Odate Kogeisha

It is said that bentwood goods began to be made from Akita cedar roughly 1,300 years ago. In Odate too, in the latter half of the 17th century, the feudal lord encouraged magewappa-making as a side trade for lower-ranking samurai, and it developed into an industry that supported daily life. Carrying on that lineage, today's Odate Magewappa continues to evolve as a vessel close to the everyday table.

Founded in 1959, Odate Kogeisha has built a system carrying out everything in-house — lumbering, bending, cherry-bark stitching, bottom-fitting and finishing — while carrying on its founder's wish "to make good things that delight customers." Its artisans, including Traditional Craftspeople, read the grain's character and shape vessels while facing each piece of Akita cedar.

The motto the company cherishes is "good things, used for a long time." Vessels such as bento boxes, rice containers, cups and trays gain color, luster and character the more you use them, growing into a face that belongs to the owner alone. It carefully accepts care advice and repair consultations, continuing to support a long relationship with wooden vessels.

In recent years it has also been active in developing new designs that fit modern lifestyles. Through bowls and mugs, design series and gift sets, and information sharing via photo contests and social media, it proposes a style of "bringing traditional craft into daily life without pretension," passing warmth on to the next generation.