TAKAOKA CRAFT ICHIBAMACHI

Established in 2012, the event has developed into one of the region’s most significant craft and cultural gatherings, with close to one hundred programs planned for this year. The event is held mainly along Otayamachi, Yamachosuji, and the Kanayamachi Cobblestone Street.

The festival highlights Takaoka’s long-standing reputation as a center of craftsmanship, known especially for copperware and lacquerware. Exhibitions are staged within the city’s preserved townscapes, and markets featuring craft and food products are organised alongside guided walks, workshop tours, and other opportunities for exchange between makers and visitors. Social programs such as the Craftsmen’s Bar and the opening party have also become defining features of the event.

The name Ichibamachi expresses the aim of creating a place where people and objects meet, generating new values and connections. This ethos is reflected in the range of participants. Craftspeople continue to preserve and reinterpret traditional skills; community members work to maintain and revitalise historic streetscapes; artists contribute contemporary perspectives; students from the University of Toyama’s Faculty of Art and Design provide new energy; and visitors from both within and outside Toyama Prefecture bring diversity of experience.

One of the notable elements of the event is the Ichibamachi Passport, which functions as both a stamp booklet and a small notebook. Stamps are placed at fifteen sites throughout the city, and additional stamps are carried by local artisans and townspeople. Collecting them has become a popular way to experience the city while engaging with its crafts culture.

The event is coordinated by the Takaoka Craft Ichibamachi Organising Committee with support from local institutions, the City of Takaoka, and corporate sponsors.