Nanpu Kogei: Japanese Bamboo Craftsmanship in Oita Prefecture
Beppu in Oita Prefecture is famous for its hot springs, but it is also known for traditional bamboo craftsmanship that has been part of the region's culture for generations. I remember my visit to Nanpu Kogei so vividly. One minute we were looking out over the onsen steam rising up from Beppu City, and the next, we were driving down a narrow countryside road lined with towering bamboo.
Hidden among the bamboo was Nanpu Kogei, a small workshop making handwoven baskets, bento boxes, and other household goods. Inside, skilled craftspeople split, shape, and weave bamboo by hand.
I've used bamboo kitchen tools for years, but I'd never seen how they were made. Visiting Nanpu Kogei gave me a new appreciation for the work behind each piece.
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The History of Nanpu Kogei: From Wholesaler to Bamboo Crafter
Nanpu Kogei is located in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, and is known for its bamboo crafts. Founded in 1979, the company didn’t start out making its own products. “Originally we were a wholesaling business too. Actually making things like this, that only goes back some decades,” the current president, Shigeo Inokura, told me. Shigeo took over the company from his father in September 2025.
Over time, Nanpu Kogei moved from wholesaling to making its own products, including bento baskets and kitchen utensils. One thing that sets Nanpu Kogei apart is how it organizes production. Independent bamboo artists often complete every stage themselves, but Nanpu Kogei splits the work among its craftspeople.
“The individuals we were talking about earlier do the whole thing alone, but we split it up. Material preparation happens upstairs,” Shigeo explained.
That approach lets the workshop produce handmade bamboo goods in greater quantities while still using traditional techniques.
Preparing the Bamboo
I was especially excited to see the bamboo weaving process. What surprised me was learning that some of the most difficult work happens before the weaving even begins.
When the bamboo first arrives at the workshop, it is split and shaved into thin strips called higo (ひご). These strips require incredible precision: "If the thickness is uneven, you can't weave it. It's a subtle thing. It's a world of fractions of a millimeter," Shigeo explained.
Each strip has to be shaved to a consistent thickness before it can be woven. “In the end, lining them up is actually harder than weaving,” he told me. I’d always assumed weaving was the hardest part, but watching the preparation showed me how much skill goes into the strips themselves, long before a product starts to take shape.
The Art of Bamboo Weaving
The weaving room was filled with bamboo strips, tools, and pieces in different stages of completion. Each craftsperson worked at a separate table, focusing on a particular product or step in the process.
One technique used at Nanpu Kogei is ajiro-ami (網代編み), a traditional weaving style where thin bamboo strips overlap to create a tightly woven pattern. The strips are kept damp, which “gives grip, and also prevents the strips from splitting to some extent,” Shigeo explained. The craftspeople also use heat from a candle or gas burner to soften and bend bamboo into shape. They work carefully before it cools and stiffens.
Once the woven sections are complete, they trim them, fit them into their frames, and glue them. Even the small pencil marks used to guide the bending and assembly need to be erased. "There is invisible cost in getting it this far," Shigeo told me.
Watching even part of this process made me realize how much work goes into a single piece that the customer will never see. Despite advances in manufacturing technology, Shigeo believes this kind of weaving is something machines still can’t easily reproduce. “If it could be automated by machine, the big companies would do it, but no matter what you try, it’s impossible.”
Bamboo in Everyday Japanese Life
Bamboo has long been used to make practical household items in Japan, and Nanpu Kogei continues that tradition. During our visit, Shigeo showed us several examples:
Tofu basket: Traditionally used to carry tofu home from neighborhood tofu shops. These baskets are still made today, even though shopping habits have changed.
Ajiro-woven bento basket: One of my favorites! The tightly woven bamboo makes a lovely container for carrying lunch or storing small household items.
Sunoko (すのこ): A slatted bamboo mat used for presenting food, including at traditional Japanese inns.
I enjoyed learning how these everyday objects have been used in Japanese homes. Some have taken on new purposes over time, but the craftsmanship behind them continues.
I also learned that bamboo develops a warmer, amber color as it ages. As Shigeo explained, “Over the years it turns a bit amber, and that is what’s good about bamboo. Aging, we call it.”
The Challenges Behind Bamboo Craftsmanship
Talking more with Shigeo revealed the challenges facing the bamboo industry. "With bamboo, the resource is infinite. It's the process after that, from maker to sale, and especially the maker side, where there are a lot of problems right now."
One of the biggest problems is finding people willing to harvest bamboo. The work is physically demanding, done on steep, overgrown hillsides, and workers have to cut the stalks and carry them out by hand, sometimes over difficult terrain. “Nobody does it because it doesn’t pay. It may be as hard as construction work, or harder,” Shigeo told me. Nanpu Kogei traditionally sources bamboo from specialist suppliers, including Nagai Seichiku, another bamboo company I visited on my travels. As supplies have grown less reliable, though, they’ve started cutting some of their own.
The shortage isn’t about bamboo itself. It’s the lack of workers and businesses willing to harvest, prepare, and supply it. When I asked about a solution, Shigeo answered simply: “In the end you raise wages, and then people stay, and it continues.”
Keeping Bamboo Crafts Part of Everyday Life
Shigeo also shared another concern. Although more people are learning traditional bamboo weaving, many become independent artists rather than joining workshops like Nanpu Kogei.
“They can produce products, but they can’t handle volume,” he explained.
Independent artists often complete every step themselves, creating beautiful individual pieces. At Nanpu Kogei, the craftspeople divide the work so they can produce more everyday goods while still weaving and finishing them by hand.
Shigeo worries that without enough workshops like theirs, everyday shops will increasingly rely on imported bamboo goods, while Japanese-made pieces become more associated with expensive works of art.
For him, preserving bamboo craftsmanship isn't only about keeping the skills alive. It's also about making sure people can continue using these products in their daily lives.
After visiting Nanpu Kogei, I look at bamboo kitchen tools differently. Something as simple as a bento basket takes far more skill and care than I had imagined.
I hope these beautiful, practical pieces continue to be part of everyday Japanese homes for generations to come.
You can explore our Nanpu Kogei collection at JOC Goods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pack saucy foods in a Nanpu Kogei bamboo bento box?
Yes, with a liner. The woven bamboo lets air circulate, but it isn’t leakproof. Line the box with parchment paper for saucy or oily foods, and pack dressings or soups in a separate container.
Why does Nanpu Kogei bamboo look so pale?
It’s white bamboo, known in Japan as shiratake. After harvesting bamboo that has grown for three to four years, the craftspeople boil it to draw out its natural oils and dry it in the sun, which turns it a clean, pale white. Because it’s a natural material, the shade varies slightly from piece to piece and warms to a soft amber over time.
How should I clean and care for Nanpu Kogei bamboo products?
Wipe it with a soft, damp cloth, or give it a quick rinse without soaking. Let it dry completely in a shaded, well-ventilated spot before storing. Avoid dishwashers and microwaves, since high heat and moisture can crack or warp natural bamboo.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Namiko Hirasawa Chen is the founder of JOC Goods and Just One Cookbook, where she shares Japanese home cooking and the kitchenware and tableware that go with it.
