Aizu Wakamatsu City is located in Fukushima Prefecture in the northern region of Japan. Natural beauty featuring Mt. Bandai and Lake Inawashiro surrounds the city, which is blessed with four highly varied seasons, each with their own colors. The origin of lacquerware manufacture in the Aizu area dates back to 1590. Gamo Ujisato, the lord of Aizu at that time, encouraged the development of lacquerware making in his fief. Unfortunately, internal struggles in 1868-1869, which marked the end of the Tokugawa Era(1603-1867)nd the coming of the Meiji Era(1868-1912), heavily damaged the city and the industry. By the 1890s however, the city had recovered and become noted for its lacquerware industry, the fame and tradition of which continue into the present.

Looking at the future, the Aizu lacquerware industry has entered a period where a new wind of change is blowing, reflecting new needs. The skills of the industry, developed and polished over 400 years, are now being combined with new designs involving a modern sensibility. We find ourselves facing the challenge of new creative approaches.