Guitars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but Inami Wood Carving Cooperative in Toyama, Japan decided to fuse traditional Japanese wood art with this popular instrument to make some badass guitars.

Chōkoku is a Japanese word referring to the engraving or carving of sculptures, and it has a very long history in Japan as a traditional art form. It has been around as far back as the 13th century, and is still cherished for the intricacy and warmth it brings to each work of art.

Wooden chōkoku is one of the most common, and Inami Wood Carving Cooperative makes a wide range of art pieces in this art form, including their specialty guitars. These guitars have received worldwide acclaim, and when you see them, you’ll know why.

They currently have 4 models available in their shop, and each are absolutely stunning.

Dragon Sword

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Source: Inami Wood Carving Cooperative

Sui-getsu (water-moon)

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Source: Inami Wood Carving Cooperative

Shishi (mythical lion-dog)

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Source: Inami Wood Carving Cooperative

Bird

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Source: Inami Wood Carving Cooperative

If you’re skeptical that these guitars are all just for show, here’s a video of a man playing an enormous Dragon Sword guitar:

The Dragon Sword is not just the biggest and baddest of the bunch so far, it’s also the most expensive. Going for over 17,000 dollars, most of us would have to settle for just strumming a few chords at the shop.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.