I wanted people all over the world to know about Japanese bamboo, so I gave a lecture at a web seminar at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles on December 8, 2022.

Bamboo has traditionally been deeply rooted in Japanese culture and is related to the lives and sentiments of the Japanese people, as seen in their language and lifestyle. It has long been used in architecture and furniture; worked into baskets, food vessels and utensils, musical instruments and wellness products; and even consumed as food. In various shapes and forms, the plant has been an essential component of Japanese lifestyles. While its benefits have historically been known by people in Japan, there are certain aspects that have come to be forgotten in modern culture. In this webinar, we will spotlight the lesser-known benefits and uses of bamboo, while revealing its deep connection with Japanese culture.

Hello everyone, my name is Yoshihiro Yamagishi. Our company is located in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. In this area, Japan's only bamboo called Toratake grows. I am the fourth generation of the bamboo shop that was founded in 1894 to manufacture this bamboo.

Tiger bamboo is a very beautiful and mysterious bamboo. The reason for the tiger pattern on the bamboo skin is not clear, but it cannot be found in other regions. Therefore, bamboo has a long history and has been prized and protected as a local specialty since the Edo period.By roasting this bamboo using a gas burner at a temperature of 700 degrees, the beautiful tiger pattern on its skin is brought out even more. We have processed and manufactured various bamboo products using this tiger bamboo.Here is a video of how to roast tiger bamboo with a gas burner, so please watch it.

Taking advantage of the beauty of tiger bamboo skin, everyday items such as flower baskets, shopping baskets, chopsticks, lunch boxes, and other everyday items are made in Japan. It is sometimes used for interior decoration and lighting equipment, and we also manufacture garden-related products and benches unique to Japan.

Recently, we have developed a series called Toratake Square Baskets that suits modern Japanese homes. There are baskets of different sizes for use in the kitchen, baskets for drying dishes, large baskets for the living room, baskets for clothes, and document baskets for the workplace.I feel that bamboo baskets, which are light, durable, and provide a sense of warmth, are slowly returning to Japanese life.

At hot spring inns, there is a product called "onsen basket" that you can carry in the bathroom with soap and towels.When you wear a yukata in the steam of a hot spring, the only thing you have is a bamboo basket. For those of you overseas, if you come to Japan and have the opportunity to use our hot springs, we would be happy.

For something a little more unusual, in 2016 we created an electric car using tiger bamboo. We recruited customers and named it "Bamboo Tracker."Bamboo grows quickly and is an environmentally friendly material, so it was used as the basis for an electric vehicle that does not emit CO2. This car is a two-seater, so we invite people who come to our company to ride with us and feel closer to bamboo through its comfortable ride.

The Bamboo Tracker was created using crowdfunding, so we ran a 1000km journey from Toratake no Sato to Yokohama to thank everyone who supported us.Even though the car body is made only from the elasticity of the bamboo weave and does not use screws or adhesives, I think we have proven that bamboo is strong enough to withstand speeds of 50km/h and long distance driving. Masu.

During the 11th World Bamboo Congress held in Xalapa, Mexico, we were able to transport a bamboo tracker to Mexico, exhibit it, and drive it, and we were appointed as Japan's second World Bamboo Ambassador.

Two months ago, September 18th was "World Bamboo Day". To celebrate the day, we drove 300km with a bamboo tracker to Ube Airport in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is famous as a mecca for Japanese anime, and put it on display inside the airport.

Furthermore, 2019 was our company's 125th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, we created a Toratake box cart vehicle "REIWA-125" and a Toratake armor modeled after a Japanese military commander, and decided to participate in the box cart race held in Spain.

Four of us, including our craftsmen, participated in a race sponsored by Red Bull held in Tokyo.Among more than 50 strong teams from all over the country, we came in second place, and it was a great commemoration of our 125th anniversary. Ta.

These bamboo activities are not only to make more people aware of Toratake in Japan, but also because we ourselves want to reevaluate the value of Toratake, and we want to preserve it for future generations.Now, I would like to talk about the "bamboo in Japanese culture" that I myself am fascinated by and want to continue to protect.

Bamboo is a mysterious plant; it is said to be neither a grass nor a tree. It may be a little surprising considering the large size of bamboo, but since bamboo is a member of the grass family, a bamboo grove in bloom looks just like ripening ears of rice.However, what is even more strange is that Mosotake blooms only once every 60 years, while light bamboo such as Madake and Toratake only bloom once every 120 years.

Therefore, bamboo grows by extending underground rhizomes and producing new bamboo. Bamboo shoots are new bamboos that grow from the underground rhizomes of bamboo and grow above the ground. Bamboo has a strong vitality, and even if people do not manage it, bamboo shoots will grow every year when the season comes, and these bamboo shoots are a very delicious food.

