# List of Traditional Crafts of Japan

The Traditional Crafts of Japan (伝統的工芸品, dentōteki kōgeihin) is a series of Japanese crafts specially recognized and designated as such by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (formerly, the Minister of International Trade and Industry) in accordance with the 1974 Act on the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries [ja]. As of 17 October 2024, 243 crafts have been so designated.

## Background

As set out in Article 1 of the 1974 Act, the purpose of Traditional Craft industries and their promotion is to enrich the lives of the citizens and, due to their particular geographic nature, contribute to the development of local economies and, thereby, that of the nation as a whole.$^{:10}$ This economic angle helps distinguish the designation of Traditional Crafts under the 1974 Act from that of traditional crafts as Intangible Cultural Properties under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.$^{:10}$ Financial assistance is available under both frameworks; that for Traditional Crafts focuses on five activities, namely, the training of successors, the recording of technologies and techniques, the securing of raw materials, the evolution of creative concepts and designs, and the development of demand.$^{:10}$

## Trends

In FY2016, 62,690 individuals were employed in the Traditional Crafts industry, down from 288,000 in 1979, with production valued at ¥96 billion, down from ¥540 billion in 1983. Analysis by the Traditional Crafts Industry Promotion Association [Wikidata] locates these trends within the broader context of the changes in lifestyles and employment attendant upon the nation's post-war economic growth, identifying seven principal explanatory strands: displacement by highly industrialized, mass-produced—and, as a consequence, cheaper—mass market goods; the decline of rural areas and the primary industries, such as agriculture and forestry, that provide many of the materials; construction that has posed obstacles to the sourcing of materials; changes in the education system and the employment environment that discourage the necessary apprenticeships from a young age and a life of modest, manual labour; changes in lifestyle amongst consumers, with increasing urbanization and westernization; changes in attitude towards everyday items, with a move towards disposable items chosen on the basis of fashion, novelty, and price; and changes in the family system, with the nuclear family and single households militating against transmission across generations. At the same time, there are a number of possible sources of hope: the increased demand for high-quality products typically concomitant with prosperity; interest in unique, regional cultures; new appreciation of "wa" and "monozukuri", including the burgeoning of demand in the West; and a growing awareness of the benefits of a circular economy.

## Criteria

To be eligible for designation, as specified in Article 2 of the 1974 Act, the craft must be:
* primarily for use in everyday life
* predominantly manual in its production processes
* manufactured using traditional technologies and techniques
* chiefly created using traditionally-prepared and -employed materials
* from a particular area, where a not-negligible number of persons are involved in its production
For these purposes, "traditional" means a history and continuity of at least one hundred years;$^{:11}$ a "not-negligible number of persons" implies at least ten enterprises or thirty individuals, so as to ensure a scale of operations sufficient to uphold reliability; if the relevant raw materials have been exhausted or are now extremely difficult to source, a substitute is permissible so long as the flavour of the original is not lost; "technologies and techniques" refer to the skills and practices of the individual craftsman as well as the know-how accumulated within the industry, with refinements permitted so long as the craftworks' key characteristics remain fundamentally unchanged; "predominantly manual" requires the craftwork's form, features, and quality to be the product of the hand, although usage of machinery is permitted for auxiliary processes; and "use in everyday life" may include occasional and one-off events such as festivals, weddings, and funerals, if closely connected to ordinary households.

