Fine Crafts

Nagasaki Tortoiseshell (Bekko)

Nagasaki Bekko (Nagasaki Tortoiseshell Craft)

Nagasaki tortoiseshell (bekko) is a traditional craft of Nagasaki made by working the shell of the hawksbill turtle, a type of sea turtle. In the Edo period, under the policy of national isolation (sakoku), Nagasaki Port was the only port for trade with the Netherlands and China, and because the raw hawksbill shell was easy to obtain there, tortoiseshell craft is said to have developed in Nagasaki. Nagasaki's techniques are described as having later spread to Edo and elsewhere. After Japan opened to the world, the craft also became popular with foreigners, and its techniques and designs were refined. Its greatest feature is the technique of joining shell pieces together using only water, heat and pressure, without any adhesive. For this reason it is also called 'the art of water and heat.' Besides accessories such as kanzashi (ornamental hairpins) and brooches, decorative objects such as treasure ships are also made. In 2017 it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Meanwhile, international trade in hawksbill turtles is banned under the Washington Convention (CITES), and Japan ended its imports in 1992. Craftspeople carry on the techniques while carefully using raw materials imported in the past.