Traditional Crafts of Tokyo

22 crafts designated by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Other Crafts
Edo Bekko Tortoiseshell Craft
江戸べっ甲

Luxurious Tokyo accessories and ornaments crafted from hawksbill turtle shell, shaped by heat and polished to a warm amber glow.

Dolls & Kokeshi
Edo Festival Dolls
江戸節句人形

Exquisitely crafted Tokyo festival dolls displayed for Girls' Day and Boys' Day, including ornate Hina dolls and samurai figurines in miniature armor.

Other Crafts
Edo Glass Glassware
江戸硝子

Handblown Tokyo glassware with a warm, slightly bubbly quality that evokes Edo-period craftsmanship, used for tableware and decorative vessels.

Other Crafts
Edo Hyogu Scroll Mounting
江戸表具

A refined Tokyo craft of mounting paintings and calligraphy onto hanging scrolls, folding screens, and fusuma panels using traditional adhesive techniques.

Other Crafts
Edo Karakami Decorative Paper
江戸からかみ

Patterned washi paper from Tokyo stamped with intricate cloud-mica designs, traditionally used to adorn fusuma sliding doors, walls, and folding screens.

Other Crafts
Edo Kiriko Cut Glass
江戸切子

Stunning Tokyo cut glassware featuring sharp geometric patterns wheel-cut into deep-colored crystal, celebrated for its precise craftsmanship and vivid brilliance.

Other Crafts
Edo Mokuhanga Woodblock Print
江戸木版画

Traditional Tokyo woodblock prints continuing the ukiyo-e legacy, hand-carved and hand-printed using water-based pigments on washi paper.

Dolls & Kokeshi
Edo Oshie Decorative Craft
江戸押絵

A Tokyo padded-relief art form where layers of fabric and wadding create vivid three-dimensional images on battledores and fans.

Woodcraft & Bamboocraft
Edo Sashimono Joinery
江戸指物

Precision-jointed wooden furniture from Tokyo using no nails, only interlocking wood joints. Edo Sashimono produces dressers, shelves, and tea ceremony furniture of breathtaking craftsmanship.

Woodcraft & Bamboocraft
Edo Wazao Bamboo Rod
江戸和竿

Handcrafted Japanese fishing rods from Tokyo made from multiple species of natural bamboo, renowned among anglers worldwide for their sensitivity and elegant flexibility.

Textiles
Hachijo Island Yellow Silk
本場黄八丈

Vivid plant-dyed silk from remote Hachijo Island, Tokyo, in three signature colors — yellow, brown, and black — dyed from island plants over a 400-year tradition.

Textiles
Murayama Oshima Pongee
村山大島紬

Rare silk pongee woven in western Tokyo using kasuri ikat techniques, producing subtle geometric patterns in earthy tones prized for understated kimono elegance.

Textiles
Tama Weaving
多摩織

Classic silk and blended weaving from Hachioji, Tokyo, spanning kimono, haori, and hakama fabrics in sophisticated patterns with over 1,300 years of regional history.

Metalwork
Tokyo Antimony Metalwork
東京アンチモニー工芸品

Unique alloy metalwork from Tokyo using antimony to cast highly detailed figurines, accessories, and decorative objects with a fine silvery surface unlike any other craft.

Dyed Fabrics
Tokyo Chusens染 Dyeing
東京本染注染

Traditional pour-dye technique from Tokyo used to dye cotton tenugui and yukata fabric in vivid patterns, with bold colors penetrating both sides of the cloth simultaneously.

Other Crafts
Tokyo Hand-Carved Seals
東京手彫り印章

Meticulously hand-engraved personal stamps crafted in Tokyo, used for official documents and artworks, blending calligraphic art with fine craftsmanship.

Dyed Fabrics
Tokyo Hand-Painted Yuzen
東京手描友禅

Richly detailed hand-painted kimono fabric from Tokyo using resist-paste and natural dyes. Blends Kyoto tradition with a bolder, Edo-period aesthetic unique to Tokyo.

Dyed Fabrics
Tokyo Komon Fine-Pattern Dyeing
東京染小紋

Intricate stencil-dyed kimono fabric from Tokyo with thousands of tiny patterns per square inch, originally worn by samurai as a subtle mark of refinement and status.

Other Crafts
Tokyo Koto Instrument
東京琴

Handcrafted Japanese zither instruments made in Tokyo, prized by musicians for their resonant paulownia wood bodies and precise string arrangement.

Other Crafts
Tokyo Shamisen Instrument
東京三味線

Traditional three-stringed lutes crafted by Tokyo artisans, essential to kabuki, rakugo, and geisha performances, made from premium wood and cat or dog skin.

Metalwork
Tokyo Silver Craft
東京銀器

Refined silversmithing from Tokyo producing tea sets, sake vessels, flower vases, and decorative ornaments with fluid lines and exceptional surface detail by master silversmiths.

Dyed Fabrics
Tokyo Solid Color Dyeing
東京無地染

Refined solid-color fabric dyeing from Tokyo used to create perfectly even, deep hues on kimono cloth. Valued for its pure tone quality and technical precision.