lacquerwareJuly 04, 2026

Kiso Shikki

Kiso Shikki (木曽漆器) is a lacquerware produced in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture — formerly Narakawa Village, Kiso District — and its surrounding areas, with documented production dating to 1394. Also known as Kataji-nuri or Kataji lacquerware, Kiso Shikki is characterized by its sturdy construction. It was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (then the Ministry of International Trade and Industry) on February 17, 1975.

History

The oldest documented tradition of Kiso lacquerware dates to 1394, when lacquer craftsman Kato Kizaemon of Tomita — present-day Fukushima-Yasawa, Kiso-cho, Nagano — dedicated a lacquered sutra box to Tomitasan Rogenji temple. By the Joo era (1652–1655), more than ten lacquerware businesses were already operating in Kiso-Hirasawa, and the local lord Yamamoto Jinbei issued timber permits allowing cypress to be cut for lacquerware bases. During the Genroku era in the mid-Edo period, Kiso lacquerware gained wider recognition as travelers on the Nakasendo highway between Kyoto and Edo purchased it as souvenirs.

In May 1708, the "Five-Tree Felling Prohibition Order" was issued, posing a serious threat to the industry's timber supply. Under the protection of the Yamamoto clan, then serving as daikan (regional administrator), lacquerware producers were granted Owari Domain's hinoki-mono tegata permits, allowing free cutting of 6,000 loads (approximately 1,300 tons) of white wood for lacquerware bases. During the Kansei era, dedicated shops selling Kiso lacquerware — known as Kiso-mono toritsugu uridate — were established in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo.

At the beginning of the Meiji era, a clay containing iron known as "rust earth" (sabituchi), prized for mixing with lacquer, was discovered in the mountains near present-day Narai Station. During Japan's high-growth period in the 1960s, lacquer furniture items such as low tables and shelving grew rapidly as household necessities, accounting for approximately 70% of Kiso lacquerware production. A lacquerware school had existed in Kiso before the early Taisho period, and following the craft's designation in 1975, the Kiso Higher Lacquer Arts Institute (Shiojiri City Kiso Koto Shitsugi Gakuin) formally opened in April 1975 within the lacquerware cooperative in Kiso-Hirasawa, initially offering four courses: lacquerwork (shikkō), maki-e, woodworking (mokkō), and chinkin. When first recruiting students with a quota of 15, the institute received 258 applications and admitted 150 students by expanding the quota tenfold.

In 1999, two elementary schools in Narakawa district of Shiojiri City switched all school lunch tableware to Kiso lacquerware, with approximately 200 sets introduced at a cost of around 20,000 yen per set. The medals for the Nagano Winter Olympics were produced using Kiso lacquerware techniques in combination with Seiko Epson's precision metalworking technology. In October 2012, Shiojiri City hosted the 22nd Japan Lacquer Summit at the civic exchange center Enpaku, with related exhibitions at the municipal library. The Kiso-Hirasawa district was designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings in 2006.

Techniques & Production Process

The three representative techniques of Kiso Shikki are Kiso Shunkei, Kiso Tsuishu (also called Kiso Kawari-nuri), and Nuriwa-ke Roiro-nuri. Materials used across all techniques include natural lacquer (tennen urushi) and wood bases of cypress (hinoki), katsura, and horse chestnut (tochi). Lacquer application was traditionally performed inside storehouses (kura) with small windows to exclude dust, as the process is extremely sensitive to particulate contamination.

In the Kiso Shunkei technique, high-quality Kiso cypress is selected and no base coat is applied; instead, lacquer is rubbed directly into the wood from the start, penetrating the grain to create a durable finish. The wood base is prepared by splitting logs into segments and shaping them into flat boards (itamono) or bentwood forms (magemono) using a cutting knife. In the Ki-shunkei (yellow shunkei) color variant, the wood surface is first sealed with bean juice (mame-jiru) before lacquer is applied. A suri-urushi (rubbing lacquer) step involves applying raw lacquer using cotton.

