Updated at 2022-04-15
Designated as a traditional handicraft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan in 1995, Owari shippo has become the representation of shippo-yaki. This century-old craft is fundamentally the production of metal enamelware with a Japanese twist. Different regions of Japan produce starkly different shippo-yaki. The inventor of Owari shippo was a squire named Tsunekichi Kaji, who served in Owari (now Aichi Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Tsunekichi was inspired by Dutch cloisonné. He ultimately invented a process in which patterns on the enamelware were outlined using copper wire. Tsunekichi's impact on modern shippo-yaki earned him the name "Father of Shippo-yaki."
Flag: The flag of Japan is known as the "Flag of Sun," a red disc centered on a white rectangular banner). The ratio of the flag is 2:3, and the diameter of the red disk is three-fifths of the vertical length, with the center of the red disk aligned with the center of the flag.
National Day: February 11
Language: Japanese
Capital: Tokyo
Area: 377,973 square kilometers
Population: Approx. 123 million people
Currency: Japanese Yen
Government: Constitutional monarchy, separation of powers