Iwata Houraiya

Iwata Houraiya is an atelier specialising in the great Japanese wood craft traditions of cabinetmaking, lacquer, gilding and sculpting. Based in the historic Japanese city of Kyoto, it was founded in 1924 and today is owned by the third generation of the Houraiya family.

The atelier’s expert fine woodwork artisans are the guardians of heritage and tradition. Having handcrafted and restored many of Japan’s sacred Buddhist altars, in recent years they have started to form collaborations internationally to share their knowledge and skills with others.