Kaisō

The Kaisō country around Kuroe developed a distinctive lacquerware industry. Its beginnings are traditionally placed in the Muromachi period, when woodworkers produced bowls with persimmon-tannin grounds. By the early Edo period, Kuroe was known for these shibuji bowls, and protection from the Kishū domain helped the industry expand during the middle Tokugawa centuries.

A related craft tradition came from Negoroji, where monks made trays, bowls and other temple furnishings. Red lacquer over a black undercoat wore through with use, creating the contrasting surface prized as Negoro lacquer. Industry tradition associates its spread to the Kainan area with monks escaping Hideyoshi's attack on Negoro. In 1826 the craftsman Ogawaya Chōbei succeeded in producing lacquered boardware with a durable ground, extending the range of goods beyond the region's established bowls.