Living National Treasure Norio Tamagawa

  • Metalwork
  • 1942 -
Norio Tamagawa

Membership Full member, Japan Kogei Association
Status Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for Hammer forming )
  • 1942 Born in Niwazuki, Shitadamura, Niigata Prefecture, as the third son of the Ohashi family
  • 1955 Adopted as the second son of the Tamagawa family, Tsubame City
  • 1959 Graduated from Akita Municipal Polytechnic School
    Joined Gyokusendo and engaged in the family business
  • 1961 Graduated from Sanjo Vocational High School
    (part-time course)
  • 1963 Left for Tokyo. Studied as a live-in apprentice under
    SEKIYA Shiro, a living national treasure
    (tankin (hammering) technique)
  • 1965 Returned home; re-joined Gyokusendo; worked as a managing director
    and senior managing director with his father and brother
  • 1967 Submitted to Prefecture Exhibitions and Contemporary Crafts
    Niigata Association Exhibitions for several years
  • 1969 Selected for 9th Japanese Traditional Art Crafts New
    Works Exhibition (first time)
    Selected for 16th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
    (first time)
  • 1983 Selected and included in "30 Years of Modern Japanese Traditional Crafts"
  • 1987 Judge, 34th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
  • 1991 Chosen for North Europe Touring "Japan's Traditional Crafts:Spirit and Technique"
  • 1993 Selected and included in "40 Years of Modern Japanese Traditional Crafts"
  • 1996 Resigned Gyokusendo. Devoted to artwork activities
  • 1997 Held an exhibition "Breath of Hammering...," Keno Saty
  • 1998 Held an exhibition "Iro-Gane…," Isetan Department Store, Niigata
  • 2000 Held an exhibition "If You Hit and Hammer with a Smile...," Tsubame Gallery
  • 2002 Reproduced Shosoin treasure (tankin)
  • 2003 Held an exhibition "Tankin, Iro-Gane, Mokume-Gane,"
    Tsubame Industrial Materials Museum
  • 2004 Held an exhibition "Atsu-gane, Irogane, Mokume-Gane,"
    Isetan Department Store, Niigata
  • 2005 Works introduced on Tsubame City Internet Museum
    of Tsubame Industrial Materials Museum
  • 2010 Holder of important intangible cultural property (tankin)
    Made an honorary citizen of Tsubame City
    Held an exhibition of works "A Return, Around the Time
    of a Teakettle Shop…," Tsubame Industrial Materials Museum
  • 2011 Present
    Full member, Japan Kogei Association (Councillor)
    Councillor, Prefecture Exhibition
    Member, Tsubame Municipal Cultural Property Research Council

  • 1982Received the President of NHK Prize
    at the 29th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
    Entry was delivered to the Agency for Cultural Affairs
  • 1986Received the Governor of Tokyo Prize
    at the 33rd Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
  • 2002Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
  • 2005Received the Excellence Award
    at the POLA Traditional Culture Awards
  • 2010Received the Niigata Nippo Culture Award
    (Arts Category)
  • 2012Received the Order of the Rising Sun,
    Gold Rays with Rosette

Price Range

$ 13,000 - 27,000

The prices of the artworks on Gallery Japan are determined by the artists themselves and are published directly on the website.

14 artworks posted