Shuro Hoki are Japanese brooms made in Kimino, Wakayama Prefecture, with heads made from the fibers of the bark of the hemp palm (shuro) tree. The area around Kimino was once called Nokamidani and was known as Japan's leading production area for hemp palm bark and hemp palm products. Hemp palm fibers are fine, supple and springy, and are also resistant to water and slow to rot. Brooms made from them sweep softly and gather even fine dust well. It is also said that with continued use they give a sheen to tatami mats and wooden floors. Brooms are said to have been made in Nokamidani since at least the late Edo period. In 2004 (Heisei 16) Shuro Hoki became a Wakayama Prefecture Governor-Designated Local Traditional Craft. At the time of the designation, the only person carrying on the traditional techniques of this area was 桑添勇雄, who was later selected as a Wakayama Prefecture Meisho (Master Craftsperson). Today the techniques are carried on by 棕櫚箒製作舎, run by the apprentice 西尾香織.
Origin
The area around Kimino was once called Nokamidani, a land where hemp palms grew wild and were also cultivated. The history of Wakayama Prefecture as a production area for hemp palm bark is said to go back as far as the Muromachi period. Historical records from the Edo period also mention shipments of hemp palm bark. When broom making began is not clear, but brooms are said to have been made in the eastern part of Kimino since at least the late Edo period.
History
Until the Showa period, Nokamidani was Japan's leading production area for hemp palm bark and hemp palm products. After the war, the hemp palm industry flourished around Todoroki, where the town office is located, and at one time there are said to have been 20 to 30 shops specializing in brooms. However, around 1965 (Showa 40) demand fell, hemp palm cultivation declined, and many hemp palm groves were replanted with Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress (hinoki). Today, most of the raw material is imported from China.
Features
Shuro Hoki include the 'kawa-boki' (bark broom), made by rolling and bundling hemp palm bark as it is, and the 'onike-boki', made by bundling loosened fibers. The finest grade, the 'hon-onike-boki', is made by pulling out and collecting by hand, one by one, only the thick, stiff 'onike' fibers found at both edges of the bark. It is so long-lasting that it is said 'three in a lifetime are enough', and when it wears it can be repaired and used again. The brooms of Nokamidani are said to have a distinctive shape in which the bundles (tama) do not vary greatly in size.
Techniques
Hand-sorting the onike
The main material of the hon-onike-boki is 'onike' (hon-onike, tachike), selected by hand one fiber at a time from among the hemp palm fibers. A single broom requires from several thousand to more than 10,000 of them, taking several times the labor of an ordinary onike-boki. Since 2012, 棕櫚箒製作舎 has been working to revive this nearly lost method.
Binding the tama
The prepared hemp palm fibers are layered, fibers and a small amount of glutinous rice straw (mochiwara) are placed in the core, and the bundle is bound tightly with copper wire or thread. If the binding is too loose the fibers fall out, and if it is too tight the copper wire breaks, so the craftsperson bundles the fibers relying solely on the feel of the hands.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Straightening and sorting the fibers
Bundles of hemp palm fiber are moistened with water and passed little by little through a special fiber-combing machine with a rotating comb of iron needles to straighten them, removing short fibers and dirt. The fibers are sorted by quality and length, cut to set lengths and left to dry naturally.
- 2
Making the handle and kogai
Black bamboo or another material for the handle is cut to size, and a hole is made at the tip. Moso bamboo, cut in winter and dried, is split with a hatchet, shaved with a small knife and heated over a fire to make the bamboo skewers (kogai) that hold the tama in place.
- 3
Making the tama
An appropriate amount of hemp palm fiber is layered, fibers and glutinous rice straw are placed in the core, and it is bound tightly with copper wire or thread to make the bundles called 'tama'. The number of tama varies with the width of the broom; long-handled brooms come in 7, 9 or 11 tama, among others.
- 4
Assembling the tama and handle
A kogai is passed through the hole in the central tama to which the handle is attached, and the remaining tama are threaded on in equal numbers on the left and right and fixed in place. The excess kogai is cut off, and the broom is reinforced with round tacks or nails.
- 5
Finishing the head
Finally, the fibers of the head are combed with a rake, and their length is trimmed evenly to finish the broom. 棕櫚箒製作舎 uses a one-of-a-kind rake made for it by a blacksmith in Kimino.
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Artisans & Workshops
棕櫚箒製作舎（西尾香織）
A workshop in the mountains of Kimino where Shuro Hoki are made to order single-handedly. 西尾香織, a native of Hiroshima City, became an apprentice of 桑添勇雄 in 2006, made more than 10,000 brooms over five years, and became independent in 2012. The workshop received an Encouragement Award at the Nihon Mingeikan Exhibition (Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition) for fiscal 2025.
桑添勇雄（和歌山県名匠）
A craftsperson who opened 桑添勇雄商店 in Kimino and made high-quality, custom-ordered Shuro Hoki for more than 50 years. 桑添勇雄 was selected as a Wakayama Prefecture Meisho (Master Craftsperson) in fiscal 2007 (Heisei 19). At the time of the prefectural designation, 桑添勇雄 was the only craftsperson carrying on the techniques, but has since passed away, and the shop also closed in 2025.
How to Buy
- 棕櫚箒製作舎 (made to order via the official website)
- Brooms by 棕櫚箒製作舎 are sold directly only through the official website, and are not sold at other shops or wholesale. They are made to order by reservation, and reservations are accepted in the order inquiries are received. Delivery can take more than a year, and limited sales of in-stock items are also held about once every few months.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
しゅろの手しごと体験教室（旧上神野小学校）
和歌山県海草郡紀美野町鎌滝107
A hands-on workshop held by 棕櫚箒製作舎 in a closed school building that it rents. Making a hemp palm scrubbing brush (tawashi) with a hand-cranked tawashi-winding machine costs from about 1,500 yen for adults and from about 800 yen for children. Held irregularly, mainly on weekends and public holidays, with reservations required at least three days in advance. A room displaying historical materials on Shuro Hoki is also attached.
FAQ
Q. How long does a Shuro Hoki last?
A. It is said that 'three hon-onike-boki in a lifetime are enough', and they are said to last more than 20 years. Even when they wear, they can be repaired and used again. Kawa-boki are, as a rule, not repaired but used until worn out; a high-quality one can be expected to last about 10 to 15 years.
Q. Is the hemp palm used as raw material still grown locally?
A. High-quality domestic hemp palm bark suitable for brooms has been unavailable for more than 50 years. Today, hemp palm imported from China is strictly sorted before use. The criterion for sorting is whether its quality is no worse than that of the high-quality domestic Shuro Hoki of the past.
Q. How should I use a Shuro Hoki?
A. There is no need to think of it as anything especially difficult. The basic method is to hold the broom upright rather than tilted, and sweep lightly as if stroking the floor so that the tip always touches it. The fact that it is easy to care for and needs little effort is also considered one of the merits of a Shuro Hoki.