The resort town of Yamanaka Onsen, about 325 miles west of Tokyo, boasts a rich tourism history: For more than 1,300 years, the Japanese have been drawn to the hot springs surrounding its misty mountains. While the hot springs are the main draw, there’s another: a vibrant craft community that produces Yamanaka chikki, a unique lacquerware that displays the wood grain of hand-carved bowls, cups, and tea sets.
It’s a tradition that goes back generations. In the 16th century, timber craftsmen settled in the region’s heavily forested mountains so they could be close to the source of the material. Gradually, they moved closer to the hot springs, where they could sell their wares as souvenirs.
These days, you can only walk a block on Yuge Kaido, the main street, if you pass a shop selling lacquerware. (Even liquor stores have a variety of wooden bowls.) Bunpeido sells traditional samples, some decorated with ornate gold patterns. Other brands, like Gato Mikio, showed modern designs with matte finishes. The two companies also sell a lesser-known product: a ridged tray carved from a single piece of chestnut. In addition to shopping, visitors can get an in-depth look at how the items are made by visiting the Craftsman studios of the guided tour company Craftour or creating their bowls in Mokume.
For a different way to taste lacquerware, try a kaiseki dinner at the Yamanaka shikki, which is part of your stay at one of the town’s hostels (Kayotei or Hanamurasaki). At a small bar called Engawa, owner Yusuke Shimoki serves local sake from his collection of delicate lacquered cups, picking the bottle that best suits the season and weather.
A version of this story first appeared in the September 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine with the headline “Knocked Over.”
