Japan

Handmade paper. Visit stationery and specialty stores across Japan for washi, or handmade, wood-pulp paper. Master craftsmen still use a lengthy process of washing, bleaching, cooking, pressing, and dyeing plant fibers to create unusually durable and beautiful papers. Choose from shoji screen, lantern, calligraphy, and printing papers. Visit Tokushima Prefecture for soft Awa paper, Gifu Prefecture for translucent Mino paper, and Shimane Prefecture for decorative Inshu paper.

Ceramics and Pottery. Japan offers dozens of varieties, from Kyushu's renowned porcelain and stoneware, to Mashiko's folk pottery. Visit the Shiga Prefecture for Shigaraki, a simple-style pottery marked by organic blotches and drips of glaze. Buy it in the Shiga Prefecture or visit the Traditional Crafts Center Shigaraki (tel. +81 [0]748 82 2345).

Lacquerware. The art of urushi, or lacquer, has been practiced in the Kiso Valley area of Japan for hundreds of years. Traditional Japanese lacquer comes from the sap of trees and gives objects a shiny decorative and protective coating. Visit shops in Kiso and around Japan for lacquerware bento boxes, bowls, trays, and other decorative items.