From Bamboo to Weaving Strips — A Visit to the Yoshidas (Part 5)
Hello, this is Tomotake Ichikawa.
The special exhibition featuring the work of Naoki and Noriko Yoshida is finally about to begin.
In the previous journals, I introduced the basket-making processes of Noriko and Naoki,
showing how each of them works.
In this journal, ahead of Naoki’s demonstration of how he makes bamboo coffee drippers at the special exhibition,
I will introduce the process of preparing weaving strips from Carbonized Bamboo
for making these coffee drippers.
First, let’s take a look at this.
This is a whole piece of Carbonized Bamboo brought from the bamboo storage area.
It has a deep, subdued color, quite different from White Bamboo.
Using a bamboo splitting knife, Naoki gradually shaves away the raised parts of the nodes on the Carbonized Bamboo. 
Next comes a process called “migaki,” in which the outer skin of the bamboo is shaved off. First, Naoki leans a specially made wooden board against the wall to support the bamboo and keep it from rolling from side to side. He then prepares another bamboo pole that is slightly thinner and longer than the Carbonized Bamboo, and slides it inside the Carbonized Bamboo. Once he rests it against the board to keep the Carbonized Bamboo stable, everything is ready. 
Using a special blade held with both hands, Naoki gradually shaves away the hard, enamel-like outer skin of the bamboo. 
This “migaki” process removes the patterns and small scratches on the outer skin, which vary from one bamboo pole to another, and helps prevent the outer skin from cracking. It also gives the naturally glossy surface of the bamboo a more subdued, matte finish. 
The blade removes only a strip a few millimeters wide with each pass. He therefore runs the blade repeatedly from top to bottom, gradually working his way around the entire surface of the round bamboo pole. 
These are the shavings of outer skin that have fallen to the ground.
Rather than throwing them away, Naoki gathers them into a bundle, much like a scrubbing brush, and rubs them firmly against the bamboo after the migaki process. This removes the small burrs left behind by the blade. In this way, the surface of the bamboo becomes smoother and more pleasant to the touch.
Please watch the video to see Naoki shaving the outer skin of Carbonized Bamboo.
(* Music will play.)
Next comes the process of splitting the bamboo.
For this step, Naoki uses a tool called a “kikuwari.”
Made of iron, it feels quite heavy when held in the hand.
The kikuwari shown in the photo can split a round bamboo pole into ten sections at once.
There are also versions that split bamboo into three, five, or eight sections,
and different types are used depending on how many sections are needed and what they will be used for.
Naoki places the kikuwari against the cut end of the bamboo, then repeatedly strikes the bamboo against the ground, producing a sharp tapping sound. As he does so, the round bamboo pole quickly splits into ten strips. Once the splitting is complete, he uses a bamboo splitting knife to remove the remaining nodes from the inside of each strip. 
From here, Naoki uses his hands and a bamboo splitting knife to split the bamboo into even narrower strips. This process is also known as “arawari,” or rough splitting. 
As Naoki inserts the blade of the bamboo splitting knife, a large split opens in the bamboo with a sharp, dry cracking sound. 
Once the split has started, Naoki pulls the bamboo splitting knife toward himself, continuing to split the bamboo with rhythmic movements.
The sharp, dry cracking sounds continue as Naoki splits the bamboo.
Beside him, the thinly split bamboo strips pile up one after another.
Next, Naoki uses this well-worn machine.
He explained that it is used to reduce the thickness of the bamboo strips.
This process is called “arahagi,” or rough stripping.
The bamboo is harder and stronger closer to its outer skin.
For the baskets being made here, the strong outer portion is kept, while the inner portion is stripped away.
This can also be done by hand using a knife,
but Naoki told me that the machine makes the work much faster.
Machines like this have become increasingly rare.
Naoki acquired this one after it was no longer being used by its previous owner, and has continued to take good care of it.
When the bamboo strips are fed through this machine,
the inner portions that have been stripped away come out from the upper section,
while the strips used for basket making emerge from the lower section.
Naoki and Noriko do not throw away the bamboo that comes out from the upper section.
Instead, they use it as fuel to heat their bathwater and for their wood-burning stove.
After the “arawari” (rough splitting) and “arahagi” (rough stripping) processes,
Naoki moves on to “nakawari,” the process of splitting the bamboo strips into narrower widths.
Naoki makes a cut down the center of the bamboo strip with a bamboo splitting knife. 
As with the rough splitting process, Naoki pulls the bamboo splitting knife toward himself, splitting the bamboo into even narrower strips. 
Although this is delicate work involving a sharp blade, Naoki skillfully continues splitting the bamboo strips one after another with practiced movements. 
The dry cracking sound of bamboo splitting and the sound of the thin strips piling up echo through the workshop.
After completing the nakawari process, Naoki returns to the machine and first applies some oil to it. He then feeds the narrower bamboo strips through the machine, one by one. 
