Akita Sugi x Kabazaiku Bon - Wooden Cherry Bark Tray
TomiokaThis unique small wooden tray merges the two traditional woodworking products of Akita Prefecture: Akita Sugi and kabazaiku. This tray is perfect for using with one kyusu and yunomi.
Akita Sugi (秋田杉) or Akita Cedar is known for its beautiful, dense, even grain and pleasant aroma. Used in bentwood (magewappa) crafts as well as timber construction, cedar production provided an important source of revenue for the Satake clan which ruled Akita during the Edo period.
The kabazaiku (樺細工, also 桜皮細工) technique of hand-scraping, polishing, and pasting wild cherry bark is unique to Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, where the technique was brought to the town of Kakunodate (角館) in Akita by the Satake family of samurai in the 1700s.
Designed by Hashimoto Yukio (橋本夕紀夫). Made by Tomioka in Daisen, Akita Prefecture.
To clean, wipe with a damp cloth. Avoid washing or soaking the tray as this can weaken the paste that holds the cherry bark to the wood.
Made in Japan. Ships from the United States.
Width: 21.5 cm (8.5 in)
Height: 0.5 cm (0.2 in)
The Kabazaiku (樺細工, also 桜皮細工) technique of hand-scraping, polishing, and pasting wild cherry bark is unique to Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, where the technique was brought to the town of Kakunodate (角館) in Akita by the Satake family of samurai in the 1700s.
To clean, wipe with a dry cloth. As the cherry bark is uncoated, it will absorb moisture, which is ideal for tea storage. However, this means that any water that gets on it should be wiped off immediately.
For over 50 years, Tomioka has been producing and promoting the unique Akita culture of kabazaiku crafts. Founder Kazuya Tomioka took over defunct kabazaiku business in 1970 and has revitalised it into the flourishing company it is today. Not only does Tomioka preseve traditional craft techniques and items, they also innovate new styles, adapting the centuries old art of kabazaiku to modern tastes.
