[Akita] Traditional craft "Birch work" with a slight cherry color! There are so many uses!

Kabazaiku is one of the traditional crafts of Akita Prefecture. Akita Prefecture, which has an abundance of wood such as Akita cedar, is also good at woodworking, and produces other woodworking products such as magewappa.

Akita Prefecture's Kabazaiku is characterized by its elegant construction, with faint cherry blossom-colored patterns appearing within the bark of the tree. We would like to introduce you to Kaba Zaiku, which you should check out as a souvenir from Akita.

"Kabazaiku" does not use birch! The raw material is "cherry blossoms"

Although the word ``Kaba'' is used for Kabazaiku, it is actually made from wild cherry wood, not birch. The cherry tree has a reddish-brown color, and it is characterized by its beauty, even if you make accessories using just the bark.

When making small items, we make use of the unique patterns of tree bark. However, Akita Prefecture's birch work often has cherry blossom patterns carved into the leather, and the way the petals sparkle depending on the lighting gives the impression of cherry blossoms blooming in spring.

Was it originally a part-time job for samurai? History of Kabazaiku

It is said that Kabazaiku was introduced to Akita by the Satakekita family, who ruled Kakunodate. It was introduced from the Ani region to Kakunodate, and eventually spread throughout Akita Prefecture. This was 230 years ago. It seems that inro and doran were often made at that time.

Making Kabazaiku was also a part-time job for lower-class samurai to earn money. Traditional crafts give the impression that they are made by skilled craftsmen, but they have a history of being passed down from samurai families and developed as a part-time job for samurai. It is interesting.

Currently we also have chests of drawers and tea canisters! Kabazaiku

Kabazaiku has been made mainly for small items. Inro and Doran are the most useful accessories for samurai's daily life. However, it is now being processed into various shapes such as chests of drawers, tea canisters, cigarette cases, letter cases, watches, boxes, brushes, Japanese sword sheaths, and trays.

Tea canisters are often seen at souvenir shops. Birchwork chests and other items are often expensive due to their large size, but tea canisters are relatively affordable. Another reason is that the skin of wild cherry blossoms, which is the raw material for Kabazaiku, is particularly suitable for making tea caddies, so it is often processed into tea caddies.

Crafts made from cherry blossom skin have the property of maintaining a constant level of humidity and protecting the items inside from drying out. That's why if you don't want the contents inside to deteriorate, you can protect them from drying out by encasing them in Kabazaiku. Tea leaves, cigarettes, etc. are things you don't want to dry out.

Recently, it has been made into small items such as toothpick holders, stands, hand mirrors, and coasters. Some small daily necessities can be purchased for less than 1,000 yen. Hand mirrors that are used on a daily basis are recommended as souvenirs for women.

lastly

Kabazaiku is a craft that is characterized by the reddish-brown color unique to the bark of cherry blossoms. Akita's birch crafts are particularly popular with patterns such as cherry blossom petals carved on the leather, and are also popular as accessories for everyday use by women. It is interesting that the part-time jobs of samurai, which spread from the samurai town of Kakunodate to the entire Akita area, have developed into modern traditional crafts.

Kabazaiku is a traditional craft that represents Akita. When you visit Akita, be sure to take a look at the rows of birch crafts lined up in souvenir shops. It's very interesting to look at how no two tea canisters are the same.