremely fine blinds that are common in temples and shrines, and in private homes to block the hot summer sun.

Basket weaving: Japanese basket weaving is a craft form that stands apart and it is largely concentrated, what’s left of the industry, on the island of Kyushu. Baskets are the work of individual craft masters and for that reason they are very expensive (thousands of dollars). But you can find more than a few “antique” baskets at temple and shrine markets and antique shops for less than $500 . . . They last forever! Today, a lot of woven baskets are imported from the Philippines where they are “smoked” to create an aged patina. Important baskets are a little “rougher” than the Japanese work but very affordable for your home or life.

Metalwork: Japanese metalwork is still alive and well but mostly in the area of kitchen knives and pocket knives. The Japanese are world masters in damascene metal work in which layer after layer is heated, pounded and perfected. This process is the basis for Japanese swords, the sharpest the world has ever seen. Today, Japanese kitchen knives are what any top level chef uses and chefs from around the world know that the best knives are from Japan. In Kyoto, the famous Aritsugu knife (and copper kitchen accessories) shop is over 500 years old! Their knives come with a lifetime guarantee. And you can find kitchen knives of similar quality in all big Japanese departments stores. If you buy one be sure to also buy a Japanese sharpening stone or two . . .

Dolls: Japan is known around the world as a treasure house for dolls. The origin of Japanese dolls dates back to the Haniwa clay images which were used as talismans to ward off calamity. Since the early stages of Japanese civilization, dolls have traditionally been passed on from person to person, and handed down from generation to generation. During the Heian Period (794-1185), playing house with dolls became a popular past time among the children of the nobility. This identification of dolls with children is the basis of the Kyo-ningyo (Kyoto doll) industry, which eventually came to be the national archetype for the Japanese dolls. Dolls are the guardians of young girls for health, safety and general good fortune. And as guardian they are not inexpensive. A good dolls to guard your daughter can cost up to $500! The doll craft creation process involves multiple craft workers. Generally, a different craft household is responsible for making the head, attaching the hair, and adding the limbs, accessories and costumes. Each process involves a line of traditional artisans with many, many years of experience. This high-level and specialized production system has contributed greatly to giving the dolls their unique characteristics and sense of individuality. Every year, from March 03 to April 03 is doll display season in Japan and some of the displays are tiered and include all levels of high society from the Heian Period. These are known as Imperial Dolls Sets. And in Kyoto many old traditional wealthy families put their dolls on display in the home. And dolls also feature in more than a few mystery and horror films over the past 60 years. The world famous Kewpie doll, made from rubber, is still a common icon in Japan: new ones, old ones and very old ones! All large department stores in Japan have a section devoted to traditional craft dolls.

Japanese washi paper: Japanese handmade paper, known as washi, is valued all over the world for its strength, flexibility, and beauty. Because of its durability, washi can last 1000 years. Not surprising, Japanese money is printed on washi. Washi also plays an important role in contemporary fine arts. In Japan, handmade paper, or washi, is used for writing, drawing, and for doors, windows, fans and umbrellas. At the washi shops listed below, the paper craft selection is enormous. There is fine writing paper, post cards, origami paper, coasters, washi place mats, and large sheets of many types of washi. Both Kamiji Kakimoto and Morita Wagami sell washi for Japanese calligraphy, nihonga painting, hanga printmaking. The price for a sheet of paper the size of a newspaper can range from as low as ¥45 to as high as ¥10,000!

Candles: Traditionally made Japanese candles are rare nowadays. Before the war, nearly 60 different shops made handmade candles. Today, only a few remain. Craft candles are made of an exceptionally pure wax derived from the fruit a sumac tree. Unlike beeswax candles, sumac candles do not drip or smoke when burned.

Incense: Japanese incense is considered the absolute best worldwide. Kungyoku-do: This store, in business for over 400 years, is a center for both kodo (the way of scent) and incense of all kinds. Using only the finest natural ingredients, Kungyoku-do makes a wide range incense, from such traditional scents as sandalwood to modern innovations like strawberry. They have a fine selection of incense burners, too. For details, see their AD on page 10. Shoyeido: With over 290 years experience in the incense business, consider this store as your Kyoto fragrance specialist. An excellent choice for experiencing the relaxing, soothing world of incense, offering many kinds of scents.

