Wajima-nuri Taya Lacquerware Shop

The history of Wajima-nuri Taya Lacquerware Shop begins in 1818 (Bunsei 1), when first-generation Kihei Taya put his skills to work as a Wajima-nuri artisan. Since then, the Taya family has made the production of lacquerware — furnishings and tray-tables for temples and shrines, and pieces used in ryotei restaurants and inns — its family trade, honing its skills while preserving the tradition of Wajima-nuri.

It began business as the "Taya Lacquerware Shop" in 1916 (Taisho 5) and incorporated in 1988 (Showa 63). It has brought Wajima-nuri to new fields as well, including retail sales to individuals at department stores and adoption for office and store interiors. Taking on the development of contemporary products such as fountain pens and lacquer-and-silver cups, it advances its product-making under the theme of "Wajima-nuri that keeps being used in daily life."

As a bearer of traditional craft, it has also taken part in many projects involving cultural properties — the giant lanterns ("Kiriko") of the Wajima Grand Festival, the restoration of the festival floats of the "Karatsu Kunchi," and repairs to the Soji-ji Soin temple. As a behind-the-scenes supporter of historic festivals and structures, it has put its skills in lacquer and woodwork to use.

In recent years it has also developed businesses that present food and vessels together, such as "CRAFEAT," a restaurant pairing Wajima-nuri with ingredients from Ishikawa Prefecture, and "LIFT," a Japanese-tableware rental service through which people nationwide can experience the craft. As a lacquerware shop that has walked two hundred years alongside Wajima-nuri, it continues its efforts to pass the culture of enjoying lacquerware in daily life and at the table on to the next generation.

Devoted to Wajima-nuri: the skill of a nushiya of nearly two hundred years

Ever since beginning as a Wajima-nuri artisan in 1818 (Bunsei 1), the Taya family has passed down its skills generation after generation, treating "Wajima-nuri as the family trade." In addition to furnishings and tray-tables for temples and shrines and lacquerware used in ryotei restaurants and inns, it is also involved in restoring National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, carrying the robust yet elegant craft of Wajima-nuri into the present day.

A diverse range of vessels, from daily use to special occasions

It proposes vessels to suit every scene of life — "everyday Wajima-nuri" such as miso-soup bowls and rice bowls; a curated select store stocking sake vessels, stacked boxes (jubako) and plates; and contemporary products such as lacquer-and-silver cups and fountain pens. Its casual wiped-lacquer (fuki-urushi) series offers a line that lets you enjoy lacquer more easily in daily life while drawing on the same techniques as Wajima-nuri.

Made-to-order, corporate OEM, rental and repair — all under one roof

It has built a system to handle every kind of consultation around Wajima-nuri: made-to-order from a single piece, name engraving, commemorative gifts and novelties for companies and municipalities, the "LIFT" Japanese-tableware rental service, and lacquerware repairs accepted from across Japan. Accompanying customers consistently from production through after-care, it works to create mechanisms that let people keep using "genuine Wajima-nuri" for a long time.

Walking with Wajima's artisans: a commitment to recovery and succession

In a Wajima struck by major damage in the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, it is driving rebuilding through pre-order sales, the select store and collaboration with restaurants, in order to protect artisans' employment and skills. To carry Wajima-nuri into the future, it continues to share its stance of walking alongside the region as a "lacquerware shop for everyday life."