Worldwide, 47 genera containing 1,250 species of bamboo are known and grow in warm, heavily-rained places, such as South-east Asia, India, southern China, and Central and South America. Bamboo is a material which is so easy to process that it is used in each region in methods which fit local conditions. Japan is the northern limit of habitation of this plant in 13 genera consisting of 660 species and is no exception in the active use of bamboo as an industrial material.
Described in The Tale of Genji as “Old Man of Bamboo Cutter who is the parent of all stories”, Taketori Monogatari is considered to be the oldest story in Japan. At the very beginning of this story a bamboo appears. Bamboo was believed to have a spiritual power because it grows so fast and survives so vitally. The ceremonial pine decorations for the New Year are accompanied by bamboo, and branches of bamboo are displayed during the Tanabata star festival as an object by which spirits are summoned. At any festivals associated with gods, bamboo was indispensable. In the materialistic scenes, the bulky trunks of three kinds of bamboo, Hachiku, Madake, and Mōsō in particular, have been used as material for construction, gardening, domestic tools, farm implements, fishing gear, music instruments, and charcoal. Bamboo shoots are edible, and the skin is used as a rubbing pad in print making or as a wrapper for food. Almost all parts are useful.
However, the bamboo craft products in our daily life, such as strainers and baskets, have disappeared since World War II because of the competitive pressure from cheaper plastic products and imported goods. In terms of forest management, nearly 90% of the bamboo forests in Japan used to be managed and controlled; but, after the 1980s the number of managed forests rapidly decreased. Presently, two-thirds of the bamboo forests are not managed and this abundance prevents the productive usage of the bamboo resource.
Under this alarming circumstance eight production centres for bamboo craft are designated across Japan by the government as the Traditional Craft. Distancing themselves from daily products, these places use a special technique to produce high-grade items, such as tea whisks, traditional fishing poles, blinds, and bows. In particular, Ōita prefecture, where Beppu is located, established the Ōita Prefectural Bamboo Craft Training Center, the only public organization for education and training in the bamboo craft in Japan. This center commits to human resource development and technical guidance in the bamboo craft. By offering an active challenge through the development of new products with a higher level of technique and design sensitivity and in the expansion of overseas markets, the manufacturers in this prefecture are eager to open up new targets for their craft.
