Shinbo Shikkiten develops and sells lacquerware products for commercial use, with their main clients being resort hotels. In their showroom, the company proudly displays a wide variety of lacquerware, including the traditional wooden kind, as well as objects made from synthetic resin and affixed with gold leaf. The shape and color of the lacquerware is customized in order to meet the different needs of each client, becoming something unique in the end.
The materials used are not limited to wood or synthetic resins – they also work with glass and acrylic, both of which are rare in lacquerware production regions. Their arsenal of materials and techniques is vast. For example, they can use chinkin – a lacquerware decoration technique where designs are carved and then inlaid with gold – on unorthodox materials such as acrylic. Another is how they have created new vessels based on the shape of sushi oke (a tub used for preparing sushi rice), and masu (a square wooden box used for drinking sake). Normally, they rely on an external network of craftsmen to produce their products, but if necessary, production can be done in-house as well. This covers anything from building the wooden base to doing the decoration work.

Shinbo Shikkiten’s products meet the high requirements of their clients while considering the available budget. Using their accumulated skills and experiences, they believe that their original tableware is unlike any other that people have seen. Since their products are used at luxury hotels in Japan, Shinbo Shikkiten’s modern tableware is made so that it can be not only with Japanese food, but also with Western and Chinese cuisines.

Shinbo Shikkiten has a large percentage of returning clients, which is a testament to their high level of customer service.

In fact, one of the secrets behind the large number of requests received by Shinbo is due to the swift speed in which projects are completed. After receiving an order, they always make a 3D drawing before making a sample. The drawings are then used as a basis for discussions with the customer, in order to ensure that the finished product is as close as possible to the desired result. The drawings also make it easier for Shinbo to visualize and identify problems in the production process when communicating with craftsmen. This makes it possible for samples to be made quickly.

Building products made-to-order is not a straightforward process. Each client’s needs are diverse and change with the flow of time. Especially in today's information society, one needs to be able to quickly read the current trends and propose something that the customer wants. For this reason, Shinbo believes that it is necessary to be ready to produce any kind of product at any time. They also keep up-to-date outside of the lacquerware industry in order to attract a wider range of business.

Seeing their role as the bridge between customers with craftsmen, Shinbo Shikkiten strives to be a unifying force for the Echizen lacquerware production region.

Made from walnut, this storage box has two tiers that can be placed side-by-side. Each level can be freely partitioned and customized to hold small bowls for food. The appeal lies in how the box can be freely arranged to fit the atmosphere of food inside. Opening up each level of the box allows you to easily see each food item, adding to the enjoyment of your meal.