{"id":2377,"date":"2025-07-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/?p=2377"},"modified":"2025-07-04T08:42:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T06:42:13","slug":"contemporary-bamboo-art-from-rural-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2025\/07\/03\/contemporary-bamboo-art-from-rural-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Contemporary bamboo art from rural Japan<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Cornelia Reiher<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the way to Taketa, the train winds through thickets of bamboo on either side of the tracks. As it passes through valleys, bamboo forests, mountains, and tunnels, branches whip against the train’s windows. It becomes clear even on the journey why this small town in the mountains of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, bears the name “Bamboo Field.” Bamboo is omnipresent in Taketa, whether in nature, as a building material, or at the annual bamboo lantern festival. Bamboo is traditionally a material and motif used in arts and crafts throughout Japan, but Oita Prefecture, where Taketa is located, is particularly well known for its high-quality bamboo work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A bamboo thicket in Taketa<\/em>
Copyright \u00a9 Cornelia Reiher 2023<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hajime Nakatomi, a bamboo artist born in Osaka in 1974, has lived in Taketa since 2012. I visited his studio in a former school to meet him. In the early 2000s, Taketa’s city administration began inviting artists and craftspeople specifically to revitalize the old castle town, whose population was ageing and shrinking. To create studio space, the vacant school, which now houses Nakatomi’s studio, was renovated. The mayor at the time offered Nakatomi a studio and a place to live in the hope that his fame would attract other artists and craftsmen. The plan worked, as the artist is renowned in the small yet international bamboo community for the contemporary aesthetic of his creations, which he exhibits worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of Nakatomi\u2019s creations on display in his studio.<\/em>
Copyright \u00a9 Cornelia Reiher 2023<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nakatomi’s studio, located in the school’s former music room, is quiet, with only the regular sound of a grinding machine to be heard. Nothing suggests that objects are being created here for the international art market. Two assistants split bamboo and cut strips of various lengths. Much of this work is carried out on the floor. In an adjoining room are bamboo trunks several meters long. Tools are lined up on a shelf, and individual parts for projects are carefully packed and numbered. Some of the more delicate sculptures that Nakatomi sells all over the world are displayed on tables. While many craftsmen make everyday objects from bamboo, Hajime Nakatomi bends and weaves dyed bamboo into abstract shapes. Interwoven rings form coral-like shapes, while others resemble strands of DNA. It seems as if there is nothing Nakatomi cannot do with bamboo. He finds inspiration in nature and everyday life. For example, the \u201cFrill\u201d series, which traces the wind blowing through clothing, was created to celebrate the birth of his daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The artist at work in his studio<\/em>
Copyright \u00a9 Cornelia Reiher 2023<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hajime Nakatomi’s fascination with nature and bamboo is evident as he presents his work and demonstrates the steps involved in the crafting process. Bamboo craftsmanship exemplifies the interconnection between humans and nature. Of the more than 500 species of bamboo in Japan, only about ten are suitable for his work, Nakatomi explained. He has trunks delivered from northern Kyushu but also manages a bamboo grove in Taketa, where he cuts the trees, he selects for his projects. He relies on patience to find suitable trees.  The bamboo must be three to four years old. If it is older, the rings between the individual sections become too hard. The trees should grow on an eastern slope so they aren’t burned by the sun. After felling the bamboo, the trunks must be left to dry for two weeks and then washed so the oil can escape from the wood. Then, the bark is removed, changing the bamboo’s color from green to light brown. A sweet scent is created during this process, filling Nakatomi’s studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Nakatomi\u2019s work, interwoven rings form coral-like shapes<\/em>
Copyright \u00a9 Cornelia Reiher 2023<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hajime Nakatomi demonstrates how to rethink traditional Japanese handicrafts to preserve them, giving bamboo works a contemporary aesthetic. He learned traditional craft techniques at the \u014cita Prefecture Bamboo Craft Training Center and as an assistant to bamboo master Shoryu Honda. Accordingly, Nakatomi devotes considerable time to each step of the process. Each step is always carried out in the same sequence to achieve perfection. He wants to create pieces that aren’t immediately recognizable as bamboo to surprise his audience. Only upon closer inspection should viewers penetrate the work more deeply and be enchanted. Thus, bamboo becomes a medium of silent magic that transcends cultural boundaries and explains Hajime Nakatomi’s international success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Cornelia Reiher On the way to Taketa, the train winds through thickets of bamboo on either side of the tracks. As it passes through valleys, bamboo forests, mountains, and tunnels, branches whip against the train’s windows. It becomes clear … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7641,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7641"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2377"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2384,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377\/revisions\/2384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}