## Traditional Crafts

With the designation of crafts in Chiba Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture in 2003, and of two craft traditions pertaining to the Ainu of Hokkaidō in 2013, at least one craft has been designated in each of the 47 prefectures. As of 26 October 2023, Tokyo has the highest number of designated crafts (22), followed by Kyōto Prefecture (17), Niigata Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture (16), Aichi Prefecture (15), and Ishikawa Prefecture (10), Aomori Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture having but one apiece. The 241 designated crafts are divided into fifteen categories: woven textiles (38), dyed textiles (14), other textiles (5), ceramics (32), lacquerware (23), wood and bamboo (33), metalwork (16), Butsudan and Buddhist ritual implements (17), washi (9), writing tools (10), stonework (4), precious stonework (2), dolls and kokeshi (10), other (25), and craft materials & tools (3).
| Craft | Prefecture | Comments | Designation | Type |
| Nambu Ironware 南部鉄器 Nanbu-tekki | Iwate | | 1975 | metalwork |
| Yamagata-imono 山形鋳物 Yamagata-imono | Yamagata | | 1975 | metalwork |
| Honba Ōshima-tsumugi 本場大島紬 Honba Ōshima-tsumugi | Miyazaki, Kagoshima | | 1975 | woven textiles |
| Kumejima-tsumugi 久米島紬 Kumejima-tsumugi | Okinawa | | 1975 | woven textiles |
| Miyako-jōfu 宮古上布 Miyako-jōfu | Okinawa | | 1975 | woven textiles |
| Tsugaru Lacquerware 津軽塗 Tsugaru-nuri | Aomori | | 1975 | lacquerware |
| Aizu Lacquerware 会津塗 Aizu-nuri | Fukushima | | 1975 | lacquerware |
| Isesaki-kasuri 伊勢崎絣 Isesaki-kasuri | Gunma | | 1975 | woven textiles |
| Kutani Ware 小石原焼 Kutani-yaki | Ishikawa | | 1975 | ceramics |
| Takayama Chasen 高山茶筌 Takayama chasen | Nara | | 1975 | wood/bamboo |
| Inshū Washi 因州和紙 Inshū-washi | Tottori | | 1975 | washi |
| Kumano Brushes 熊野筆 Kumano-fude | Hiroshima | | 1975 | writing tools |
| Koishiwara Ware 小石原焼 Koishiwara-yaki | Fukuoka | | 1975 | ceramics |
| Kawanabe Butsudan 川辺仏壇 Kawanabe butsudan | Kagoshima | | 1975 | Butsudan/Buddhist ritual implements |
| Shigaraki Ware 信楽焼 Shigaraki-yaki | Shiga | | 1975 | ceramics |
| Yumihama-gasuri 弓浜絣 Yumihama-gasuri | Tottori | | 1975 | woven textiles |
| Kabazaiku 樺細工 Kabazaiku | Akita | | 1976 | wood/bamboo |
| Oitama-tsumugi 置賜紬 Oitama-tsumugi | Yamagata | | 1976 | woven textiles |
| Kagawa Lacquerware 香川漆器 Kagawa-shikki | Kagawa | | 1976 | lacquerware |
| Hakata Dolls 博多人形 Hakata-ningyō | Fukuoka | | 1976 | dolls/kokeshi |
| Echizen Washi 越前和紙 Echizen-washi | Fukui | | 1976 | washi |
| Uchiyama-gami 内山紙 Uchiyama-gami | Nagano | | 1976 | washi |
| Tokoname Ware 常滑焼 Tokoname-yaki | Aichi | | 1976 | ceramics |
| Banshū Soroban 播州そろばん Banshū-soroban | Hyōgo | | 1976 | writing tools |
