Harvesting hemp palm bark, Kishū Tawashi

The hemp palm is a type of tall, evergreen palm. It is cultivated in Japan for ornamentation. It is also closely linked to the daily lives of the Japanese, such as being used as a building material (such as bedposts, railing, or wooden bell hammer), its leaves made into tea, or its fruits turned into medicine. The fibres of the bark are used to make ropes, rugs, brooms, and tawashi (scrubbing brushes). Kishū is a region where production of hemp palm products has been vibrant since ancient times.