Nara is said to be the birthplace of Japanese lacquerware. Using a specialized technique called “raden,” luminous shells, abalone shells, pearl oysters, etc. are cut into patterns, pasted on a cypress wood base, filled with lacquer, and polished. Exceptional examples of raden are still preserved in Shosoin and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, with shiny shells inlaid into the lacquered areas. This beautiful lacquerware technique is still being passed down in Nara. Currently, inkstone boxes, jewelry boxes, letter boxes, etc. are made mainly using the traditional thick shell raden technique.