Like the Yamaguchi Tankin Kabushiki Gaisha in Osaka, the Hattori Tokeiten and the Maruki company in Nihonbashiku, both in Tokyo, Miyamoto Shoko, located in the Ginza district of Tokyo, was a high level commissioning company, patronizing high quality work from leading artists as Kaniya Kuniharu (1869 – after 1910) and Oshima Joun (1858 – 1940).
It was founded in 1880 as a first specialty shop of silverware. Family members of the Emperor of Japan were given silverware made by Miyamoto Shoko since the company became a Purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency of Japan in 1899.
An article in the “Overland Monthly and the Out West Magazine” from 1910 described the company as :
“The Miya Moto Shoko stores is one of the representative establishments of the Japanese empire. It is a marvelous exhibit continually of the possibilities in curios, silks, drapes, rugs, ivories woods and articles of virtu, carvings and a multitude of other things. The Miya Moto Shoko is purveyor to His Imperial Majesty’s household by permit, and this means that everything that is wonderful may be seen there. Tourists who go to Tokyo and leave without seeing this store will have left without seeing one of the magnificent wonders of the modern world. The place should be included in every tourist’s tablets in order to refresh his memory.”
The company still exist today and sells exquisite Japanese silverware made by hand in Japan, its skilled silversmiths include a “living national treasure”.

Bear with fish