Lacquerware: Shikki is craftwork coated with lacquer, and it has been in general use in al over Southeast Asia for more than 2.000 years. Bamboo, wood and cloth materials are painted with a mixture of paints and concentrated lacquer tree sap. In Japan there was a strong influence from China in the sixth century when Buddhism was introduced, and the techniques of making shikki improved rapidly. Subsequently, shikki was used widely in daily life for furniture and tableware and before long it even came to be made for industrial art objects. In the trade with Portugal and Holand in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was widely introduced into Europe and in English was called “Japan.” The chief characteristics of shikki are its strength against humidity and heat and its outstanding durability. Even now, Wajima lacquer and Aizu lacquer are being made.