In the mid-16th century, when the Portuguese drifted ashore on Tanegashima Island, direct interactions between Japan and Europe (Namban) began. The Christian missionaries commissioned lacquered religious items, which became popular in Europe. By the latter half of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, household items intended for Europe were produced, and a large number of these products were exported overseas. These lacquerwares, known as Namban lacquerware, newly incorporated Korean raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) techniques, resulting in unique designs and methods that differed from traditional styles. Namban lacquerware was produced during a limited period of about fifty years, from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period, but it became a symbol of East-West cultural exchange for both Japan and Europe. Please enjoy the richly international world of Namban lacquerware, which colored a brief period in Japanese history.