Kiso Shikki has been made in the valleys south of Matsumoto for over four hundred years. The tradition has been sustained by the region’s abundant hinoki cypress trees and the cool, humid air that lacquer needs to cure properly. What began as functional woodenware for everyday use has become something recognized across Japan as both craft and art.
Why the Kiso Valley Produced a Lacquerware Tradition
The Kiso Valley was one of the Edo period’s primary sources of hinoki cypress, a timber so prized that the Tokugawa shogunate placed it under strict protection. Cutting a tree could mean death so artisans worked with offcuts and scraps, turning what was left into bowls, trays and sake cups finished with lacquer obtained from the urushi tree. The lacquer is built up in layers, each coat cured before the next is applied, a process that can take months for a single piece. Kiso pieces are often decorated using maki-e, a technique of dusting gold or silver powder into wet lacquer to create delicate patterns of pines, waves, or mountain scenery.
Visitors to Narai-juku can find the craft of Kiso Shikki at several shops along the main street, where finished pieces sit alongside other Kiso specialties. Our Naraijuku Post Town Walking Tour will give you time to explore independently, browse the lacquerware shops and cafes that now occupy historic buildings
＞＞NARAIJUKU TOUR＜＜
Lacquerware in Matsumoto
Kiso Shikki is still made in towns like Narakawa and Hirasawa, where small workshops have operated for generations. Some pieces find their way into shops along Matsumoto’s Nakamachi street, where the old merchant quarter remains the best place in the city to encounter fine regional crafts. A lacquerware tray or sake cup bought here reflects the skill and patience of the artisans of the Kiso Valley.
Our Matsumoto Castle Town Walking Tour includes a tour of Nakamachi which gives you time to explore at your own pace. Your guide can point you toward shops carrying lacquerware and provide context about the street itself.
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