In Japan heavily forested mountains cover over 70 percent of all the land, and the Japanese have taken advantage of wood since ancient times.
"Our culture is strongly related to wood, but nowadays things made of wood, including houses, are disappearing from our daily lives, and 'glittery' materials such as stainless steel and plastics are taking its place. I'm afraid many of us have forgotten how to create things based on our culture," says Kazuhisa Adachi, a Niigata-based magemono craftsman.
Magemono, literally meaning "something bent," is the technique for making round or oval containers from slats of cypress or Japanese cedar. The slats are softened in boiling water and bent into shape. Joints are bound with strips of cherry bark, because "cherry bark shrinks when it gets wet, and the joints get tighter as they use it," Adachi explains. With this technique, such products as ladles, food steamers and containers for meals are made.