| Izumo Stone Lanterns 出雲石燈ろう Izumo ishi-dōrō | Tottori, Shimane | | 1976 | stonework |
| Hakata-ori 博多織 Hakata-ori | Fukuoka | | 1976 | woven textiles |
| Kurume-gasuri 久留米絣 Kurume-gasuri | Fukuoka | | 1976 | woven textiles |
| Yomitanzan Hana-ori 読谷山花織 Yomitanzan hanaori | Okinawa | | 1976 | woven textiles |
| Yuntanza-minsaa 読谷山ミンサー Yuntanza-minsã | Okinawa | | 1976 | woven textiles |
| Tsuboya Ware 壺屋焼 Tsuboya-yaki | Okinawa | | 1976 | ceramics |
| Kawatsura Lacquerware 川連漆器 Kawatsura-shikki | Akita | | 1976 | lacquerware |
| Iga-kumihimo 伊賀くみひも Iga-kumihimo | Mie | | 1976 | other textiles |
| Kyō-kumihimo 京くみひも Kyō-kumihimo | Kyōto | | 1976 | other textiles |
| Akama Inkstones 赤間硯 Akama-suzuri | Yamaguchi | | 1976 | writing tools |
| Awa Washi 阿波和紙 Awa-washi | Tokushima | | 1976 | washi |
| Tobe Ware 砥部焼 Tobe-yaki | Ehime | | 1976 | ceramics |
| Tosa Washi 土佐和紙 Tosa-washi | Kōchi | vid. Ino Paper Museum | 1976 | washi |
| Yūki-tsumugi 結城紬 Yūki-tsumugi | Ibaraki, Tochigi | | 1977 | woven textiles |
| Akazu Ware 赤津焼 Akazu-yaki | Aichi | | 1977 | ceramics |
| Kyō Ware・Kiyomizu Ware 京焼・清水焼 Kyō-yaki・Kiyomizu-yaki | Kyōto | | 1977 | ceramics |
| Yame Fukushima Butsudan 八女福島仏壇 Yame Fukushima butsudan | Fukuoka | | 1977 | Butsudan/Buddhist ritual implements |
| Kanazawa Gold Leaf 金沢箔 Kanazawa-haku | Ishikawa | vid. Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum | 1977 | materials & tools |
| Kiryū-ori 桐生織 Kiryū-ori | Gunma | | 1977 | woven textiles |
| Nara Brushes 奈良筆 Nara-fude | Nara | | 1977 | writing tools |
| Ōzu Washi 大洲和紙 Ōzu-washi | Ehime | | 1977 | washi |
| Imari Ware・Arita Ware 伊万里・有田焼 Imari・Arita-yaki | Saga | | 1977 | ceramics |
| Ōborisōma Ware 大堀相馬焼 Ōborisōma-yaki | Fukushima | | 1978 | ceramics |
| Edo Kimekomi Dolls 江戸木目込人形 Edo Kimekomi-ningyō | Saitama, Tokyo | | 1978 | dolls/kokeshi |
| Tamba-Tachikui Ware 丹波立杭焼 Mikawachi-yaki | Hyōgo | | 1978 | ceramics |
| Hiroshima Butsudan 広島仏壇 Hiroshima butsudan | Hiroshima | | 1978 | Butsudan/Buddhist ritual implements |
| Mikawachi Ware 三川内焼 Mikawachi-yaki | Nagasaki | | 1978 | ceramics |
| Hasami Ware 波佐見焼 Hasami-yaki | Nagasaki | | 1978 | ceramics |
| Shōgawa Woodcraft 庄川挽物木地 Shōgawa hikimono kiji | Toyama | | 1978 | materials & tools |
| Mino Ware 美濃焼 Mino-yaki | Gifu | | 1978 | ceramics |
| Awa shōai shijira-ori 阿波正藍しじら織 Awa shōai shijira-ori | Tokushima | | 1978 | woven textiles |
| Kamakura-bori 鎌倉彫 Kamakura-bori | Kanagawa | | 1979 | lacquerware |
| Yokkaichi Banko Ware 四日市萬古焼 Yokkaichi banko-yaki | Mie | | 1979 | ceramics |
| Mashiko Ware 益子焼 Mashiko-yaki | Tochigi | | 1979 | ceramics |
| Kasukabe Paulownia Chests 春日部桐箪笥 Kasukabe kiri-tansu | Saitama | | 1979 | wood/bamboo |
| Katsuyama Bamboo Crafts 勝山竹細工 Katsuyama take-zaiku | Okayama | | 1979 | wood/bamboo |
| Beppu Bamboo Crafts 別府竹細工 Beppu take-zaiku | Ōita | | 1979 | wood/bamboo |
