Bitowa is not a company, but a cause: its founders are dedicated to finding a new place in the world for a great craft tradition, Aizu lacquerware. Based in Aizu Wakamatsu, one of Japan’s best-known lacquer-producing areas, the Bitowa producers harness the area's creativity and craft excellence in original products that bring Aizu lacquerware to life for you in the 21st century.

Aizu lacquerware dates all the way back to the 16th century, and the craftspeople of Bitowa know as much about these hundreds of years of history as anyone. But they are using their knowledge to look forwards. Every Bitowa product is an elegant fusion: traditional techniques producing something beautifully contemporary, something that can get everyday use in any room of your home.

Consider Bitowa’s series of modern containers. Seven shapes, all available in one of six colours, every combination carefully considered and chosen: unique elegance with dozens of permutations. The containers are refined but not overly formal. They’re not flashy, but they catch your eye, and when you look closely you can appreciate the elegant sheen and subtlety of the lacquer.

Bitowa is also a source of sake saucers, mirrors, boxes for your best tea and a variety of other household products.

The Bitowa producers are:
ENDO TADASHI SHOUTEN CO., LTD.
ONUMA LACQUER WARE CO., LTD.
b Prize Corporation
MATSUMOTO KOGEI CO., LTD.