Himitsu Bako - A Brief History

The island of Japan was a closed society for many centuries and, despite only knowing of its existence in the last one hundred years, it is suspected that the art of Himitsu-Bako is much, much older. Nonetheless, it was not until the mid 1980's that Japan's Industry Minister declared the art form a National Traditional Handicraft. To be designated as such, a craft must be manufactured by hand by traditional artisans using traditional techniques and materials. The item created must have a place for practical use in every day life and production must be contained to a specific area or region. Read More...