Crafting Picture Frames (Gakubuchi) That Become More Beautiful With Time

Framing began to be crafted in earnest in Japan during the Meiji era, following the introduction of Western-style painting techniques such as oil painting. At that time, picture frames were crafted by skilled artisans according to the painter’s instructions: cabinet makers created the wooden structure, Buddhist sculptors carved it, and the lacquer master applied the lacquer finish. Tokyo Gakubuchi incorporates these skills and carries out the entire process through to the finish, creating custom frames to meet a wide range of orders.

Fuji-seigaku was founded in 1947 (Showa 22) in Nezu, Bunkyo City, and is currently a frame manufacturing company located in Machiya, Arakawa City. This is a rare workshop dedicated to producing Tokyo Gakubuchi frames as a traditional craft officially designated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. While continuing to carry forward traditional techniques that date back over 100 years, we craft frames that grow more beautiful with age.

The founder started by crafting photo frames for overseas markets, primarily utilizing traditional lacquer techniques. Expanding our production range to include oil painting frames, watercolor frames, and frames for Japanese paintings in response to the demands of the times, we have leveraged our strategic location in Tokyo, a town of artisans, to meet its diverse demands. Today, we take advantage of our extensive knowledge, precise craftsmanship, and years of experience to create frames that align with contemporary trends.

Fuji-seigaku Co., Ltd.
Daichi Kurihara
6-31-15 Machiya, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-0001
TEL: 03-3892-8682
https://www.fujiseigaku.com/