Hanamusubi Rattan Basketry

Even after the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), the Nagasaki family continued to produce baskets. During the period when Japan was expanding rapidly, inexpensive rattan products started to be imported, impacting significantly on the domestic rattan work production. The Nagasaki family is said to have survived this slack thanks to its art of hanamusubi, which was cultivated by Matsue's Tea Ceremony patrons. The 6th generation Nagasaki has re-established the workshop to the "Izumo Kanbe no Sato" located in Oba-cho, Matsue City. There he teaches the art of rattan basketry twice a week while making his own baskets. In 2003, hanamusubi rattan basketry was designated a "Traditional Craft of Shimane Prefecture".

The bag maker Junpei Kawaguchi has now been assigned to be the eighth generation to inherit the secret skill from Makoto Nagasaki (6th). Kawaguchi was inspired to make bags with hanamusubi after seeing a hanamusubi basket with a poach and visited the Nagasaki family in hopes of learning how to make it. There, Kawaguchi experienced the harsh reality of traditional rattan basketry and began to learn the technique.

In Japan, rattan has been mainly used for rugs and furniture. Different types of rattan are used depending on the final product. The rattan used for making baskets is a relatively narrow width vine, about 4 ~ 8 mm in diameter. Although the appearance is similar to bamboo, the internal structure differs, being made of layers of fiber with many conduits running through it. The weaving methods for bamboo and rattan are almost the same. However, hanamusubi cannot be done with bamboo as it will break when it’s forcibly bent.    

To repeatedly tie the hanamusubi when forming a basket requires high techniques and is physically challenging. Apparently hanamusubi baskets were also made in Osaka during the Taisho Period (1912-1926). However, because of the techniques were far more time-consuming than normal basketry, the products became very expensive. Soon the market was taken over by inexpensive imported rattan products.

Rattan baskets can be used for more than 100 years. Use deepens the color and enhances the gloss. As the basket is used over the years, the texture of each flower fades and becomes smoother. It is said that it takes about 30 years for the basket to gain its best condition. Rattan baskets are unusual, making them popular among the kimono lovers.

Although Nagasaki might show Kawaguchi sample pieces, basically the technique was passed down through oral instruction. When he earned the title of eighth generation, Kawaguchi had essentially mastered the technique. He says that if someone appears who is committed, he will pass on the skill to another. Until then Kawaguchi will continue to make rattan baskets to preserve the technique.