Hirasawa-juku

Hirasawa-juku is Japan's foremost centre of lacquerware production, a historic town in the northern Kiso Valley where the craft of Kiso-Shikki lacquer has been practised for more than four hundred years. Just a short distance from the famous post town of Narai, Hirasawa is a working craft community rather than a preserved tourist showpiece: its main street is lined with the workshops and showrooms of lacquer artisans, and the whole town is designated an Important Preservation District for its concentration of traditional craft buildings.

The town's lacquer tradition grew from the Kiso Valley's abundant natural resources. The surrounding mountains supplied fine cypress and other timber for the wooden bases, while the region's craftspeople developed distinctive techniques for applying urushi lacquer in many painstaking layers to produce durable, lustrous bowls, trays, boxes, chopsticks and furniture. Kiso-Shikki became prized across Japan, and Hirasawa emerged as the heart of the industry, its artisans passing skills down through generations. The town's location as a minor station on the Nakasendo helped distribute its wares along the highway.

Walking Hirasawa's street, you pass shopfront after shopfront displaying gleaming lacquerware, many with workshops visible behind where craftspeople still apply lacquer by hand. The buildings themselves are traditional, with the deep eaves and workspaces suited to the craft, and the atmosphere is quietly industrious. Visitors can browse and buy directly from makers, watch aspects of the process, and at some workshops try their hand at simple lacquer or decoration experiences, taking home a piece they have helped create.

The town comes most alive during its annual lacquerware festival in early June, when the street fills with stalls and the workshops offer their wares at special prices, drawing collectors and enthusiasts from across the country. At other times it is a peaceful place, more about appreciation and craftsmanship than crowds, which is part of its appeal for travellers seeking an authentic encounter with living Japanese tradition.

Hirasawa pairs naturally with neighbouring Narai-juku, one of the best-preserved and longest of all the Nakasendo post towns, just one railway stop or a short walk away. Together the two make an excellent half-day: Narai for the atmosphere of the old highway, Hirasawa for the living craft that the highway helped spread. Both sit in a scenic stretch of the upper Kiso Valley near the Torii Pass.

Seasonally, the June festival is the highlight, while spring and autumn frame the town with fresh green or mountain foliage. Access is very easy: JR Kiso-Hirasawa Station on the Chuo Main Line is only a few minutes' walk from the lacquer street, and Narai is the adjacent station. For anyone interested in Japanese craft — or simply looking to buy genuine, artisan-made lacquerware at its source — Hirasawa-juku is a rewarding and distinctive stop in the Kiso Valley.