History & Our Policy

Hida-Shunkei is a clear yellow lacquer that enhances the grain of the wood. We produce new traditional handicrafts that are infused with modern style.

Hida-Shunkei has been made since 1607. Originally, it was mainly used for tea ceremony implements and limited to the upper classes. Later on, daily necessities like tea trays, boxes, and many other things were made so that the common people could also use them in their lives.

We strive to preserve Hida-Shunkei as a “traditional industrial art crafts” handed down from generation to generation. Not only do we value Hida-Shunkei as a Japanese traditional product, but we also try to develop Hida-Shunkei to match today’s lifestyle so that young people may use them throughout their lives.

For example, we now produce clocks, coffee cups, boxes and so on. Today, people from all over the world use them in their own favorite ways. Hida-Shunkei is not only one of the greatest souvenirs from Hida-Takayama, but it is also considered to be one of Japanese traditional products with the most modern appeal modern style.

All lacquer wares in our store are used Tenuri-gihou handiwork, sourced from the Hida-Shunkei Corporative Association.

Traditional Mark & Tenuri-gihou sticker

Traditional Mark & Tenuri-gihou sticker

What is Tenuri-gihou handiwork?

marks

There are 2 basic steps to make Hida-Shunkei. First, we cut, plane, and shave various kinds of wood to shape the pieces. Second, we paint lacquer on the wood. In the second step, the craftspeople who paint lacquer make sure their workspaces are temperature- and humidity-controlled to properly cure the lacquer.

True Hida-Shunkei has a sticker on a cover box. This sticker tells us that the Hida-Shunkei is hand-applied by a traditionally trained craftsperson. It is known as Tenuri-gihou (hand-applied) handiwork. Sadly, there are some Hida-Shunkei pieces that have been sprayed with chemical varnishes. They are poor imitations of the real thing and should be avoided.

About Hida-Shunkei

User Guide