IK Tradings is a Japan-based wholesale trading company connecting independent ceramic, wood, lacquer, glass, and textile makers across Japan with retailers, boutiques, and distributors around the world.
Founded in 2021 and based in Nagano, Japan, we work directly with a curated network of small studios and family workshops – many of them the sole keepers of techniques passed down for generations, in some cases centuries. Rather than mass-produced imitations, we offer buyers access to genuine, hand-made Japanese craft: kilns still fired by hand in the mountains of Kyushu, lacquer refined the traditional way under the summer sun, glass blown one piece at a time in a small Yokohama studio.
We visit every maker in person. Before any piece is offered to our overseas partners, we have seen it made, met the people who make it, and understood the story behind it. Our role is to carry that story – and the relationship of trust behind it – to buyers who could not otherwise reach these workshops directly.
Our mission is simple: to help thoughtful, independent Japanese makers reach the global market on fair terms, and to help international buyers offer their customers craft that is honest about where it comes from.
Why work with us
- Direct relationships with makers – no intermediary layers, transparent sourcing
- A curated catalog spanning pottery, woodwork, lacquerware, glass, and textiles from across Japan
- Small-batch and one-of-a-kind items handled with the documentation wholesale buyers need (materials, dimensions, care instructions)
- English-language support for ordering, samples, and logistics