In Ōdate City, Akita Prefecture, Kurikyu is a long-established maker of Odate magewappa, a nationally designated traditional craft. Known for its beautiful grain and fragrant cedar, magewappa has supported Japanese life for centuries with its excellent insulation and moisture-retention properties. Kurikyu continues to create new, easy-to-use products that suit modern living while preserving traditional techniques.

Magewappa is said to have originated from woodcutters bending fresh cedar and fastening it with strips of cherry bark to make handmade lunch boxes. It developed as a side craft for samurai during the Keichō era (early 1600s) and has been passed down ever since.

Shunji Kurimori, the sixth-generation craftsman at Kurikyu and a nationally certified traditional artisan, was inspired by his father, a kabazaiku (cherry bark work) craftsman. Determined to carry on the family craft, he studied industrial arts at Noshiro Technical High School in Akita and then devoted himself to keeping Odate’s specialty alive through Kurikyu. Together with his father, he worked on developing new products.

Kurimori is also known for introducing woodworking machinery into the industry for the first time, allowing greater production. For example, the process of shaving glued joints (kidori) was once limited to about 200 sheets a day, but by applying his technical knowledge, he introduced a beveling machine that could process 200 sheets in an hour. The machinery also enabled designs that had never been possible before. Still, the most essential process, mage-kakō(bending), can only be done by hand, as every piece of wood requires unique adjustments based on the craftsman’s experience and intuition.

Kurikyu uses Akita cedar with its straight, beautiful masame (straight-grain) pattern. Grown in the Shirakami mountains and the Yoneshiro River basin, Akita cedar is considered one of Japan’s “Three Great Forests.” It bends flexibly when boiled, has excellent insulation and humidity control, and thanks to its slow growth in harsh winters, it has fine rings, stable grain, minimal warping, and superior durability.

Only cedar aged 180–200 years (ideally around 300 years) can be used for magewappa. Younger cedar has coarse grain and cannot produce the desired quality.

Kurikyu has won Good Design Awards for 17 magewappa products, including the “Kakubon” tray—the first Good Design Award in Akita Prefecture. Among their most popular products is the rice container (ohitsu), featuring a unique layered structure that makes it easier to maintain.

This innovation came after customers reported that rice would accumulate in the sharp corners of traditional designs, causing mold and stains. Kurimori redesigned the base with three stepped rings, creating rounded corners. The result: rice scoops out smoothly, washing is easier, drying is quicker, and maintenance is simple—earning high praise.

In 2019, Kurikyu won another Good Design Award for a wine cooler that applied magewappa techniques. Its distinctive conical shape, made by layering two sheets for thickness, maximized Akita cedar’s insulating properties—keeping drinks cold, slowing ice melt, and preventing condensation. The idea was sparked by Kurimori’s wife, who reminded him, “It needs to be practical.” Though bending cedar into a cone shape was highly difficult, his craftsmanship and vision made it possible.

Kurimori also turned his creativity toward tools: noticing that traditional shaping molds were costly, he drew inspiration from medical casts and made affordable molds using the same materials—further innovating magewappa production.

Despite his many inventions, Kurimori humbly admits, “Most of my ideas fail; only a few actually work.” He teaches his staff: “It’s okay to fail. Every failure makes you stronger and leads to the next step. Don’t regret it—see it as valuable experience.” He explains, “Mothers’ needs in today’s world are hints for product design. Until customers are truly happy, I’ll keep making, even if it means failing again and again.”

In 2022, Kurikyu exhibited at SIAL Paris, one of Europe’s largest trade shows, where buyers from around the world exclaimed, “We never knew Japan had something like this!” Kurimori reflects: “From now on, I want to expand into Europe and the U.S., creating magewappa that brings joy to people around the world.”

Interview: Takuya Arata Photography: Daiki Morishita Text: Kento Onishi