Okuaizu woven crafts are basketry made from natural materials found in the mountainous Okuaizu region, centered on Mishima Town, Onuma District, Fukushima Prefecture -- wild grape vine (yamabudo), hiroro (a type of sedge), and matatabi (silver vine) -- and are a Nationally Designated Traditional Craft. Their history as hand work carried on during the snow-covered season is ancient: artifacts bearing traces of weaving have been found at Mishima Town's Arayashiki archaeological site (late Jōmon period, about 2,500 years ago), and the craft is also said to carry on Jōmon culture into the present. Edo-period regional records also document the making of baskets and sieves using hiroro, matatabi, and wild grape vine. In the 1965-1974 period, the craft's survival was threatened by a decline in successors, but in 1981 (Showa 56) Mishima Town launched the 'Everyday Crafts Movement,' working to pass on the techniques through guidance from craftspeople and exhibitions. Tools with a distinct texture for each material -- hand baskets, confectionery containers, kitchen implements, and more -- continue to be made today.
Origin
The history of Okuaizu woven crafts is said to date back to the Jōmon period; artifacts bearing fragments of cord and weaving have been discovered at Mishima Town's Arayashiki archaeological site (late Jōmon period, about 2,500 years ago). The Edo-period regional record 'Aizu Nōsho' manuscript (1748) contains a description of making baskets from wild-grass cord, and the travelogue 'Tōyū Zakki' (1788) describes making straw raincoats from hiroro.
History
The 1807 record 'Ina-Ibokoku Shikagumi Fūzokuchō' notes that sieves were made from matatabi vine and baskets from wild grape bark, showing that the skill of turning mountain resources into everyday tools has been passed down continuously in the mountains of Okuaizu. In the 1965-1974 period, the craft's transmission was threatened by the aging and decline of its practitioners, but Mishima Town began the 'Everyday Crafts Movement' in 1981 (Showa 56), working to train successors through guidance from craftspeople and exhibitions.
Features
The greatest characteristic is the skillful use of three materials with different properties: yamabudo (wild grape vine), hiroro, and matatabi. Yamabudo, using a single layer of bark harvested around June when chestnut trees bloom, is durable and develops an amber luster with use, making it suited to hand baskets and confectionery containers; matatabi drains water well and is supple, making it suited to sieves; and hiroro, with its fine weave, is used for baskets with a lace-like finish.
Techniques
Yamabudo (Wild Grape Vine) Craft
A technique using a single layer of yamabudo bark harvested around June. It is durable and develops a distinctive luster with use, and is used for hand baskets and confectionery containers, among other items.
Matatabi (Silver Vine) Craft
A technique using 1-3 meter branches grown from the vine. It produces sieves that drain water well and are supple, and after weaving, strength is enhanced through 'kanzarashi,' a cold-weather exposure treatment.
Hiroro Craft
A technique in which hiroro (a type of sedge) is split into thin strips and woven. The fine weave produces a delicate, lace-like finish, and it is used for hand baskets and shoulder baskets.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Harvesting
Yamabudo is harvested around June, while matatabi and hiroro are each gathered from the mountains in their respective harvesting seasons.
- 2
Preparation
The bark is stripped and split to an even width, preparing the material into a form that is easy to weave.
- 3
Weaving
The basket or sieve is woven into shape using a weaving method suited to its intended use.
- 4
Finishing
The rim is wrapped and secured, and for items such as matatabi craft, kanzarashi cold-weather exposure is carried out to increase strength.
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Artisans & Workshops
三島町生活工芸館 工人
Craftspeople affiliated with the Mishima Town Lifestyle Crafts Museum make woven crafts using yamabudo, hiroro, and matatabi. From veteran craftspeople with many years of experience to younger makers, their works are displayed and sold at the roadside station and the crafts museum.
Official site →How to Buy
- Mishima Town Lifestyle Crafts Museum
- A hub facility that continuously displays and sells Okuaizu woven crafts, a Nationally Designated Traditional Craft made from yamabudo, matatabi, hiroro, and other materials.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
三島町生活工芸館 編み組体験
福島県大沼郡三島町名入諏訪ノ上395
Reservation required. Each course starts at around 1,000 yen, including a hiroro coaster (about 120 minutes) and a yamabudo strap (about 60 minutes).
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