Destinations Asia Japan This Japanese Mountain Town Is Known for Making Beautiful Lacquerware — and the Tradition Goes Back Centuries For a unique Japanese craft experience, visit the mountain town of Yamanaka Onsen. By Hannah Kirshner Published on October 12, 2023 Close The sake bar Engawa, in the town of Yamanaka Onsen, Japan. Photo: Yuki Nishihana/Courtesy of Engawa The resort town of Yamanaka Onsen, about 325 miles west of Tokyo, claims a long history of tourism: Japanese have been drawn to its restorative hot springs ringed in misty mountains for some 1,300 years. While the springs are the main draw, there’s another attraction: a vibrant craft community that produces Yamanaka shikki, a distinctive lacquerware that shows off the wood grain of hand-hewn bowls, cups, and teaware. Sake is served in lacquerware cups at Engawa. Yuki Nishihana/Courtesy of Engawa The tradition goes back generations. Wood craftsmen settled in the region’s densely forested mountains in the 16th century so they could be near the source of their material. Gradually, they moved closer to the hot springs, where they could sell their wares as souvenirs. Related: 8 Important Artisan Traditions From Around the World Gold-accented bowls from the lacquerware shop Bunpeido. Courtesy of Bunpeido Today you can barely walk a single block of the main street, Yuge Kaido, without passing a shop that sells lacquerware. (Even the liquor store has a selection of wooden bowls.) Among them, Bunpeido sells traditional examples, some decorated with ornate gold designs. Others, like Gato Mikio, showcase modern designs with matte finishes. Both also sell a lesser-known product: wagatabon, ridged trays chiseled from a single piece of chestnut. Aside from shopping, travelers can gain insight into how these objects are made by visiting artisans’ workshops with the guide company Craftour or making their own bowls at Mokume. More Trip Ideas: 3 Incredible Itineraries for Travelers Finally Heading Back to Japan Lacquerware cups at Engawa. Yuki Nishihana/Courtesy of Engawa For a different approach to lacquerware, try a kaiseki dinner arranged on Yamanaka shikki as part of a stay at one of the town’s ryokan, the Kayotei or Hanamurasaki. And at a little bar called Engawa, proprietor Yusuke Shimoki serves regional sakes in his exquisite collection of lacquerware cups, selecting the bottle best matched to the season and the weather. A version of this story first appeared in the September 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Bowled Over."