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  • Eat, Sleep, Shave Wood: The Extraordinary Life of Woodworker Okubo Kotaro November 24, 2023
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Category: Matsumoto

Eat, Sleep, Shave Wood: The Extraordinary Life of Woodworker Okubo Kotaro

By:
Ai Kanazawa
November 24, 2023Matsumoto Wood OKUBO Kotaro

Wooden spatulas and spoons by Okubo Kotaro in our shop November 25->

A few years ago, a friend gave me a wooden cooking spatula that I’ve used almost daily since. Shaped like a pirate’s cutlass, the spatula is now my go-to utensil for sautéing any kind of chopped vegetables, frying rice, and cooking minced meats. Its curved edge is perfect for breaking up and stirring foods that tend to clump along the arc of my pan.

“Kibera” cooking spatula in cherry wood by Okubo Kotaro
Urushi coated “SKT” wooden spoons by Okubo Kotaro with modern design and beautiful marks from his Nankin ganna

Japanese woodworker Okubo Kotaro is one of Japan’s most prolific woodworkers, known for making this distinctive curved wooden cooking spatula called “Kibera,” that he developed with input from professional chefs. His other wooden utensils include sleek urushi coated spoons. He carves each piece by hand using a shave tool called “Nankin ganna,” a version of a spoke shave with a made-to-order blade by a metalsmith precisely tuned for his use.

I knew of Kotaro for several years, but finally connected with him this summer through Jarrod Dahl, an American woodcraftsman. Jarrod hosted a sold-out spoon carving workshop with Kotaro this past August at his craft school, Woodspirit School of Traditional Crafts, in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Japanese woodworker, Okubo Kotaro
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

At the end of September, I, along with my friend and photographer Doug Matsumoto, visited Kotaro and his wife Shuko, in Matsumoto, Nagano prefecture. Their studio and gallery are a little over 20 minutes by taxi from Matsumoto Station. From their place on a hill away from the city bustle, Hida mountain range can be seen on a clear day across the valley that cradles the city below.

“Mokko,” which means woodcraft, sign at Okubo Kotaro’s studio 
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Kibera laid out on the work table at Okubo Kotaro’s studio in Matsumoto, Nagano. Kotaro estimates that approximately 30,000 of his spatulas are used in Japan. Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
“Metal, water, and wood are all I need to make work,” says Okubo Kotaro. The wood used is locally sourced in Japan
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Okubo Kotaro’s shave-horse.
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Okubo Kotaro shaving the edge of a spatula with his Nankin ganna
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Kotaro frequently inspects the form while rough-shaping a wooden spatula
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Checking the blade setting on his Nankin ganna spoke shave
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

Kotaro’s typical workday, which he repeats over 350 times a year, begins before sunrise with the ritual of brewing coffee. “I respond to emails on the computer while drinking coffee for a few minutes, and then go to work at the studio,” he said. “I stop and eat breakfast after sunrise, go back to work. Eat lunch, go back to work. Work until around 8 pm, eat dinner, take a bath, and go to sleep.”

Kotaro makes around 6000 utensils annually, which means an astonishing rate of 500 pieces a month.  Work-life balance experts may think that Kotaro’s work regime is a disaster, but working with wood nourishes Kotaro with constant discovery and inspiration. “I can’t wait to get up and work,” he cheerfully explained. “When I shave spatulas for 5 days straight, for example, I really start to get into the groove on the third day.”

Hand-carved spoons laid out at Okubo Kotaro’s studio. He carves around 6000 pieces annually by hand.
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Nankin ganna is a type of spoke shave tool that Okubo Kotaro uses to carve wood. He works closely with blacksmiths and stores all of his old shaves. Over the years, he has fine tuned the spoke shave to fit his use. Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

Shuko also finds this wood working life with Kotaro very rewarding. “I love watching him work,” she said. “Sometimes, after I finish my work, I grab a beer and sit by him and watch him work. It’s the happiest time of the day for me.” Aside from helping with the day-to-day studio and housework, she applies Urushi lacquer onto the utensils that Kotaro carves. Shuko also operates her craft gallery “Sen” next door on weekends.

Team Okubo Shuko and Kotaro sitting at gallery Sen in Matsumoto, Nagano
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

Kotaro is originally from Matsumoto. In 2006, he moved to Kyoto and started working for a company that sold wooden home fittings like sliding doors, windows, and shoji screens. He worked there for 5 years, and met Shuko in Kyoto who was studying textile art at a university. They married in 2011 and returned to his hometown because Shuko yearned to live in Matsumoto. To see if it would work out, Kotaro moved back and attended a local wooden furniture making school for a year. “It gets really cold here in the winter, so I wasn’t sure if she would change her mind”, Kotaro mumbled. Shuko laughed and quickly interjected, “I really loved it here.” They decided to permanently settle in Matsumoto and opened their studio in 2012.

In the beginning when Kotaro started carving wooden utensils, he could only make 2000 or so a year because he used a lot of energy on each piece. “The wood was hard, my hands hurt, and my arms ached,” he said. He was carving dry wood, the raw material available for woodworkers under the current supply system. “Then I did some research and found out that past woodworkers, like from the Edo period, often soaked dry wood in water to soften it. This is counter to modern convention of carving dry wood to prevent warping,” he said. Wood blanks softened in water can be shaved like butter with his sharp Nankin Ganna. 