"The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter", the oldest story in Japan, was created in the early Heian period and is a famous story that everyone knows. The main character, Kaguyahime, is born from a bamboo tree, and, just like bamboo grows, she becomes an adult in three months.In fact, the author of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" is unknown, and there are several possible locations within Japan for the story to be set, so it can be said that it is a story that was naturally created from among the people.In other words, from that time on, Japanese people knew that bamboo can grow to the same height as the parent bamboo in three months, and I think they respected and worshiped it for its mystical power.

Bamboo is often used as a phrase in Japanese. The phrases "Bamboo's strength" and "A character like a broken bamboo" come from the ease with which bamboo can be split."Like a young bamboo" refers to a person's rapid growth. I believe that the sight of bamboo growing straight up toward the sky, and the knots that make it resilient to strong winds, have influenced the virtues of the Japanese people, who value the virtue of purity and propriety.Bamboo shoots have tremendous growth potential, and in Japan, where there are four seasons, bamboo grows green throughout the year without shedding its leaves.It has been worshiped as a symbol of longevity and prosperity, and is also believed to be the home of the gods.This is why bamboo is often used in sacred rituals and celebrations, and it is said that there are a total of 869 festivals and rituals in Japan that use bamboo.

In Japan, New Year's Day, January 1st, is cherished, and there is a custom of celebrating by placing a decoration called Kadomatsu at the entrance of each home. Kadomatsu uses three types of plants that are considered auspicious in Japan: pine, bamboo, and plum.Furthermore, bamboo leaves are used in counters at sushi restaurants because of their antibacterial properties, and Japanese people have long known from experience that bamboo and bamboo have antibacterial and antibacterial properties.The bright blue color of bamboo is also something special to Japanese people. The color combination of green bamboo and the whiteness of the body is a color combination that is popular among Japanese people, and at banquets, the color of the green bamboo sake set and the refreshing scent of green bamboo are popular and welcomed.

The Japanese have also utilized the sound of bamboo and have been fascinated by the sound. When you think of sound, many people may think of bamboo flutes, shakuhachi, etc.Shakuhachi is very popular in America and Europe, and there are people who make them, and we sometimes provide materials ourselves. Monty H. Levenson, who has a workshop in California, is one such person, and he has taken the trouble to visit Taketora's main factory many times.

However, even if such instruments are not used, for example, in our region, there is a festival called "Takeneri" where bamboos are struck against each other. Dozens of young people cleanse the path for the gods with the high-pitched sound of tapping bamboo.Please see the video of bamboo kneading here.

Naruko, which was originally made by attaching split bamboo to a board to make a "karakarakara" sound to scare away birds that were destroying the fields, has now become a prop for carnivals performed by tens of thousands of people across Japan.

In addition, the Shishi-odoshi, which was a device used to drive away animals, uses the weight of the water being poured into it and uses the recoil to force a bamboo cylinder to hit a stone, making a sound. The comfort and elegance of this style were liked, and it spread to tea room gardens.In this way, since ancient times, Japanese people have become familiar with bamboo, feeling it with all five senses, and it has become deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Bamboo is originally a southern plant that is widely distributed in warm and humid regions of the world, so the northern limit of large bamboos in Japan is Matsumae Town on the southern tip of Hokkaido.It is said that there are about 1,300 species in the world, and about 600 in Japan alone. There are many types of bamboo, but the three types of bamboo that are mainly used in Japan are mosochiku, madake, and lighttake, which are called Japan's three most useful bamboos.
Notes:The photo shows Mosochiku and Madake.

The tiger bamboo that we have been protecting for 100 years will become a member of the light bamboo. Can you see that there is a faint tiger pattern on the bamboo skin?

When we talk about bamboo, it differs in size and properties depending on the type of bamboo, so its usage differs, but there are two main reasons why bamboo is called a sustainable material.The first is its rapid growth potential. Bamboo grows to a height of over 20 meters in just three months, making it indistinguishable from its parent bamboo. It has truly amazing growth potential, and you won't find any other natural resource like it.

Bamboo, which produces bamboo shoots every year without the help of humans and exhibits amazing growth potential, has the wonderful property and potential of continuing to change to suit people's lifestyles, and this is another reason why bamboo is sustainable. The reason is.Bamboo, which grew to a large size, was made into a variety of everyday tools because it was lighter and easier to carry than wood, and was highly processable. Not only the bamboo culm, but also all of the bamboo's roots, branches, and leaves have been used.

The bamboo cane used by the famous American comedian Chaplin was made in Japan. Bamboo roots are strong enough to be used for walking sticks, and can also be used as seals.Bamboo branches were used to decorate fences, and bamboo leaves were used for tea and fertilizer. Bamboo, which is useful in a wide variety of ways in daily life, is very familiar to the Japanese people, and was indispensable for all aspects of Japanese life, including food, clothing, and shelter.

