It is said that Japanese lacquerware became known throughout the world in the

late 16th century during the Momoyama and Edo periods.

Around this time, Europeans from Portugal, the Netherlands, and other coun-

tries began to visit Japan and were impressed by Japan’s superior craftsman-

ship and the beauty of its lacquerware, which was decorated with maki-e and

other techniques.

Trade and other activities gradually introduced lacquerware to Europe, and

many types of lacquerware, known as “Nanban lacquerware,” were produced for

export. Lacquerware was also exhibited at the World Expositions, and became

widely known throughout the world. The Tokugawa Shogunate

In the last years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, lacquerware was exhibited for the

first time at the World Expositions and was acclaimed as a part of Japanese

culture.

Later, in order to promote Japan to the rest of the world, the Meiji government

made maki-e lacquerware a mainstream export item and distributed it overseas.

As a result of this history, lacquerware is now exhibited in museums and galler-

ies in the United States and Europe, and the English word “Japan” has come to