Founded in Hida- Takayama in the snowy north of Gifu prefecture by a local artist, Shin Kogei are known for their woodblock print animals. Hida- Takayama was an important castle town in the Middle Ages, and today has a fine tradition for wooden furniture. Shin Kogei use this wood to make their printing blocks. The designs mainly of animals that can be seen in Hida- Takayama, are transferred to the woodblocks and hand dyed onto natural cotton. Each colour designates a different block used, showing the time spent on each animals are filled with natural casks and hand sewn. Series include branches of the Chinese zodiac, baby animals, birds and fish. The Shin Kogei shop can be found in the centre of Hida- Takayama today.