Nibutani Ita Saru River

History
Nibutani Ita: Passing down the Tradition

The Saru River runs through Nibutani, situated in Biratori-cho, Saru-gun, Hokkaido. It is a relatively warm area of Hokkaido, where traces of human life from the Paleolithic era remain. With rich forest resources, the people of Nibutani made active exchanges with people of other districts.
Daily tools decorated with patterns were already valued as souvenirs in the Edo period. Since then, the tradition lived on through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, and the region gave birth to many master craftsmen. Masterpieces of elaborate craftsmanship were being exhibited at expositions as early as the Meiji period.