Bamboo has been harvested in Togakushi since at least the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1867). With snow covering the ground in winter and the high elevation resulting in cooler temperatures year-round, Togakushi is not well-suited to rice cultivation. Thus, when the Tokugawa Shogunate levied taxes in rice during the Edo period, Togakushi was allowed to send bamboo instead of rice.
Over time, villagers started using bamboo to make everyday items, from winnowing baskets used in farming, to bags, plates, trays, and even decorative items. This traditional bamboo craft is called, “takezaiku.” In Togakushi, almost all of the bamboo trays for serving soba used in soba noodle restaurants are made in this same tradition.
The type of bamboo that grows wild on the mountainsides of Togakushi is called chishimazasa. Its stalks grow to over two meters in height, yet they are rarely even a centimeter in diameter. It bends at the bottom as it grows, which allows it to lie flat rather than breaking when weighed down by the heavy snow in winter. For this reason, it was given the local nickname, “nemagari-dake,” which means curved-root bamboo.
Togakushi’s bamboo is cut and harvested in autumn. During the long winters, when most outdoor work is limited, Togakushi’s takezaiku craftsmen remain very productive. In the craftsmen’s workshops, stalks are cut lengthwise into quarters and the tough outer layer is sliced off. This outer layer is the only part of the bamboo used in takezaiku. The inner part of the stalk is too brittle to be useful, and is simply burned as fuel in the woodstoves that heat the workshop. Sometimes bamboo stalks are kept around for several years in a sort of natural tanning process that adds a darker color to the bamboo craft product.
Togakushi’s bamboo products are known for their durability as well as the use of geometric patterns that add an element of aesthetic beauty. They are further recognized for the fact that each item is made by a single craftsman who is directly involved in every step of the production process.
On October 13, 1983, Togakushi Takezaiku, along with the bamboo crafts of two other communities in Nagano Prefecture, was designated a Traditional Handicraft by the Governor of Nagano Prefecture.
Of course, local bamboo craft products are available in many shops in Togakushi. They make wonderful souvenirs to bring back to your country! Or you can even try making your own.