| Yamagata Butsudan 山形仏壇 Yamagata butsudan | Yamagata | | 1980 | Butsudan/Buddhist ritual implements |
| Izushi Ware 出石焼 Izushi-yaki | Hyōgo | | 1980 | ceramics |
| Ōdate-magewappa 大館曲げわっぱ Ōdate-magewappa | Akita | | 1980 | wood/bamboo |
| Suzuka Ink 鈴鹿墨 Suzuka-sumi | Mie | | 1980 | writing tools |
| Miyagi Traditional Kokeshi 宮城伝統こけし Miyagi dentō kokeshi | Miyagi | | 1981 | dolls/kokeshi |
| Iwayadō-tansu 岩谷堂箪笥 Iwayadō-tansu | Iwate | | 1982 | wood/bamboo |
| Iga Ware 伊賀焼 Iga-yaki | Mie | | 1982 | ceramics |
| Bizen Ware 備前焼 Bizen-yaki | Okayama | | 1982 | ceramics |
| Miyajima Woodwork 宮島細工 Miyajima-zaiku | Hiroshima | | 1982 | wood/bamboo |
| Ryūkyū Kasuri 琉球絣 Ryūkyū-kasuri | Okinawa | | 1983 | woven textiles |
| Shuri-ori 首里織 Shuri-ori | Okinawa | | 1983 | woven textiles |
| Agano Ware 上野焼 Agano-yaki | Fukuoka | | 1983 | ceramics |
| Ise-katagami 伊勢形紙 Ise-katagami | Mie | | 1983 | materials & tools |
| Ryūkyū Bingata 琉球びんがた Ryūkyū-bingata | Okinawa | | 1984 | woven textiles |
| Akita Cedar Tubs and Barrels 秋田杉桶樽 Akita sugi oke taru | Akita | | 1984 | wood/bamboo |
| Odawara Lacquerware 小田原漆器 Odawara-shikki | Kanagawa | | 1984 | lacquerware |
| Hakone Yosegi-zaiku 箱根寄木細工 Hakone yosegi-zaiku | Kanagawa | | 1984 | wood/bamboo |
| Hidehira Lacquerware 秀衡塗 Hidehira-nuri | Iwate | | 1985 | lacquerware |
| Jōbōji Lacquerware 浄法寺塗 Jōbōji-nuri | Iwate | | 1985 | lacquerware |
| Mino Washi 美濃和紙 Mino-washi | Gifu | | 1985 | washi |
| Ogatsu Inkstones 雄勝硯 Ogatsu-suzuri | Miyagi | | 1985 | writing tools |
| Unshū Soroban 雲州そろばん Unshū-soroban | Shimane | | 1985 | writing tools |
| Fukuyama Koto 福山琴 Fukuyama koto | Hiroshima | | 1985 | other |
| Ryūkyū Lacquerware 琉球漆器 Ryūkyū-shikki | Okinawa | | 1986 | lacquerware |
| Echizen ware 越前焼 Echizen-yaki | Fukui | | 1986 | ceramics |
| Yonaguni-ori 与那国織 Yonaguni-ori | Okinawa | | 1987 | woven textiles |
| Kijōka-bashōfu 喜如嘉の芭蕉布 Kijōka no bashōfu | Okinawa | | 1988 | woven textiles |
| Etchū Washi 越中和紙 Etchū-washi | Toyama | | 1988 | washi |
| Karatsu Ware 唐津焼 Karatsu-yaki | Saga | | 1988 | ceramics |
| Yaeyama-minsaa 八重山ミンサー Yaeyama-minsã | Okinawa | | 1989 | woven textiles |
| Yaeyama-jōfu 八重山上布 Yaeyama-jōfu | Okinawa | | 1989 | woven textiles |
| Sekishū Washi 石州和紙 Sekishū-washi | Shimane | | 1989 | washi |
| Ōuchi Lacquerware 大内塗 Ōuchi-nuri | Yamaguchi | | 1989 | lacquerware |
| Naruko Lacquerware 鳴子漆器 Naruko-shikki | Miyagi | | 1991 | lacquerware |
| Kasama Ware 笠間焼 Kasama-yaki | Ibaraki | | 1992 | ceramics |
| Aizuhongō Ware 会津本郷焼 Aizuhongō-yaki | Fukushima | | 1993 | ceramics |
| Iwami Ware 石見焼 Iwami-yaki | Shimane | | 1994 | ceramics |
| Miyakonojō Bows 都城大弓 Miyakonojō-daikyū | Miyazaki | | 1994 | wood/bamboo |
| Makabe Stone Lanterns 真壁石燈籠 Makabe ishi-doro | Ibaraki | | 1995 | stonework |
