Katsuyama Bamboo Basketry This basketry radiates the warmth and spirit with which it was made. Employing time-honored skills, each item is made with meticulous care entirely by hand, following four main stages of production: cutting the culms, washing, splitting, and the actual weaving of the baskets. Stage One Cutting, Washing: Using a special saw, culms (stems) of bamboo are cut from a grove of this tree grass. This work, however, cannot be done all year round, because at certain times of the year, bamboo is susceptible to attack from insects and this in turn may lead to a poor quality material. The culms are cut every year during the months of November and December. Enough material for a whole year's work is cut during this period and then stored in a well ventilated spot in the shade. Before the bamboo can be used, it must be scrubbed with a scouring brush to remove any dirt on the surface. Stage Two Splitting: Depending on the article to be made, culms measuring anything from one to five meters in length are first split in two, down their length using a special hatchet, which is purposely kept relatively blunt for this work. If it were too sharp, the work would become dangerous as quite a lot of effort is required. Next, the two halfs are split into much finer strips. This time, however, a razor sharp hatchet is used. It is said that the sharpness of the hatchet also affects the luster of the finished article. Pieces for the framework of a basket and for the edging are prepared in this way and even narrow strips are then made for the actual weaving. For this particular style of basketry, bamboo retaining its pale green outer skin is used. This means that the finished article is characterized by a fresh green coloring, which is accompanied by the wonderful scent of young bamboo. In time and as the basket is used, it begins to take on a light caramel coloring and luster. So, regardless of whether it is a newly made pale green basket or colored with the passage of time, it has great appeal and is capable of giving pleasure at any time during its working life. In addition to this, if the basket is made to a recognized traditional pattern, the edge of each and every strip is slightly chamfered so that not even the smallest of things such as a grain of rice will become caught in the weave. A person coming into the craft, starts work by first learning how to weave, because the job of splitting the culms is simply too difficult to begin with and requires much effort. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is said to take two to three years to learn the job of splitting. Stage Three Weaving: Now that the strips of bamboo have been prepared, the job of weaving can begin. First of all, the size of the frame is fixed using a special set of dimensions, which have been in use for hundreds of years. Strips of bamboo are attached in a vertical direction with the bones of the basket running crosswise. The speed and dexterity, with which an accomplished basket maker can do this work, is nothing short of astounding. Work continues with the main body of weaving, with the strips woven between the bones of the basket. Deciding what to do with the nodes must always be considered. They can either be lined up or arranged so that they from a kind of pattern. Once again there is an opportunity for the craftsman to show his skill and artistry. As more and more strips of bamboo are woven into the framework, consideration must also be given to the overall shape of the basket. One of the advantages of working in bamboo is that if the shape is not to the liking of the person making the basket, it can be corrected relatively easily. Nevertheless, the way that the corners are handled and the final overall finishing are important as they greatly influence the quality of the finished article. Being such a traditional basket, the edging is done with a locally obtained woody vine called tsuzura-fuji (Sinomenium acutum), which is found in the wild. Baskets edged with this material are officially designated as Traditional Craft Products. The character of baskets which are edged with wire, however, is more informal. Stage Four Completion: The efforts of the craftsman are finally rewarded.