Imaasa Brushes

Brush-making tradition from Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture, with origins in the Edo period. Using diverse materials including horse hair, sheep wool, and weasel hair, artisans manufacture high-precision brushes. Products range from cosmetic brushes to calligraphy and Japanese painting brushes. Handcrafted production methods ensure exceptional quality highly valued domestically and internationally.

Brushes produced in Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture. Brush manufacturing has been practiced since the Edo period, distributed nationally via sea routes from Edo to Shimonoseki. Advanced techniques in selecting and processing animal hair produce diverse brushes including cosmetic and painting brushes.

Brush-making tradition from Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture, with origins in the Edo period. Using diverse materials including horse hair, sheep wool, and weasel hair, artisans manufacture high-precision brushes. Products range from cosmetic brushes to calligraphy and Japanese painting brushes. Handcrafted production methods ensure exceptional quality highly valued domestically and internationally.

A lacquerware craft tradition passed down for over 600 years in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. It is renowned for its durability achieved through the unique jinoko undercoat technique and its gorgeous ornamentation using chinkin and maki-e. It is considered one of the finest traditional crafts in Japan.

A luxury silk textile with over 1,200 years of history in Kyoto's Nishijin district. Characterized by elaborate patterns woven with gold and silver threads, it is renowned as the finest material for obi sashes and kimono. Its complex pre-dyed weaving techniques represent the zenith of Japanese textile art.

A traditional Japanese art of expressing characters artistically using brush and ink. Introduced from China, it evolved uniquely in Japan through kana calligraphy. Each stroke is said to embody the writer's spirit, and the irreversibility of each mark creates both tension and beauty. It is widely practiced and incorporated into school education.

Traditional wooden dolls originating from hot spring areas in the Tohoku region. Characterized by a cylindrical body and spherical head turned on a lathe, they are beloved for their simple yet warm expressions. Shapes and patterns differ by production area, and traditional kokeshi are classified into eleven lineages.