Craft · No. 117
No. 117木工品・竹工品
Kabazaiku
樺細工
kabazaiku · 秋田県
Kabazaiku is a distinctive woodcraft from the Kakunodate area of Akita Prefecture, made by wrapping and layering the bark of wild cherry trees (yamazakura) over wooden forms to create tea caddies, boxes, and other objects. Its hallmark is the warm, lustrous sheen of natural cherry bark.
- Origin
- 秋田県
- Category
- 木工品・竹工品
- Materials
- Wood · 樺
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
Kabazaiku traces its origins to the Edo period, when samurai of the Kakunodate domain are said to have crafted cherry-bark objects as a side occupatio…
No. IIMaterials
The primary material is the bark of the wild cherry tree (yamazakura), locally called "kaba," harvested from the mountain forests of Akita. This bark…
No. IIITechniques
Kabazaiku is broadly divided into two main techniques: "katamono" (molded ware) and "kidimono" (turned ware). In katamono, layers of cherry bark are c…
No. IVClimate
The inland region of Akita Prefecture around Kakunodate receives some of Japan's heaviest snowfall, creating long winters that historically confined p…
