Educational Materials (Gakken)

A cut glass craft originating in Tokyo at the end of the Edo period. Delicate cuts are made into colored overlay glass, creating beautiful brilliance through light refraction. Traditional Japanese patterns such as chrysanthemum chain, yurai lattice, and hemp leaf are employed. It is designated as a National Traditional Craft.

A traditional craft dating from the Edo period, creating flowers and butterflies by pinching and folding square pieces of fabric. Developed as a decorative technique for kanzashi hair ornaments, it is also used for Shichi-Go-San and Coming-of-Age Day accessories. Recently, amid the handmade boom, applications to accessories and interior decor have expanded domestically and internationally.

A uniquely Japanese multicolor woodblock printing technique that flourished during the Edo period. Exemplified by Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido. Produced through division of labor among artist, carver, and printer, ukiyo-e profoundly influenced Western art movements including Impressionism and Art Nouveau.

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.