Japanese land holds very few minerals in its bosom. However, surrounded by the sea, it is the world leader in the supply of corals. Kochi (a city in the Indian state of Kerala, a major port on the Malabar coast of the Arabian sea) was the first one to start collecting corals and still has the biggest production capacity of corals for Japan in particular. It is the center of the coral industry, it also trades raw corals. Thanks to its favorable geographical position, Kochi had developed the art of working with a precious coral, until this kind of creativity turned into a unique form unlike any form in the world. Artisans uncovered the natural beauty of coral.

The corals that form coral reefs, spread along the shallow waters of the tropical and subtropical regions and grow rapidly, they have a structure similar to pumice, and have no shine even after polishing. Precious corals grow over a long period of time in the deep sea, in limited areas of the world. The great shine of a coral, that looks like it radiates from within, captures hearts of many people. Initially, precious corals were extracted only in the Mediterranean, they were highly valued and exported to the East. No one even thought to make sculptures of them.

The sea in the Kochi region produces not only brilliant crimson-red corals, but the corals of peach color "momoirosango" and pure white corals "shirosango". The corals that can be used for carving are extremely expensive, especially if it is a sculpture from a single piece of coral.

As precious corals are solid, there is a wide use of motorized machines. Polishing of precious coral, that grew into the deep sea over the years, reveals its brilliance. Depending on the product, the degree of polishing is adjusted in the manufacturing process.

The art of coral carving has a relatively short history as a traditional craft, that developed only from the Meiji period. On the other hand, this leaves many opportunities for further development and emphasizes its active innovation. In recent years, artisans have experimented with a "mushroom coral", that has a rough surface. The world of precious coral art is inexhaustible.