Craftsmen participating in ``Meisterstrasse Japanese Edition'', a website that introduces traditional crafts from around the world. This time,Introducing Takesada Shoten, which handles everything from growing bamboo to manufacturing products..

A variety of bamboo fences can be found in Kyoto's townhouses, restaurants, hotels, and even residences. Takesada Shoten is a long-established store that grows and processes bamboo, which is one of Kyoto's most beautiful sights.

Start a business144Craftsmen who are closely involved with the life of bamboo

There is a long-established store in Uzumasa near Kyoto's tourist attraction Arashiyama that sells all things bamboo. That is Takesada Shoten, founded in 1877 (Meiji 10). The company's strength is that it handles everything from growing bamboo to managing bamboo forests and manufacturing bamboo products. Their products include everything related to bamboo, from small items such as chopsticks and baskets to bamboo fences for temples and gardens. They have also designed many bamboo fences for famous temples, so we are sure to have seen them without realizing it when sightseeing in Kyoto. Furthermore, about five years ago, the company has been actively working on new initiatives, such as starting the production of custom-made products for the interior of buildings.

This time, I was able to see the work of Sadaharu Inoue, the 6th generation owner of Takesada Shoten. We followed him into a bamboo forest that was dimly lit even during the day, and he cut his saw into the thick roots of towering bamboo trees. As soon as he finished chopping the bamboo with his practiced hands, he picked it up and quickly began walking forward. Then, the bamboo begins to lean backwards due to its own weight and falls on its side, making leaf noises. For Inoue, this is everyday life. However, seeing this series of movements for the first time, it is truly a work of craftsmanship.

``When you enter a bamboo forest, the best feeling is to be surrounded by bamboo,'' Inoue says of the charm of bamboo.

How can we make use of the growing number of abandoned bamboo forests?

What he is currently passionate about is restoring abandoned bamboo forests. Currently, as the number of keiriko (craftsmen who cut down bamboo) is decreasing, the supply of bamboo is decreasing, and the number of abandoned bamboo forests is increasing.

“Bamboo grows quickly and can grow large in one year. If the tree grows in the same area, it will prevent other trees from photosynthesizing, destroying the ecosystem. It also causes roots to grow, causing erosion of the fields. We are also thinking that by cutting down overgrown bamboo, we can encourage photosynthesis in the surrounding area and also contribute to reducing CO2 emissions."

Truly sustainable bamboo forest regeneration

That's why we came up with an idea to convey the know-how of felling bamboo to local people and buy it at a fair price. If successful, this will be a way to kill two birds with one stone, stabilizing the supply of bamboo in the future and providing a new source of income for those who have become loggers. Mr. Inoue also believes that by cutting down bamboo, trees and bamboo can coexist. Currently, activities to regenerate abandoned bamboo forests are being carried out in one location, but in the future they hope to expand further and increase the number of felled bamboos.

The idea of ​​continuing to do the traditional work of watching over the life of bamboo, while also looking ahead to the future and taking the next step, seems to be the epitome of sustainability, which is in demand right now. The new relationship between bamboo and people, which has been closely related to Japanese culture since ancient times, is now moving toward the next era.