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Basket Maker Kutsuwa Shouchikusai	Arima baskets and containers are made by carefully bending and weaving bamboo in a variety of patterns. The craft is said to have been started during the Momoyama period, in the 16th century. In the Edo era Arima containers were exhibited at the Vienna International Exhibition and received grand prizes, with the high quality of the craftsmanship earning strong praise. In the Taisho period, the number of craftspeople producing these items reached seventy, and Arima bamboo basket creation flourished. It is believed that at that point craftspeople journeyed from Arima to the Kyushu city of Beppu and passed on their skills. However, as a result of the Second World War the industry suffered a devastating blow, with businesses closing one after another. Today, the only producer and seller of traditional Arima bamboo baskets is Takegei Arima Basket Kutsuwa, where Kutsuwa Shouchikusai and a handful of craftspeople make a variety of baskets from those for tea ceremony and ikebana to everyday fruit bowls.

In the past, Arima Onsen was most renowned hot spring in Japan, being a place where Toyotomi Hideyoshi practiced tea ceremony. The history of Arima baskets stretches back a long way, with Kennyu Shounin recorded as having sent them to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his wife as souvenirs in the 15th century during the Momoyama era. They were made as tea ceremony utensils as a result of requests by tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu, who visited the hot springs with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. These items, made of special inanozasa bamboo, make good use of the unusually smooth material and are loved as pieces used by, among many others, the original tea ceremony schools. With their praises sung even in the old 100 Poems by 100 Poets anthology, inanozasa products are made of Arima materials, and a great many of them are beautiful baskets unmatched by those produced anywhere else. In hot spring villages you can see a lot of bamboo baskets, but most of them are not made in Japan, and today the only place producing traditional Arima baskets is the Arima Bamboo Basket Kutsuwa. Try truly exquisite items that will bring a touch of elegance to a regular everyday life.

		At the front of the shop, you are able to see its owner at work.
	Within the shop, a variety of bamboo products from items made for tea ceremony and ikebana, to pieces to pieces to be used and enjoyed in everyday life.

Preparing the material (stripping the bamboo)   Fixing the width   Making the base   Adding reinforcing bamboo to finish the base               Starting the body   Weaving the body 1   Weaving the body 2   Making the top               Wrapping the top   Edging   Adding the handle   Finished

Bamboo is an amazing natural material. In order to enjoy it fully, please carefully consider the points below. These products are very carefully made, and by bearing the following points in mind when you use them you should be able to enjoy them for a long time. ・Store bamboo products in a well-ventilated area with low humidity. ・If mold develops on the internal flower tube, wash well in clean water, dry in the shade in a well-ventilated area and continue to use. ・It is impossible to completely prevent round bamboo products (including lacquered vases) from cracking as a result of high humidity or severe dryness. Store away from areas of high humidity and dryness (such as near heaters or in direct sunlight). ・When directly adding water to a bamboo tube etc., it is believed that first wetting the entire inside and outside surface of the bamboo tube and then wiping the outside lightly with a cloth provides a slight protection against cracking. Because of the structure of bamboo, it is vulnerable to insects. This bamboo is harvested at a time when insect activity is low, and secured for one year, but in the unlikely event that a substance like white powder appears on the bamboo, placing that part in boiling water is considered to be effective. However, insect damage caused by insects present during manufacture will appear within one month, so if damage appears after that it may be that the insects have come from another object. As such, please pay close attention to other nearby objects too. As bamboo straws are made of tightly packed fibers, those fibers may occasionally come away from the item. These items are made carefully, but please be carefully when touching them with the hands. ・As time passes, the blue color of blue bamboo products will fade and become whiter. ・As dyed bamboo products are made of naturally colored bamboo that has been chemically stained, please avoid placing them in direct sunlight or washing them in hot or cold water. ・For achieving a good color and luster on dyed bamboo products and naturally colored products other than blue bamboo (e.g. soot-colored bamboo, black bamboo, tiger bamboo, mottled bamboo, white bamboo etc.), dusting lightly with a brush is best. Avoid direct sunlight and washing in hot or cold water. ・Lacquered products feature urethane and/or lacquer painted over the bamboo, and may occasionally cause reactions in skin. ・Do not bring into contact with fire, or use in an oven or microwave etc. Doing so may cause a fire. ・After use, wash quickly in lukewarm water and wipe with a soft and dry or well-wrung cloth. ・To avoid warping, color change and mold, store out of direct sunlight and away from high humidity. ・Avoid using scourers, polishing powders, dish washers, dish dryers etc. with these products. ・If using bamboo products and ceramic products together, please take care as the bamboo items may be scratched or otherwise damaged.