A beginning in Kyoto
Kisuke travels to Kyoto to learn gold and silver craftsmanship. His early training becomes the foundation of Junkodo’s story.
FOUNDED APRIL 1870 · TAKAOKA, JAPAN
A heritage of silver.
A cup for life’s milestones.
More than 150 years of silverware heritage.
For celebrations, gifts and everyday moments.
Our storyJUNKODO
A silver cup shop with a history.
Junkodo is a silver cup shop in Takaoka, Toyama, with April 1870 as its founding month. Our founder, Kato Kisuke, studied gold and silver craftsmanship in Kyoto and Kanazawa. Today, pure silver cups are at the heart of our collection, for celebrations, commemorative gifts and everyday use. Central marks and inscriptions around the outside circumference are available by quotation.
Available in eight sizes, from 2 to 5.5 sun, in half-sun increments. The indicated diameters are approximate nominal sizes, not measurements of the actual products.
Our heritageJUNKODO SINCE 1870
More than 150 years,
held in a silver cup
Junkodo began its journey in Takaoka in April 1870. Founder Kato Kisuke brought his training in Kyoto and Kanazawa to the family business, beginning a lasting connection with silverware.
A cup for a celebration. A gift to mark a meaningful occasion. We bring the enduring beauty of silverware to the moments that matter.
Refining his skills in Kanazawa
After Kyoto, Kisuke studies under Komatsuya Kichibei in Kanazawa, deepening his knowledge of gold and silver craftsmanship.
Junkodo is founded in Takaoka
Kisuke returns home, bringing the knowledge gained in Kyoto and Kanazawa to the beginning of the family business.
A cup for a milestone
Junkodo makes a commemorative silver cup awarded to census enumerator Tabata (田畑與作) after Japan’s first national census. A person’s contribution is given lasting form in silver.
A story passed to the third generation
A third-generation successor writes down the founder’s training and the history of the family business, preserving its story for the years ahead.
Silverware in many forms
A silver kettle bearing Kato Kisuke’s name reflects a history that extends beyond cups to the vessels of tea, revealing silverware’s many expressions.
02 — The character of silverwareSILVERWARE & CULTURE
Silver for the table and life’s milestones
A practical vessel and an expression of craftsmanship. Discover silverware through Western and Japanese traditions.
The West — A table for hospitality
Western silver tableware served practical needs while expressing wealth and prestige. In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe, changing dining customs encouraged the development of silver plates and serving vessels, bringing elaborate craftsmanship to the table.
Japan — Bowls and cups in a daimyo household
Silverware formed part of the treasured furnishings of Japanese daimyo households. Edo-period bowls, cups and sake vessels, followed by Meiji-period silver cups, unite everyday purpose with refined craftsmanship. Their ornament preserves the beauty of Japan’s tableware traditions.
Today — A cup to mark a milestone
A silver cup gives lasting form to a meaningful occasion. Junkodo made a commemorative cup associated with Japan’s first national census in 1921. For celebrations, awards, retirement or anniversaries, our pure silver cups carry a personal message through central marks and outer inscriptions, available by quotation.
Caring for silverFAQ
Frequently asked questions
My silverware has darkened. Is that normal?
Silver darkens mainly through reactions with sulfur-containing substances, a process called tarnishing. This is a natural change in silverware; darkening alone does not mean that a piece is damaged.
Both a bright finish and a deeper patina have their own beauty. Like the character that develops in wooden furniture, silver’s changing colour can reflect the time spent with a treasured object.
Enjoy its brilliance
Maintain a bright finish with care suited to the piece.
Enjoy its patina
Appreciate the depth and shading that develop over time.
Care depends on the finish. Strong polishing can alter engraved details or an intentionally darkened finish. Check the appropriate method for your piece before polishing.
Choose your order typeSTANDARD / CUSTOM
Standard silver cups
Choose a size and quantity and order through this website. Standard cups do not include added marks or lettering.
Choose a cupMarks & inscriptions
We offer central family crests or logos, and commemorative lettering around the outside circumference of the cup. Both are custom orders: request a quotation by email, fax or telephone. Engraving is not included in the standard cart.
Discuss engravingOrdering & delivery
Free domestic shipping on merchandise totals of ¥50,000 or more, including tax. Below ¥50,000, shipping is charged at cost and shown before you confirm your order.
Online checkout currently supports delivery addresses in Japan. International shipping terms have not yet been confirmed; this English edition does not establish an overseas delivery service.
Bank transfer is available when order acceptance is enabled. Credit cards become available after payment setup and verification. Check the total, delivery estimate and return terms before confirming.
Read the sales termsVisit Junkodo
49 Genpei-machi, Takaoka, Toyama, Japan
Telephone: +81 766-24-3220
Fax: +81 766-22-3220
Opening days vary. Please contact the shop before visiting.
Online shop & engraving contact
Contact details are being prepared.