Kiso-shikkoku
LacquerwareChubu
National Traditional Craft
Price range
¥3,000 ~ ¥200,000
Lacquerware from Nagano's Kiso Valley, known for durability in mountain climate.
Kiso-shikkoku (Kiso lacquerware) is produced in the Kiso Valley of Nagano Prefecture, an area blessed with abundant Japanese cypress forests that provide both the wooden bases and the cool, humid climate ideal for lacquer curing. With over 400 years of history, Kiso lacquerware is known for techniques such as Kiso-nuri (layered colored lacquer) and shunkei-nuri (transparent lacquer over bare wood grain). The craft thrived along the historic Nakasendo highway, serving travelers and post-town residents.
Materials
Japanese lacquer, cypress, zelkova
Techniques
Nuriwake (color division), suri-urushi