[Akita Prefecture] Suddenly famous as a bento box! Akita's traditional craft "Magewappa"

Magewappa from Akita Prefecture suddenly became famous after being introduced in a manga as a bento box. Magewappa is a famous folk craft that is popular in Akita Prefecture and is an essential part of daily life.

It is also famous as a souvenir from Akita Prefecture, and souvenir shops carry a variety of Magewappa, and you can often see travelers from other prefectures and countries eagerly choosing them.

This time, we will introduce Akita's traditional bento box, ``Magewappa,'' which is known all over the world as a bento box.

Akita prefecture's proud wood processed product "Magewappa"

"Magewappa" is a container made by bending thin boards of cedar or cypress. Akita Prefecture is home to Akita cedar, one of Japan's three major cedar trees. Due to its abundance of cherry blossoms and other trees, it has long been known as one of the prefectures that excels in wood processing. Magewappa is one of Akita Prefecture's specialty wood products.

It was designated as a traditional craft in the 1970s. It is famous as a traditional craft of Akita Prefecture, and within Akita Prefecture, Odate City is especially famous for making magewappa. A folk song from Akita Prefecture called Akita Ondo states, ``Akita's specialty Yamori hatahata, Oga de Oga buriko, Noshiro Shunkei, Hiyama natto, Odate magewappa.''

Why is “Magewappa” loved?

``Magewappa'' has the grain of cedar or cypress wood on its surface, so each one is different. It is truly a one-of-a-kind item in this world. I've heard that even bento box-type magewappa have different impressions depending on the grain of the wood, so it's a lot of fun to choose the one you like.

That's not all.

Magewappa is a traditional craft that has been loved in Akita Prefecture for a long time. Akita Prefecture is also famous for its rice, including Akita Komachi. I've been researching for a long time what kind of container to put rice in to make it taste better.

Magewappa is characterized by its ability to keep you warm in the winter, and in the summer, it retains heat and prevents rice from spoiling. One of the raw materials, cedar, is famous for its antibacterial properties and pleasant smell. Also, since it is made of thin skin, it is very light. If handled with care, it can last for decades, so some families use the same magewappa from generation to generation.

It has a bactericidal effect and gives the rice a pleasant woody aroma. It is also lightweight and will last a long time if used carefully. It's the perfect dish to use as a rice bowl.

It is famous as a bento box, but there are also tumblers, cups, bamboo steamers, and tea utensils. Akita prefecture is also famous for its Japanese sake breweries. If you want to drink locally produced sake, you'll definitely want to use local traditional crafts. Of course, Akita sake and magewappa go perfectly together.

The average price of a bento box is said to be several thousand yen. Larger items can cost more than 10,000 yen. If you are interested in magewappa but feel it is a bit expensive, we recommend purchasing a small cup. When it comes to small cups, you can purchase them at a slightly lower price than tumblers or bento boxes.

lastly

Magewappa is a traditional craft of Akita, and there are various types that are useful at home, from bento boxes to cups. If you take care of it, it will last a long time, so you can choose Magewappa not only as a souvenir, but also as tableware or cups that you will love to use at home.

Each piece has a different wood grain, so when purchasing, it is important to carefully select the wood grain that you like. When you come to Akita, be sure to find one of your favorites.