This is a different machine from the one used earlier for “arahagi” (rough stripping). It can shave the bamboo strips even thinner than the rough stripping machine. This process is called “usuhagi,” or thin stripping. 
Methods of preparing bamboo strips vary from maker to maker. Some carry out all these steps by hand using knives, while others, like Naoki, use machines for certain parts of the process. Using machines can reduce the time needed to prepare the materials, which in turn helps keep the selling prices of the baskets lower. Also, when I think about continuing basket making as everyday work over many years, I feel that reducing the physical strain on the maker is important as well. 
Now, all the bamboo strips have been fed through the machine, and the usuhagi process is complete. Once finished, Naoki immediately returns the machine to its usual place. Watching him, I felt that he naturally takes care in how he handles this bamboo-processing tool, which has become increasingly rare.
Please watch the video to see Naoki splitting bamboo and stripping away the inner layers to make the strips thinner.
(* Music will play.)
After finishing his work outdoors, Naoki returned to the workspace where Noriko had also been working,
carrying the partially prepared bamboo strips.
The process of preparing the bamboo strips continues. This time, Naoki drives two blades into a wooden block to form a V shape, then passes the bamboo strips between them, one by one. 
This process is called “habatori,” in which the width of the weaving strips is made uniform. Using a bamboo rod to hold the thin strips down, Naoki passes them between the blades one by one, trimming them to an even width. 
After a while, Naoki adjusts the angle of the blades and drives them into the wooden block again. Previously arranged in a V shape, the blades are now set much farther apart. This process is called “mentori,” or chamfering. 
Naoki chamfers every bamboo strip so that the finished basket will feel smooth to the touch.
And now, the process of preparing the bamboo strips reaches its final stage. A large blade is fixed at a downward angle, and Naoki once again passes the bamboo strips over it, one by one. 
This process is called “sengake,” the final step in adjusting the thickness of the bamboo strips. 
Here, Naoki makes the final adjustments to the thickness of the bamboo strips before weaving begins. 
For this reason, Naoki carefully adjusts the position of the blade on the tool used for sengake before passing each bamboo strip through it. Since bamboo is hard when dry, the strips are soaked in water beforehand to soften them.
At last, the bamboo strips for weaving the coffee drippers are ready.
Looking back at all the steps, from the whole bamboo poles stored in the bamboo storage area to this point,
I am struck by just how much time and effort goes into preparing even a single bamboo strip.
And even after all this work, the weaving has not yet begun.
When we think of basket making, our attention often turns to the weaving itself.
But there are many steps involved before a whole bamboo pole is ready to be woven.
Having watched each of these steps during my visit,
I was reminded once again of just how much of basket making is devoted to preparing the materials.
Please watch the video to see Naoki adjusting the width and thickness of bamboo strips through the “habatori” and “sengake” processes.
(* Music will play.)
In addition, since rattan is also woven into the bamboo coffee drippers,
the rattan must also be prepared into strips suitable for weaving.
The slightly thicker bamboo used for the rims of the drippers
must also be prepared separately.
When I visit bamboo basket makers around Japan, I sometimes hear sayings such as:
“Ten years to master bamboo splitting.”
In other words, it takes ten years to become fully skilled at preparing bamboo materials for basket making.
There are also sayings such as
“Material preparation is 70 percent of the work, and weaving is 30 percent,”
or “Material preparation is 80 percent, and weaving is 20 percent.”
These are words I hear from time to time.
Of course, weaving itself is by no means an easy task.
Even so, watching Naoki prepare each strip from a whole bamboo pole,
I felt once again that I had come to understand what these sayings mean.
At this special exhibition, on Saturday, October 17,
Naoki will give a demonstration of how he makes his bamboo coffee drippers.
After going through so many steps to prepare the bamboo strips,
how will they now be woven into coffee drippers?
We hope you will come to the shop and see the process for yourself.
We look forward to welcoming you.
The End.
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* Please note that this demonstration is intended to give general visitors
an opportunity to see how bamboo crafts are made.
As space inside the shop is limited, we kindly ask bamboo craftspeople
and others involved in bamboo craft production to refrain from attending the demonstration on Saturday, October 17.
If we believe that a visitor is a bamboo craft maker or someone involved in bamboo craft production,
we may approach them and ask them not to attend the demonstration.
Thank you for your understanding.
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“The One Table” Special Exhibition
Yoshida Takemono | Two Makers, Two Tones
— White & Carbonized Bamboo Baskets —
2026
October 16 (Fri), 17 (Sat)*, 18 (Sun)
October 23 (Fri), 24 (Sat), 25 (Sun)
October 30 (Fri), 31 (Sat), November 1 (Sun)
* On Saturday, October 17, Naoki Yoshida will be at the shop
and will give a demonstration of how he makes his coffee drippers.
* On the dates listed above, everyone is welcome to visit between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
* Visits are also available by appointment on October 19 (Mon), 22 (Thu), 26 (Mon), and 29 (Thu).
Please make a reservation through the page below.