Establishments Continuing Traditional Arts/Crafts

The business establishments that have inherited traditional handicraft techniques, influenced are designated as by the Edo culture originated in Musashi no kuni in Saitama City as “Business Establishments Inheriting Traditional Handicraft Techniques”.

Kiritansu

Kiritansu are furniture for storage made of paulownia said to have originally been manufactured in Osaka at the beginning of the Edo period. Paulownia is a “breathable” material, suitable for storing clothes in places like Japan where the humidity is quite high. It is also highly fire resistant and durable.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Fujimoto Kirizai-ten	6-1646-4 Mihashi, Nishi Ward	090-1817-7034
	Yokomizo Tansu-ten	1002 Kamikocho, Omiya Ward	048-641-6536

Mokko（Usukine）

Mokko manufacturing methods originated from the “Ittobori” carving technique which was first used by an artisan involved in building Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine during the Edo period. Mokko manufacturers originally made mortars and pestles for pounding mochi using whole pieces of wood carved with the Ittobori technique. Currently they are manufacturing goods such as desks and chairs as well.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Kose Mokko	3-7-11 Honcho, Iwatsuki Ward	048-756-1489

To seihin・kako

Rattan, a kind of wicker, has been used to make training swords as well as the ridge joints of shrines and temples since the Heian period. In the Edo period, rattan was used as a material for everyday tools. After the Meiji period, it has been utilized to make chairs, baby carriages, and other furniture and products for daily use.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Hashimoto To-kogei	4-26-1 Kishicho, Urawa Ward	048-822-8422

Tsumami-kanzashi

Tsumami-kanzashi (traditional hairpins) are made with “tsumami” workmanship, where thin pieces of cloth are cut into small squares, folded several times with a tweezers and matched together to create a pattern of flowers and birds. The “tsumami” technique for creating flower-petal hairpins was passed on from Kyoto in the early Edo period and has continued to develop since then.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Edo tsumami-kanzashi Umino	2-391-4 Kitabukurocho, Omiya Ward	048-642-0515

Hinaningyo-yo zoka

Hinaningyo-yo zoka (artificial flowers) used to be made by artisans in the Asakusa area during the Edo Period as ornaments for the Girl’s Festival. Hinaningyo-yo zoka became popular as common people began to cerebrate Girl’s Day. The artificial flowers are hand-made by cutting cloth, dyeing the peices, arranging them into the desired shape, and binding them with paper and string.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Okahan	3-2-8 Daitakubo, Midori Ward	048-882-8294

Gakubuchi

With the introduction of oil-painting from Europe in the Meiji period, manufacturers began full-scale operations creating frames for paintings (gakubuchi).

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Ota Bijutsu-gakubuchi	4-16-39 Bessho, Minami Ward	048-861-5318

Koto, Shamisen

It is said that shamisen first appeard at the end of the Muromachi period. Since the Edo period, the playing of the shamisen has attained a permanent place among traditional Japanese performance arts, together with the development of Joruri puppet theater and kabuki music. The manufacturing of shamisen has increased as traditional Japanese music continues to develop.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Kikuya Gakki-ten	Lumiere Tokiwa 1F-B, 2-8-8 Tokiwa, Iwatsuki Ward	048-822-5779

Fude

With the emergence of the merchant class in the mid-Edo period, the number of “Terakoya” (temple schools) increased significantly. As a result, fude (ink brushes) became widely used among the common people. The technique of the Edo fude artisans further improved to the point that some of the brushes produced are referred to as “masterpieces”.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Gamodo	2-12-20-3 Takasago, Urawa Ward （Magazan Urawa 2F）	048-822-1105

Kendogu

Kendo (the way of the sword) had been passed on through the generations in the samurai class since before the Edo period. Since kendo equipment such as the bamboo sword were invented, kendo has spread among the common people, and the number of artisans had increased as well. The manufacturing process from measurement, to sewing, through assembly is all done by hand.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Suzuki Kendogu-ten	4-20-2 Takasago, Urawa Ward	048-862-4528

Kumihimo

Braided code has been used from a long time ago for Buddhist sutra scrolls and warriors’ armor. It had developed to be widely used for obi, belt and obi band. After the Edo period, the use of braided code expanded from practical to more luxurious and sophisticated ones.