Bamboo culms are a hard, straight material that can be used for a variety of purposes when left as is, and when split into thin pieces, they become flexible bamboo strips that can be woven into bamboo crafts such as baskets and monkeys. I think one of the interesting charms of bamboo is that it has the contradictory qualities of hardness and softness.

Until the time of my mother and grandmother, Japanese kitchens were filled with bamboo baskets and colanders, so these are the products that come to mind when Japanese people hear the word bamboo crafts.Japan has a culture called "MOTTAINAI," and even if bamboo baskets or bamboo colanders are slightly damaged, they can be repaired and used for a long time. When bamboo is used for a long time, it has a unique discoloration over time, which makes you love it even more.Durable bamboo can be used continuously from parent to child and from child to grandchild. I also have several bamboo baskets that I inherited from my mother and grandmother and have been using for a long time.The more you use a bamboo basket, the more the color changes and the more you become attached to it.It is because bamboo is a natural material that has an old-fashioned flavor that makes it so enjoyable to use.

When repairing woven bamboo baskets and colanders, there were cases where large holes were covered with washi paper and reinforced with persimmon juice or lacquer.This has developed into a craft called "Ikkanbari", and is still used today to make shopping baskets, costume cases, etc., and is one of the techniques born out of the Japanese tradition of valuing things.

In Japan, even the leaves of felled bamboo were not wasted. Originally, people used to roast bamboo leaves themselves to make simple tea, but now they ask tea makers to process the hand-picked bamboo leaves. Bamboo is a plant with a high sugar content, so it makes a delicious tea with a natural sweetness.Bamboo can also be used as a fine powder.Bamboo has natural lactic acid bacteria that can be fermented, so you can make bamboo yogurt.

Bamboo charcoal is attracting a lot of attention in the United States, so I think many people know about it. Charcoal has been known for its detoxifying effects for a long time in Japan, and ninjas who were active during the Warring States period always carried charcoal with them for detoxification.In Japan, it is said that "charcoal craftsmen do not have stomach problems or athlete's foot." This is because when they felt sick to their stomachs, they would chew on charcoal, and their feet would be sprinkled with bamboo vinegar, a byproduct of burning bamboo charcoal, which has a high antibacterial effect.

Bamboo charcoal powder is incorporated into various foods such as noodles and cookies, and is popular both in Japan and Europe due to its dark appearance.If you add solid bamboo charcoal when cooking rice, you will get delicious rice, and if you add it to drinking water, you will get delicious water with mineral components.

During the rainy season in Japan, an increasing number of people are using bamboo charcoal to deodorize and control humidity indoors, especially in crowded cities.A long time ago, there was a newspaper report that bamboo charcoal spread under the floors of buildings in the precincts of Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji temples, both world cultural heritage sites, was effective in preventing the wood used from rotting and termite damage. However, even in ordinary houses, bamboo charcoal is placed under the floor to prevent moisture.

Bamboo charcoal toothpaste, which absorbs stains from teeth, and bamboo charcoal soap, which removes odors caused by aging, are good examples of bamboo being used in Japan, which has become an aging society.

This time, the inside of the air purifier newly manufactured using tiger bamboo and laminated bamboo wood also uses bamboo charcoal, which adsorbs substances that cause sick building syndrome, such as formaldehyde and toluene.The functionality of bamboo charcoal changes depending on the combustion temperature. Bamboo charcoal baked at a high temperature of nearly 1000 degrees is suitable for adsorbing these substances, making it a product that will be appreciated by people with chemical sensitivities.

Bamboo is such a strong material that bamboo-reinforced concrete was once used in place of reinforcing steel. It is twice as strong as cypress wood, so it is used as a laminated wood for flooring, wall materials, and other building materials.By using laminated bamboo, a wide variety of furniture can now be made. Many small square items such as lunch boxes and jubako boxes are also manufactured.

Utilizing the hardness of bamboo, a tool for grating daikon radish called "Oni-oroshi" is made. The jagged teeth look like the teeth of a demon, hence the name.Conventional metal grated radish has too fine fibers and becomes watery, but bamboo grated radish has a crunchy texture that can be grated quickly and easily, making it popular as it can be eaten as if it were a salad. is.

Since 1985, we at Taketora have been saying that the 21st century is the era of bamboo. This is because we believe that bamboo is a natural resource that can be continuously used.Currently in Japan, various research and initiatives are being carried out on bamboo fiber and biomass energy in order to effectively use valuable bamboo resources.Cellulose nanofiber made from bamboo is said to be a dream new material. Cellulose, the main component of plant fibers, is made extremely thin, about 1/10,000 times the size of a human hair, so many fibers can be bonded together in a network, creating a strong material.It is said that when mixed with plastic or rubber, it increases strength and suppresses expansion and contraction caused by heat.It is said that it is one-fifth the weight of steel and five times stronger, so we are looking forward to a new era in which bamboo can be used as an inexhaustible resource that can be used continuously.