Juzu Buddhist Bead Rosaries: Juzu Buddhist necklace or bracelet rosaries are an extremely popular item in the Buddhist world for practical, spiritual and superstitious reasons. The beads used to make juzu are fashioned from a number of different materials including nuts, precious woods (lime and sandalwood), semi precious stones, crystal and agate. Some materials have a particularly strong power. Rock crystal is said to be good for balance, lapis lazuli for healing, and onyx for happiness. By wearing and praying with juzu, Buddhists believe they can rid themselves of their worldly passions. The design and style of juzu vary with the type of Buddhism one practices. There are said to be more than seventy types. Juzu for men effect a strong, powerful look, while female juzu are more elegant, making use of slightly smaller beads. The most popular juzu form is the bracelet, which is easy to wear and not as obvious as the long necklace style type.

Chochin collapsible paper lanterns: The chochin lantern was an essential part of everyday Japanese life throughout Japan until the turn of the century, when electricity came into widespread, sudden use. It is said that these lanterns developed from the indoor-use ando candle lanterns of the Muromachi Period (1576-1603). In the beginning chochin were made simply by covering a mesh of interwoven thin bamboo slivers with rice paper. The folding style, which is in common use today, dates from the early Edo Period (1603-1868). These highly portable lanterns were revolutionary in major urban areas because they enabled the common people to freely walk around at night.

A selection of the best value Japanese craft shops in Kyoto and Tokyo

Viewing or buying Japanese crafts or handicrafts is a pleasure in Japan as these traditions are given so much respect and love. In Kyoto and Tokyo you can find stunningly organized crafts museums and more than a few outstanding high-end craft shops and galleries. Kyoto is the center of Japan’s craft worlds because it is also the center of religion, tea ceremony, flower arrangement and tourism. And all these traditions are heavily invested in natural material handcrafted beautiful things

Best-value Kyoto craft shops and museums

Aritsugu: Nishiki Market: knives: This shop is over 500 years old and offers some of the best kitchen knives in the world + fine copper kitchen utensils of all kinds. Zohiko: Teramachi north of Nijo: lacquerware: Zohiko, founded in 1661, is the best place in Kyoto to view and buy lacquerware. Simply to die for but be sure your climate is suitable for lacquer before you buy (hot dry climates are not suitable!). Takashimaya: downtown: primary crafts for home life and interior decoration: Takashimaya has always celebrated Japanese crafts in a museum or high end gallery setting fronted by daily life options ranging from ceramics to lacquer and baskets. On the upper floors and well worth a stroll, even if you don’t buy anything (and all major Japanese department stores have similar craft gallery space on their upper floors). Kamiji Kakimoto: Teramachi street: washi paper: This is one of the best places to buy washi (Japanese handmade paper) in Japan. They have unusual items like washi computer printer paper and washi wallpaper. And then a curated range of all their more popular stationery items. Examining the huge one meter by 50 cm washi sheets, some with red maple leaves “woven in” is like handling treasure, even if you don’t buy a single sheet. Kyukyo-do: Teramachi: Old-world stationery, incense and accessories, calligraphy and tea ceremony crafts This nearly 350-year old Japanese craft emporium (est. 1663) feels totally old world (their Tokyo Ginza shop is bigger and contemporary in feeling). And the full range of crafts you can see, touch and marvel at. And buy (from Yen 120 washi paper postcards to Yen 50,000 tea bowls). Kyukyo-do has a unique range of old-world classic stationery, incense, calligraphy and tea ceremony crafted items: From 1891 to 1945, Kyukyo-do was the official stationery supplier for the entire Japanese Imperial Family! Other major branches: Tokyo: Ginza, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Marunouchi, and Yokohama next door. Aizen Kobo: west of the Imperial Palace: fine indigo dyed clothing and accessories: Aizen Kobo is a well-known, 3rd generation old-world indigo-dyeing workshop. Even American movie stars go there to learn and buy indigo clothing that lasts a lifetime. Natural indigo has been a highly prized blue dyeing material for hundreds of years or more. Japan's polygonum indigo plant dye is world famous for its color depth. Indigo strengthens cottons and linens in amazing ways. And that's why real indigo products literally last forever. Indigo dyed materials soften with use, and the quality of the color's richness increases with time.

