Kishu Lacquerware

Kishu lacquerware is one of the traditional crafts of Wakayama Prefecture and is mainly produced in the Kuroe area of Kainan City. The origin of Kishu lacquerware dates back to the Muromachi-Sengoku period (1336-1568) when woodturners began manufacturing wooden bowls using wood from local Kishu cypress trees. 

Today, Kishu lacquerware is recognized as one of the major lacquerware styles of Japan and was designated as a traditional craft by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (present-day Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in 1978.