Toyama Craft Guide | Metalwork, Lacquerware & Wood Carving
Toyama's specialties are not limited to food.
Across the prefecture, generations of craftspeople have developed techniques in metalwork, lacquerware, wood carving, and other forms of manufacturing.
Some of these traditions have histories stretching back hundreds of years, while today's makers continue to adapt them for contemporary life.
Takaoka Copperware
Takaoka City has been a center of metal casting for more than 400 years.
The tradition dates back to the early Edo period, when Maeda Toshinaga encouraged metal casters to settle in the newly developed town of Takaoka.
Over time, the industry expanded from everyday ironware to copper and bronze products, including Buddhist objects, vases, decorative pieces, and works of art.
Takaoka Lacquerware
Takaoka is also known for its lacquerware tradition.
The craft developed alongside the city's growth during the Edo period and evolved into several distinctive decorative techniques.
Traditional Takaoka lacquerware can feature detailed carving, colored lacquer, and decorative inlay.
Inami Wood Carving
In the city of Nanto, the district of Inami is famous for highly detailed wood carving.
The tradition developed around Zuisenji Temple and became known for the skill of local woodcarvers.
Craftspeople use numerous chisels to create detailed three-dimensional designs in wood.
The technique has been used for temple decorations, transoms, sculptures, and a wide range of decorative objects.
Traditional skills in modern Toyama
What makes Toyama's craft culture particularly interesting is that these traditions have not remained unchanged.
Techniques developed centuries ago continue to be adapted to new materials, designs, and ways of living.
Traditional craft and modern manufacturing therefore exist side by side throughout the prefecture.
Discover Toyama through craftsmanship
Takaoka Copperware, Takaoka Lacquerware, and Inami Wood Carving each developed in different places and for different purposes.
Together, they represent the depth of craftsmanship that has grown in Toyama over generations.