Best-value Tokyo craft shops and museums

Kiya Shop: Nihonbashi: High-end modern craft interior design goods made with old-world techniques: Kiya Shop is home to a treasure trove of outstandingly designed goods for your home and daily life, curated from across the country. Everything from fine knives and cooking spatulas to lovely lacquer bento boxes and sukiyaki nabe pots. Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten: Marunouchi: traditional crafts of all kinds adapted to modern lifestyles: This old business features a wide range of beautiful craft items made created in cooperation with some of Japan’s most respected craft artisans. Hasami porcelain from Nagasaki. Kyoto’s Gofun nail polish made with the powder of scallop shells for a extra natural shiny finish. Signature super-soft highly absorbent Hana Fukin cotton tea towels. Ozu Washi: Nihonbashi: washi paper: Ozu-ya or Ozu Washi, as it is known today, has been a high quality shop for paper goods in Tokyo since 1653! Today, this modern looking shop sells top Japanese quality things for shodo (Japanese calligraphy), bamboo things, kozo (plant fiber used in tissues) and other handmade paper types. They also have a great collection of creative and stationery products. The shop also has a historical museum and offers in-house washi making experiences. Aki-Oka: Akihabara: various: Officially known as "2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan," this complex of 24 craft artisan galleries, boutiques and workshops, sells traditional and contemporary crafts. Bingoya: central: folk crafts from A to Z: This famous Tokyo mingei folk craft business is well known for their extensive selection of ceramics (dishes, bowls and other tableware in various styles and price ranges) and a complimentary smaller selection of bamboo and lacquerware utensils for your homelife. D47 Design Travel Store: Shibuya: Crafts from across the country: Located next to the well-known D47 design museum, this well-curated shop sells a wide range of beautifully designed household goods and crafts from all of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Fukui Minami Aoyama 291: Omotesando: This spacious, well-designed store specializes in local handicrafts of all kinds, including a huge selection of ceramic craft pieces, glassware and paper products. Japan Folk Crafts Museum: Shibuya: Mingei folkcraft museum: The Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingei-kan) is a shrine to Yanagi Soetsu, who is the philosopher behind Japan’s influential mingei folk craft movement (1920s and 30s). This old-world museum setting, in a quiet Shibuya neighborhood, has displays of original folk crafts (mingei) from the entire country. Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square: Aoyama: One-stop shopping and looked for Japanese crafts: The Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square is one of Tokyo’s best stylish, one-stop Japanese craft shopping stops and educational too! Kuroeya: Nihonbashi: lacquerware: Go to Koreya for gorgeous lacquer soup and salad bowls, bento boxes, trays and other items for the table are sold at this lacquerware specialty shop. Rin: Ochanomizu: Design conscious goods by modern traditional craft artisans: Rin features a well-curated collection of design-conscious goods from all over Japan, with an emphasis on traditional crafts blended with modern aesthetic design. Sumida Machidokoro: Tokyo Skytree area east of Asakusa: local Tokyo made crafts: A curated range of glassware, chopsticks, bowls, knives, scissors, and goods made from wood, leather and more.

The history of Japanese crafts over the centuries

Japanese crafts are rooted in the rural crafts and solutions invented and perfected all over Japan since the dawn of civilization. And like any intelligent culture the Japanese were always quick to copy and then improve and even reinvent what they copied. “International” exports of Japanese crafts, mostly to China, started as early as the 13th century. They learned silk or sericulture from the Chinese in the 8th century and 500 years later China was buying Japanese silks and some of them went as far as Brussels, Belgium in the 15th century! In some instances, it took the Japanese a long time to catch up with the craft developments in China. For example, Japan is considered to be the oldest pottery culture in the world but they only understood glazing and color glazes after kidnapping nearly 30,000 Korean potters at the end of the16th century. Japanese crafts are also mostly an anonymous artisan world. Signed craft or art works only became the “new normal” in the 18th century and most craft work, even today, is unsigned.

