Nihon-ga, vividly-colored traditional Japanese painting, is a type of tempera that uses Nikawa as a medium - it is painted with Iwa-Enogu (powdered mineral pigment) and Nikawa.

If a painting has smooth, fine-grained, sparkling surface texture, it is most likely a Nihon-ga. While Japanese painting is typically recognized by the "reserved elegance" of its subjects, there's more to it than just beautiful birds, flowers and Mount Fuji. The term, Nihon-ga is presumed to have been coined as an answer to Yoga (Western painting) that became popular in Japan during the Meiji Era.

In Japanese painting, easels are normally used only when sketching. During the actual process of painting, paper is often laid flat on the floor to avoid paints from dripping or streaking down on the paper. Once the base design is completed, each paint is mixed with Nikawa and water on a separate paint dish placed on a palm of the artist. This is also the time to meditate, and picture how the finished work should look. Iwa-enogu, mineral-based paints, offers tones that turn deeper as colors are overlaid and mixed. While opaque paints completely hide what’s underneath, Iwa-enogu blends with it, creating a “harmony of colors” to give Nihon-ga its distinctive style.