Shizuoka Shopping

Among some interesting items in this store, founded in 1865, Kawane-cha is a great buy..

Also if you are looking for something unique, try gyokuro-senbei (rice crackers with green tea flavor) or gyokuro-yokan (sweet jelly beans with green tea flavor),

or how about having some gyokuro ice cream at the storefront ..They are all great..

and this is the factory located on Highway 150 from YAIZU to SHIZUOKA, where visitors can observe the manufacturing process of wasabi or can actually experience the sharp taste of wasabi in the lab.

The English world "Japan" has two meaning.

One is the country "Japan" itself. The other meaning is "lacquer," and "lacquerware."

The only examples of specific industrial arts being called by the name of their country are probably "Japan" for lacquerware and "China" for chinaware.

What is meant by the word is that "lacquerware" is a representative traditional artistic handicrafts of Japan.

THE STORY ....

"About 1,600 years ago, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, a member of the Imperial Family who is referred to as Japan's Odysseus, was engrossed day in, day out in battles for the unification of Japan.

While on the battlefield one day, he happened to break off a branch of a certain tree whose leaves had turned brightly red. Beautiful transparent sap began to flow from the spot where the branch was broken off. The prince ordered his retainers to collect the juice. When this was applied to his favorite utensils, they began to glow with a hard and sublime radiance."

Undoubtedly the birth of Japan's "lacquer art" is uncertain. A myth must be created to explain it.

Nevertheless, evidence has been successively discovered to show that lacquer was used in Japan from the Stone Age 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. During the early stage, it was used as an adhesive to attach the arrowhead to an arrow.

It is recorded that about 100 years after the time of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, a guild specializing in the lacquer art, called "Urushi-be," was established.


What to buy: Suruga lacquerware,is finely crafted lacquerware that displays the wood of the zelkova tree .

A special characteristic of the lacquer is the use of makié, its designs made with gold or silver powder..

There are a variety of folk crafts and specialties sold in this store.

Since the store is conveniently located in the station near the ticket gate to the Super-express Shinkansen, it is ideal for last-minute souvenir shopping.

Also the exhibition corner for local industries and some traditional art crafts cannot be missed.

What to buy: Suruga bamboo handy crafts
This art craft's which is created by assembling some thin bamboo pieces.

The process, is from scraping the bamboo into thin sticks to assembling, is done manually only using simple tools.

What to pay: from 400 yen and up