Lacquer is a natural material that has been used as a paint and adhesive in Japan since the Jomon period. Lacquer is a resin extracted from wood that hardens under a certain degree of warmth and humidity, forming a very strong coating film. This coating is insoluble in acids, bases, and organic solvents, making it very difficult to analyze. In the past 25 years, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) has proven to be an effective method for the analysis of lacquer coatings. This paper describes basic Py-GC/MS analysis of lacquer and Py-GC/MS analysis of additives added to lacquer. Examples of analyses of specific excavated artifacts will also be presented.