“Kabazaiku” really reflects Japan and its sense of beauty

Japanese tea is essential for my life, and I’m enjoying various kinds of Japanese tea, such as Sencya, Houjicya, Genmaicya, and more.

So I have some tea canisters to store these tea leaves.

This tea canister is one of them.

It is called, “Kabazaiku”.

Kabazaiku is a general term for handcrafts that are made from the bark of the cherry tree.

Today, Kabazaiku is designated as a traditional Japanese handcraft.

The tree that represents Japan is the cherry tree.

Its beautiful cherry blossoms have had a strong bond with Japanese culture since ancient times.

So I think that Kabazaiku really reflects Japan and its sense of beauty.

This tea canister has a glossy wood feeling and a natural dark blown color.

In particular, the natural wood pattern from the bark of the cherry tree is so characteristic.

That natural wood pattern looks like the flow of the river, or clouds sailing across the sky.

Either way, I can see beautiful Japanese scenery on this tea canister.

In addition, some patterns featuring cherry blossoms and maple leaves are decorating this canister.

So it makes me imagine a flurry of cherry blossom petals, and the maple leaves flowing along the river.

This tea canister has beautiful Japanese scenery. It gives me peace of mind.

Kabazaiku is a local product of Kakunodate area, in Akita Prefecture.

It has a history of over 230 years.

Today, there are low-quality counterfeit goods that look identical to the genuine Kabazaiku.

If you want Kabazaiku, you have to be careful.

I’ve never seen counterfeit Kabazaiku, so I cannot explain the difference between genuine and what is fake.

For your information, a sticker is put on all Kabazaiku that was made in Kakunodate.

This sticker proves it is genuine. But the sticker is easy to be fabricated.

The surest way is to buy from the official manufacturer or agency.

This applies to all traditional Japanese crafts.