Takubo

ABOUT

A craft borne by the the gods

Takachiho-go, located in the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture, has long been known as a stage for Japanese mythology, and customs such as Kagura, a traditional dance, and Shimenawa, a traditional hand-wound straw rope, are deeply rooted in this area.

The origin of Shimenawa can be traced back to the legend of Ama-no-Iwato. In this myth, Amaterasu, the sun goddess, hides in the cave of Ama-no-Iwato and plunges the Earth into darkness. Other gods perform and dance outside the cave. Amaterasu is eventually coaxed out and light is restored to the world. Once out of the cave, a thick rope was draped around Ama-no-Iwato as a barrier to prevent Amaterasu from ever entering it again.

Around New Years, throughout much of Japan, Shimenawa can be seen above the entrances to homes and stores. However, seeing them hanging throughout the year is rare outside of this region. Here, the deep history can be seen in the fact that the oldest style of Shimenawa is still produced.

We formed Warazaiku Takubo in 1957 as farmers making Shimenawa during the off-season as supplemental income.
Our work has continued over the years while we have grown and changed some of our methods, though our focus and commitment to being good stewards to the land and representatives of local culture have maintained.

In addition to the traditional Shimenawa rope, we make other straw crafts. Whether for decoration or utility, our crafts will bring warmth and the culture of Takachiho-go into your home.

Our materials are rooted to our land

We are particular about the quality of our straw so we take great care in every aspect of its production; from seed to harvest.
The steep terraces that spread around the workshop are the rice fields we work in order to source the best of materials in a responsible way.
We believe that by continuing this work, we contribute to maintaining the beautiful rice terraces and the culture they provide.

Inawara and Aowara

At Takubo, we grow two main types of straw.
Inawara, or rice straw, is harvested after the ears have ripened, and Aowara, or green straw, is harvested before the ears ripen.
Inawara has a unique texture and strength, while Aowara is characterized by its lush green color and refreshing fragrance. We utilize the characteristics of each type of straw and use what’s appropriate for what we are making.

Twisting Rope

The basic technique of our work, nawanai (rope twisting), involves rolling straw in your hands and twisting it together to make rope.
All of our products, including this rope twisting, are made by hand. We are devoted to our craft and hope to share the simple beauty of straw twisting with you.

Making straw crafts our livelihood

For about 50 years, straw crafts were just a side job, but in 2016 we launched Warazaiku Takubo to allow for full-time employment.

As we have grown, we have paved the way for people to make a living from this work. With Yoichiro Kai at the helm, we have been able to involve young people in our work; both those who are local and those who have moved here to find a life that suits them. Our staff work across many generations. The older generation in our community who have joined our company have said that they see this work as a “second life” or a “lifelong pursuit.”

We make these handcrafts filled with local history, culture and our passion interwoven within.