In the worlds of Japanese crafts and art, everything is about generations of families passing their knowledge from teacher to disciple. And the apprenticeship process in Japan is the longest in the world. A woodwork disciple, as I was for nearly 10 years in Kyoto, might spend a year or two just learning to sharpen the chisels and then another eight years or more to become a master. And the craft process in Japan was nearly always a closely guarded family secret and little was written down. It was passed from generation to generation through observation and practice.

Japanese craft apprentices lived in the master’s home and spent years observing process before ever doing any process. And the apprentice was paid little for his time and attention. And masters of a craft nearly always take the name of the master before, a title, as opposed to a personal name. Craft dynasties are to be found all over Japan and most of them have a history of more than 200 years.

In Japan it is not unusual for a craft studio or family to have more than 10 generations of history or more. Some craft families in the metal work or ceramic arts go back 15 or 20 generations. I had the privilege of interviewing Kitchizaemon, 15th generation head of the Raku tea bowl craft tradition, in the 1990s, in a setting that dates more than 500 years! His tea bowls sell for more than $200,000 and are celebrated as individual “named” works just like the masterpieces first created by Chojiro the founder of the family tradition (mid 16th century). Next to me, in the tea ceremony room where the interview took place, I was less than a meter from a primitive Indonesian wood sculpture from the 18th century. Amazing! Or consider the simple bamboo spoons crafted for the tea ceremony. A master work by a Living National Treasure can sell for as much as $15,000! And a wedding kimono made with the finest silk textiles can cost $250,000 (nearly all couples rent these kimonos for as much as $15,000/day: I did for my Japanese wedding!).

Japanese crafts, all of them, thrived and expanded and developed across Japan until the sudden end of the Edo period in 1867. Two years later, as part of the epic Meiji Westernization period, the samurai class was “cancelled”, Buddhism was no longer an official Japanese religion, and Japan began to industrialize. The end of the samurai class meant all those wealthy patrons for high end crafts vanished almost overnight. Within 25 years the entire country was connected by rail tracks (from literally zero), and the Japanese government was learning quickly how to make modern weapons. Sword making became an obsolete craft. Japanese craftsmen were the new unemployed and many craft families gave up on centuries of effort.

Industrialization across Japan was rapid and the “old” ways of making daily objects fell out of favor for the things factories could make. Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic, invented in 1907, replaced clay and lacquer plates. Textile factories output soared and the kimono industry began it’s long descent (remember: Western clothing became dominant by the 1920s). But then the influential mingei folkcraft “movement” became a new craft industry force and saved the day . . .

The Japanese mingei or folkcraft movement gained major prominence across Japan through the work of Yanagi Soetsu (1889–1961; his home now a museum in Shibuya, Tokyo is amazing if you love Japanese crafts) in the 1920s and 1930s. His bestseller, “The Unknown Craftsman”, became the philosophical foundation for the mingei movement. He championed the "hand-crafted art of ordinary people” and beauty in everyday ordinary and utilitarian objects created by nameless, unknown craft makers. England’s famous Cornwall potter, Bernard Leach, became a part of the movement and lived in Tokyo for many years. The Mingei movement established a nationwide respect for well-made handmade daily life objects.

After World War II, Japan completely rewrote the book on crafts and how they are categorized and judged for quality. It was in this period that the Living National Treasure craft and artist class was created. If you were on the list then the government provided financial support and also created disciple programs so centuries of craft knowledge wasn’t lost. In 1950, the Japanese government created the Intangible Cultural Property distinction for craft works and traditions with a high level of historical or artistic value. Despite these positive changes not all crafts families survived. It became harder and harder to find customers for many things: textiles, ceramics, washi paper and many more . . .

In the 21st century, tourism (domestic and international) has stabilized many craft traditions. And many more, like in Northern Italy, have redesigned what they made for modern daily life, fashion and design. And the tea ceremony and ikebana business continued to use and thus buy crafts of all kinds. Both tea ceremony and flower arrangement were only practiced by samurai and Edo period gentlemen. But the Meiji period it became a thing that women did in their spare time; the teachers, however remained mostly male.

Return to the Japanese culture essay index.