What is Takaoka Copperware?
Takaoka Copperware is a general term for vessels and crafts made from iron, copper, gold, silver, tin, zinc, aluminum, and other alloys produced in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. It is said to have originated in Keicho 16 (1611), two years after Maeda Toshinaga, the second lord of the Kaga domain, built a castle and opened a castle town in Takaoka. To promote industry in this castle town, casters (imoji: foundry craftsmen) from Nishibe Kanaya Village in Tonami County, Etchu Province (now Toide Nishibe Kanaya, Takaoka City), who were descendants of the birthplace of Japanese casting in Kawachi (now part of Sakai City and Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture), were invited.
Initially, Takaoka Copperware focused on producing ironware such as pots, kettles, and hoes. However, under the generous protection of the Kaga domain, it developed further, and by the late Edo period, the production of copperware such as temple bells, large lanterns, and vases became fully established. As it created several hit products, its sales channels expanded nationwide.
In the modern era, although there was a shortage of metal materials due to the wartime controlled economy during the preceding great war, Takaoka Copperware overcame this hardship. In 1975 (Showa 50), it was designated as a national traditional craft production area. To this day, while preserving its traditions, it continues to develop by incorporating designs suited to the times and introducing new manufacturing methods.