| Tendō Shōgi-koma 天童将棋駒 Tendō shōgi-koma | Yamagata | | 1996 | other |
| Seto-sometsuke Ware 瀬戸染付焼 Seto-sometsuke-yaki | Aichi | | 1997 | ceramics |
| Kyō-hyōgu 京表具 Kyō-hyōgu | Kyōto | mountings for byōbu, fusuma, makimono, &c. | 1997 | other |
| Marugame Uchiwa Fans 丸亀うちわ Marugame-uchiwa | Kagawa | | 1997 | other |
| Tosa Forged Blades 土佐打刃物 Tosa-uchihamono | Kōchi | | 1998 | metalwork |
| Yame Lanterns 八女提灯 Yame-chōchin | Fukuoka | | 2001 | other |
| Hagi Ware 萩焼 Hagi-yaki | Yamaguchi | | 2002 | ceramics |
| Satsuma Ware 薩摩焼 Satsuma-yaki | Kagoshima | | 2002 | ceramics |
| Bōshū Uchiwa Fans 房州うちわ Boshu-uchiwa | Chiba | | 2003 | other |
| Shōdai Ware 小代焼 Shōdai-yaki | Kumamoto | | 2003 | ceramics |
| Amakusa Pottery 天草陶磁器 Amakusa-tōjiki | Kumamoto | | 2003 | ceramics |
| Higo Inlay 肥後象がん Higo-zōgan | Kumamoto | | 2003 | metalwork |
| Ōtani Ware 大谷焼 Ōtani-yaki | Tokushima | | 2003 | ceramics |
| Okuaizu Basketry 奥会津編み組細工 Okuaizu amikumi-zaiku | Fukushima | | 2003 | wood/bamboo |
| Kawajiri Brushes 川尻筆 Kawajiri-fude | Hiroshima | | 2004 | writing tools |
| Uetsu-shinafu 羽越しな布 Uetsu-shinafu | Yamagata, Niigata | | 2005 | woven textiles |
| Iwatsuki Dolls 岩槻人形 Iwatsuki-ningyō | Saitama | vid. Iwatsuki Ningyō Museum [ja] | 2007 | dolls/kokeshi |
| Chibana Hana-ori 知花花織 Chibana hanaori | Okinawa | | 2012 | woven textiles |
| Nibutani-ita 二風谷イタ Nibutani-ita | Hokkaidō | carved wooden trays | 2013 | wood/bamboo |
| Nibutani-attushi 二風谷アットゥㇱ Nibutani-attushi | Hokkaidō | | 2013 | woven textiles |
| Chichibu-meisen 秩父銘仙 Chichibu-meisen | Saitama | | 2013 | woven textiles |
| Yamaga Lanterns 山鹿灯籠 Yamaga-tōrō | Kumamoto | vid. Yamaga Lantern Festival [ja], Yamaga Lantern Folk Art Museum [Wikidata] | 2013 | other |
| Sendai-tansu 仙台箪笥 Sendai-tansu | Miyagi | | 2017 | wood/bamboo |
| Nagasaki Tortoiseshell Crafts 長崎べっ甲 Nagasaki-bekkō | Nagasaki | | 2017 | other |
| Haebaru Hana-ori 南風原花織 Haebaru hanaori | Okinawa | | 2017 | woven textiles |
| Okuaizu Shōwa Karamushi-ori 奥会津昭和からむし織 Okuaizu Shōwa karamushi-ori | Fukushima | | 2017 | woven textiles |
| Chiba Artisan Tools 千葉工匠具 Chiba kōshō-gu | Chiba | | 2017 | metalwork |
| Etchū Fukuoka Sedge Hats 越中福岡の菅笠 Etchū Fukuoka no suge-gasa | Toyama | | 2017 | other |
| Sanshū Onigawara Crafts 三州鬼瓦工芸品 Sanshū onigawara kōgeihin | Aichi | | 2017 | ceramics |
| Nara Ink 奈良墨 Nara-sumi | Nara | | 2018 | writing tools |
| Sanshin 三線 Sanshin | Okinawa | | 2018 | other |
| Gyōda Tabi 行田足袋 Gyōda-tabi | Saitama | | 2019 | other textiles |
| Tokyo Shamisen 東京三味線 Tōkyō shamisen | Tokyo | | 2022 | other |
| Tokyo Koto 東京琴 Tōkyō koto | Tokyo | | 2022 | other |
| Edo-hyōgu 江戸表具 Edo-hyōgu | Tokyo | mountings for hanging scrolls | 2022 | other |
| Tokyo Honzome Chūsen 東京本染注染 Tōkyō honzome chūsen | Tokyo | | 2023 | dyed textiles |