North House Folk School

Shuji Nakagawa is a traditional craftsman of Japanese woodwork and a contemporary artist. In Shiga, on the shores of Lake Biwa, he runs one of two ‘Nakagawa Mokkougei‘ studios in Japan. As much a woodworker as an artist, Shuji’s works appear in permanent museum collections across the world. His studio represents the tradition of Kyoto woodcrafting where time honored skills are passed from Father to Son. The company prides itself on its wooden buckets (kioke), which are handcrafted using a technique developed 700 years ago. During the Edo period, households used kioke for bathing rituals and for storing rice and miso. Today, these buckets are still as relevant as ever and used for a variety of purposes, such as champagne coolers, bathtubs and as beautiful objects for everyday life. Shuji is the third generation of woodwork in his family and studied under his father. 

Visit Shuji Nakagawa's Website