When choosing a piece of craft, it is tempting to reason “it carries the traditional mark, so it must be genuine” or “it comes with a tomobako, the maker’s own signed box, so I can trust it.” But the traditional mark, the traditional certification seal, an artist’s mark, a tomobako and its box inscription (hakogaki), and a certificate or letter of authentication each play a different role.<\/p>\n
To put it plainly: no single mark or document can establish a piece of craft as “genuine” on its own.<\/b> What matters is to distinguish who is providing the information, what exactly it refers to, and what standard it is based on.<\/p>\n
Drawing on material from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries, and the collection records of Japan’s national art museums, this article sorts out what each mark or document does show, and what it does not.<\/b> The checks it describes are useful for first-time buyers of craft, for anyone choosing a gift or an artist’s piece, and for those buying Japanese craft from abroad.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n