Tin is also depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. As a metal, it does not rust and is said to purify water. With its high thermal conductivity, tin transfers heat 1.8 times faster than ceramics and 50 times faster to the entire vessel, making it an ideal material for drinking vessels and is incorporated into a wide variety of items.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Osaka Naniwa Tinware”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.
It is said that tinware was introduced to Japan by the Sui Dynasty envoys about 1,300 years ago. At that time, tin was considered as valuable as gold and silver, and was used for court vessels and Shinto and Buddhist ritual implements by the nobility and warrior class. The Shosoin Repository in Nara has several items that have been preserved as treasures, including tin vessels in the shape of bottles.
The origin of tinware production in Osaka is mentioned in "Namba Jakku" (1679) and "Nihon Koku Hana Manyoki". In the mid-Edo period, tinware was produced in Kamigata (Osaka) where distribution was good, such as Shinsaibashi, Tenjinbashi, and Tennoji, and eventually formed a production area. Later, the long-established tin shop "Tin Han" (closed in 1996) opened in Shinsaibashi in 1714 (Shotoku 4). Many Osaka tinware manufacturers subsequently gathered there, and tinware became a specialty product. It is said that during its heyday in the first half of the Showa period (1926-1989), more than 300 craftsmen in Osaka competed with each other to produce tinware.
Tin is a material that is difficult to machine because of its softness. For this reason, most processes are carried out by hand rather than by machine. The process is largely divided into casting and polishing, and products are made through about eight processes using traditional techniques such as casting in molds and grinding with a potter's wheel.
In 1983, it was approved as a national traditional craft. The excellent techniques and wisdom of our predecessors have been passed on to the next generation as products that are both beautiful and easy to use for the modern age.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Osaka Naniwa Tinware”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.