ROYAL WARRANT

The Royal Warrant was institutionalized in 1891 by the Imperial Household Ministry. To be eligible, the merchant needs to pass requirements such as delivering to the Imperial Household Ministry for at least five years. After strict examination, the merchant is officially certified. Tokodo received the Royal Warrant in 1949.

After World War II, the system itself was discontinued in 1954. But Tokodo has continued to deliver tableware to the Imperial Household agency. In 1961, we delivered tableware when Fukiage Gosho (the imperial residential palace of Emperor Showa) was completed. In 1990, we delivered more than 20,000 tableware pieces when Emperor Heisei ascended to the throne. The number of delivered tableware pieces to the Imperial Household Ministry/Agency has exceeded more than 30,000.   

There are two different kinds of Royal Warrant. The first one is “Tribute”. The merchant provides the goods free of charge. Tribute goods are usually returned after the event. The other type is “Order”, which is the official purchasing order from the Imperial Household Agency.  Ordered goods are actually used in the royal palace. Even though “Tribute” is free of charge, it is does not mean that anyone can make a tribute. After going through strict examination, the goods are provided as a tribute to the Imperial Household Agency.

In the Meiji era, many merchants claimed themselves as Royal Warrant holders because it shows high credibility. These false claims became a big problem in Japan, and the Imperial Household Agency decided to establish the official Royal Warrant system. The requirement gradually became stricter to stop dishonest merchants.