Odate Magewappa

Bent cedar, cherry stitches

Odate Magewappa are made from natural Akita cedar, famous for its straight grain, fragrance and springiness. The wood is light, with fine, even growth rings in bright red and pale yellow, giving simple pieces a refined look. Products include bento boxes, rice tubs, sushi bowls, trays, pitchers, coffee cups and even beer mugs. They are made in Odate in Akita.

Soak, bend, stitch

• Natural Akita cedar is split or sawn into thin strips and soaked in hot water.
• The softened strip is bent around a tool called a koro, clamped where it overlaps and left to dry.
• The joint is glued, holes are punched, and it is stitched with cherry bark.
• A lid or base is fitted and glued to finish.

Cedar against hard times

When the Satake clan was moved from Mito to Akita after the Battle of Sekigahara, the people of Akita were very poor. The Satake-Nishi family, lords of Odate, turned to the region's rich forests and had lower-ranking samurai make bentwood boxes as side work. Farmers are said to have carried logs to the castle town instead of paying rice tax, and the boxes were shipped to Sakata, Niigata and the Kanto region.