Name	Address	Tel
Kawakatsu Kumihimo	2-235 Takahanacho, Omiya Ward	048-641-1671
Kobo Chigusa	2-21-1 Kakura, Iwatsuki Ward	048-757-1720
Taguchi Kumihimo-kogyo	665 Kagiage, Iwatsuki Ward	048-798-6361
Nakagawa Kumihimo-kogei	3-5-26 Honcho, Iwatsuki Ward	048-756-0313
Fukai Kumihimo-kogei	4-8-3 Honcho, Iwatsuki Ward	048-756-0165
Yokotsuka Himo-kogei	1-14-4 Honcho, Iwatsuki Ward	048-758-0249

Kumade

Rake is considered lucky charm as it is “raking luck”. The okame (female mask), crane, pine, oval gold coin, and red sea bream that decorate the rake are also considered lucky charms. The materials are colored and woven one by one manually by artisans.

Name	Address	Tel
Nishiichi	2891 Daitakubo, Minami Ward	048-882-6161
Nishino	2772 Daitakubo, Minami Ward	048-881-1317
Nishifuji	2886 Daitakubo, Minami Ward	048-882-6870
Nishimasa	2998-2 Daitakubo, Minami Ward	048-887-5625

Daruma

Daruma dolls are made using a special paper-mâché technique in which used paper is pasted into a wooden mold. After adding several layers of whiting and color, a big mustache and fine patterns are drawn to create the Daruma’s face and outfit. The Daruma doll gained popularity among the common people during the Edo period as a lucky charm for protecting one’s family.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Iwatsuki Seikei	2258 Sueda, Iwatsuki Ward	048-798-0945
	Taguchi Daruma-ten	2004 Sueda, Iwatsuki Ward	048-798-0329

Omiya

“Omiya” means shrine, and the artisans working for shrines are called “Miyashi”. It is said that the artisans who built Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine settled in this area and thus it is known for its manufacturing of o-fuda (household amulets) and kamidana (household shrines).

Name	Address	Tel
Miyashige・Sekine Omiya-seisakujo	278-3 Oguchi, Iwatsuki Ward	048-799-1408
Omiya Miyazen	1-99-3 Takahanacho, Omiya Ward	048-641-3152
Miyahiro Omiya-seisakusho	413 Oguchi, Iwatsuki Ward	048-799-0288

Shippo

This traditional glazing technique, known as “cloisonné” in the West, involves applying glaze to gold, silver, or bronze and baking it at 800℃ in an oven. The exquisite colors and glazing are compared to the Seven Treasures (Shippo) in the Buddhist sutras. Thus, the technique is refferred to in Japan as “shippo”.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Katsura Shippo-kenkyujo	1-6-27 Numakage, Minami Ward	048-705-0254
	Ninomiya Kara-shippo	3-10-19 Shirahata, Minami Ward	048-861-6337

Chokin

Chokin is a traditional technique by which pictures, patterns and characters are delicately engraved on a metal plate with pine resin. It is used to decorate tea ware, flower vases, frames, obi fasteners, and various accessories giving them elegance and a taste.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Kawamura Chokoku	6-19-29 Nishibori, Sakura Ward	048-862-5329

Nihonto

The forging of swords (katana) in Japan has developed into a high art which has been retained to this day. Since ancient times, katana have been made from black iron sand, which is forged, hardened and shaped in the attempt to make them unbreakable, unbending, and razor sharp.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Arai Nihonto-tanrenjo	3-17-22 Honcho, Iwatsuki Ward	048-756-0365

Edo Azuma Kushi

Edo Azuma Kushi combs are made of rare domestic Japanese boxwood and elaborately handcrafted by craftsmen. As they are used, they take on a candy-colored appearance, and if they are not neglected, they will last long enough to be used for generations to come.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Hiroshima Tsugegushi-ten	5-10-9 Suzuya, Chuo Ward	048-711-8007

Goseki Hariko

These local toys were made in Goseki, Sakura-ku, and include daruma dolls, dolls, and masks. The dolls are characterized by the way they shake their heads vertically. Hariko are made of water-absorbed washi paper (Japanese paper) that is pasted onto a wooden mold, dried, pulled out of the mold, formed and colored, with a hollow inside.

Photo	Name	Address	Tel	Website
	Goseki Hariko Yamazaki Rakuzan	382 Okuboryoke, Sakura Ward	048-858-6770