This lacquerware tradition from Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is said to have begun when the feudal lord Ouchi of the Muromachi period encouraged it as an important export item as he promoted trade with Korea and China during the Ming Dynasty. One of the primary characteristics of Ouchi-nuri is the deep red color known as "Ouchishu." The color, which is somewhere between red and brown, exudes elegance. The pattern is often decorated with gold leaf and autumn grass patterns, featuring the Ouchi diamond, the family crest of the Ouchi clan that gave birth to Ouchi-nuri.