Kiso Tsuishu begins with a base coat made by sealing the surface with a mixture of raw lacquer, rice flour, and wood flour, followed by repeated applications of a mixture of base powder, rust earth, and lacquer. Pattern placement uses a tanpo (pad) to alternately apply refined wax-colored lacquer in a staggered pattern. Various types of refined colored lacquers are then applied over ten or more coats. A dōzuri (body rubbing) step employs a cloth with a mixture of tono-ko (polishing powder), oil, and charcoal powder. The final polishing (migaki) step uses tsuno-ko (horn powder) to achieve a glossy roiro (jet-black) lacquer surface, revealing a mottled pattern beneath.

Shunkei-nuri, a related transparent lacquer technique also practiced in Gifu Prefecture, shares certain characteristics with Kiso Shunkei. Nuriwa-ke Roiro-nuri is a technique in which several different colored lacquers are applied in geometric patterns to create a divided color design, distinguishing it visually from the other two methods. Kiso Shikki can be compared to other Japanese lacquerware traditions such as Wajima-nuri from Ishikawa, Tsugaru-nuri from Aomori, and Echizen Shikki from Fukui, each of which employs distinct regional methods.

How to Identify Kiso Shikki

Kiso Shikki encompasses a range of product forms including low tables (zataku), trays (bon), serving stands (zen), stacked boxes (jubako), bowls (hachi), rice bowls (wan), and chopsticks (hashi). The craft's alternative name, Kataji-nuri, signals its association with sturdy construction. Pieces produced using the Kiso Shunkei technique display visible wood grain beneath the lacquer, as the finish penetrates into the wood rather than concealing it. Kiso Tsuishu pieces are identified by their mottled, multi-colored surface patterns revealed through polishing, while Nuriwa-ke Roiro-nuri items are distinguished by geometric divisions of different colored lacquers across the surface. The Kiso Tsuishu finish characteristically exhibits a glossy roiro surface achieved through tsuno-ko polishing. These traits, together with the use of cypress, katsura, and horse chestnut bases, distinguish Kiso Shikki from other regional lacquerware traditions such as Yamanaka-nuri and Kagawa Shikki.

The Craft Today

The central production area of Kiso Shikki remains the Kiso-Hirasawa district of Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, which was designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings in 2006, reflecting the historical significance of the townscape associated with the craft. The Kiso Higher Lacquer Arts Institute continues to train practitioners, currently offering two departments — lacquerware (shikki-ka) and design (dezain-ka) — through a two-year evening curriculum meeting twice a week. The craft's applications have extended beyond traditional tableware and furniture: Kiso lacquerware techniques were employed in the production of medals for the Nagano Winter Olympics, in collaboration with Seiko Epson's precision metalworking technology. In 1999, Shiojiri City introduced Kiso lacquerware as school lunch tableware in two elementary schools in the Narakawa district, with approximately 200 sets at roughly 20,000 yen per set. Kiso Shikki is listed and promoted by the General Incorporated Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries. Sibling lacquerware traditions from other prefectures include Takaoka Shikki from Toyama, Aizu lacquerware from Fukushima, Kyo Shikki from Kyoto, Kamakura-bori from Kanagawa, Ryukyu Shikki from Okinawa, Ouchi-nuri from Yamaguchi, Hidehira-nuri from Iwate, Nakanosawa Shikki from Iwate, and Odawara Shikki from Kanagawa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kiso Shikki produced?

Kiso Shikki is produced in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, and its surrounding areas. This district was formerly part of Narakawa Village, Kiso District.

When was Kiso Shikki designated as a Traditional Craft?

Kiso Shikki was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (then the Ministry of International Trade and Industry) on February 17, 1975.

What are the main techniques used in Kiso Shikki?

The three representative techniques are Kiso Shunkei, in which lacquer is rubbed directly into the wood grain without a base coat; Kiso Tsuishu (Kiso Kawari-nuri), which involves applying multiple layers of colored lacquer and polishing to reveal a mottled pattern; and Nuriwa-ke Roiro-nuri, in which different colored lacquers are applied in geometric divisions.

What types of wood are used in Kiso Shikki?

Kiso Shikki uses natural lacquer (tennen urushi) applied over wood bases of cypress (hinoki), katsura, and horse chestnut (tochi).

What kinds of products are made as Kiso Shikki?

Main products include low tables (zataku), trays (bon), serving stands (zen), stacked boxes (jubako), bowls (hachi), rice bowls (wan), and chopsticks (hashi). Kiso lacquerware techniques have also been applied to non-traditional items such as the medals for the Nagano Winter Olympics.