Odate Magewappa (Odate Bentwood Wooden Boxes)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Odate Magewappa is a woodcraft made in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, using a technique in which thin sheets peeled from straight-grained (masame) natural Akita cedar are softened in hot water, bent into a cylindrical shape, and then stitched closed with the bark of the mountain cherry tree. The Odate Local History Museum holds a fragment of bentwood ware believed to date from the Heian period, suggesting that simple bentwood craftsmanship existed in the area from ancient times, but it was not until the latter half of the 17th century that it developed into a full-fledged industry. Its direct origin is said to be the encouragement of bentwood ware production as a side occupation by the Satake-Nishi family, lords of Odate Castle, who drew on the region's abundant Akita cedar resources to address the domain's financial difficulties and the hardship of its lower-ranking samurai. In addition to the cedar's beautiful grain, the wood's moderate humidity- and airflow-regulating properties are said to absorb excess moisture from packed rice and help keep it delicious, and Magewappa has recently drawn renewed attention as lunch boxes and rice containers. In October 1980 (Showa 55), it was designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.