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有限会社冨岡商店

Tea strainer gourd

Tea strainer gourd

$20.00
$20.00
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Supplementary product information

Production area: Akita Prefecture
Size:
・(Height) 7mm
・(Width) 40mm
・(Depth) 86mm
Materials: Cherry bark, natural wood, polished finish

Usage precautions: Avoid leaving the product in direct sunlight, near heat sources such as stoves, or in humid locations, as these conditions may cause the attached cherry bark to peel and shorten the product's lifespan.

Kabazaiku tea scoop.
This is a tool for scooping tea leaves (tea spoon). The gourd-shaped surface is crafted with cherry bark (mountain cherry tree bark). Since cherry bark has antibacterial properties, it is safe to store it inside the tea canister after use.

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The History of Kabazaiku

Kabazaiku originated when samurai in Kakunodate mastered the craft techniques using "mountain cherry bark" that had been passed down in the Ani region of northern Akita Prefecture since the mid-Edo period. As a side occupation for lower-ranking samurai, many items such as inro (traditional medicine cases) and doran (tobacco pouches) were produced, but today, a wide range of daily necessities and small items are manufactured, with tea canisters being the primary focus.

The birch craft method

Kabazaiku employs three distinct techniques. "Katamono" involves creating a core to match a wooden mold and applying birch bark over it to form cylindrical objects. "Kijimono" uses a wooden base as the foundation. "Tatamimono" involves layering and adhering dozens of polished wild cherry bark pieces to create thickness, which is then carved into various shapes.

Mountain and birch crafts

We harvest bark from wild cherry trees in deciduous forests where forest renewal work is conducted (with felled trees primarily used as pulp material). From after the rainy season until around September, our craftsmen personally enter the mountains, climb the wild cherry trees before they are felled, and harvest the bark. The wild cherry trees that are subsequently felled regenerate through sprouting and coppicing, multiplying several times over, thus contributing to forest conservation and the maintenance of local industry.

Birch crafts

Kabazaiku is produced in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, surrounded by mountains. The bark of wild cherry trees, which serves as the raw material for kabazaiku, is carefully peeled from the trunk and air-dried in the shade for over 2 years to remove moisture. By carefully scraping this bark with a knife, craftsmen bring out the bark's distinctive luster and deep, subdued coloring. Due to its properties of repelling moisture while preventing drying, it is utilized in items such as tea canisters.

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