Wood spoon blanks soaking in water outside Okubo Kotaro’s studio
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

To make a wooden utensil, Kotaro cuts out rough blanks from dry wood using a bandsaw and soaks them in water. He then carves the wood into shape using hand tools, mostly his Nankin ganna. The pieces are then dried and carved again to touch-up and finish. He doesn’t sand any of his utensils, so the edges of the wood stays fresh and crisp.

Throughout the years, Kotaro maximized efficiency by improving the Nankin ganna blades with metalsmiths, using different blade angles and openings, and even adjusting the incline of his shave-horse. “I don’t have trade secrets,” Kotaro said. “I share everything I learned over the years with anyone.” Kotaro thinks he has reached the maximum efficiency in the last few years so he hopes to organize more woodworking master class workshops like the one he held with Jarrod this summer.

Blade sharpening station at Okubo Kotaro’s studio
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto
Blade angle setting recorded with date on a Nankin ganna by Okubo Kotaro. 
Photo by Douglas Matsumoto

Occasionally, Kotaro’s fans copy his work, but rather than getting upset, he becomes very excited. “Ultimately if a shape is useful and good, it will be replicated over and over, and the maker’s name will disappear,” he observed. He dreams of a future where woodworkers working with Nankin ganna can be found all over the world making Kibera like the one he designed, even after he is no longer here. His comment reminded me of what Yanagi Muneyoshi, the founder of Mingei philosophy, wrote about good craft designs and how they are anonymous.

Three hours with Kotaro and Shuko flew by, and the sun was beginning to set. I suggested maybe we could go down to the city together and eat dinner. Kotaro beamed and said, “Thank you, but I’ll go back to the studio and shave a little more wood.” Shuko and I looked at each other and smiled. “I’ll drive you back to Matsumoto and drop you off at a restaurant that I recommend,” Shuko said. We then left Kotaro in his studio and walked to her car.

Celebration of Handmade: Visiting the 2013 Matsumoto Craft Fair

By:
Ai Kanazawa
August 6, 2013Matsumoto Travels

Every year as spring turns to summer, the quiet castle town of Matsumoto in mountainous Nagano prefecture is transformed into the craft capital of Japan. Crowds of people come from afar to celebrate the work of several hundred of the country’s leading craftspeople at the two-day Matsumoto Craft Fair.

Since its humble beginnings in 1984, the fair has become the biggest and most prestigious of a growing number of open-air craft fairs that take place across Japan annually. Although the Matsumoto event showcases the work of approximately 260 craftsmen, the competition for places is fierce, which means that entry standards are very high. Only 1 in 5 of applicants reportedly are accepted to participate.

The manhole covers in Matsumoto depicts the town's famous craft, temari. embroidered balls for traditional ball games.
This brightly colored manhole covers in Matsumoto depicts the town’s famous craft, temari. embroidered balls for traditional ball games. Such attention to detail seemed quite appropriate for the town that hosts the largest craft fair in Japan.

I experienced the excitement of the most recent craft fair in Matsumoto on the final weekend of May 2013 when I, along with 250,000 other craft enthusiasts, made the two and a half hour pilgrimage by train from Tokyo.

At the train station, I was welcomed by an advertising banner announcing “Matsumoto Craft Month” (kougei-no-gogatsu). The success of the craft fair has contributed to the growth of the city’s tourism and it now organizes numerous craft related events and workshops throughout May that builds up to the climax of the main craft fair at the end of the month.

The banner advertising Matsumoto Craft Month welcoming guests at JR Matsumoto station.
A banner advertising Matsumoto Crafts Month welcomes guests at JR Matsumoto station.

It takes around 20 minutes to walk from the train station to Agata-no-Mori Park where the show is held. This 15-acre sprawling park is lined with tall Himalayan cedars and houses a beautiful historic school building. By the time I arrived in the late morning though, the park’s promenade was tightly packed with the biggest crowd that I have ever seen at a Japanese craft fair. The atmosphere was festive and everyone seemed excited to be there.

A large crowd packs the Agata-no-mori Park promenade at Craft Fair Matsumoto.
A large crowd packs the Agata-no-mori Park promenade at the Matsumoto Craft Fair.

Each of the stalls that I visited displayed beautiful and truly unique work. Besides the exceptional quality on show, another characteristic that differentiates this fair from others that I have visited was the sheer diversity of crafts on display. Of the 260 stalls, approximately 80 were ceramics, 50 wood, 25 glass, 25 textiles, 20 metal, 10 leather, 4 apparel, and 40 other miscellaneous outlets. This “others” group included stalls selling raw materials, tools and even books related to crafts that I have not seen elsewhere. Additionally, there were 40 stalls brimming with food and drinks that made the fair an event that one can enjoy for a whole day.

A man demonstrates cotton spinning on a wheel at Craft Fair Matsumoto
A crafts maker demonstrates cotton spinning on a wheel at the Matsumoto Craft Fair

Another unique feature of the show was its serendipitous design. The participants choose where to locate their stalls on a first-come first-serve basis. There was no map to locate where a favored craftsman might be found, so there was plenty of incentive to go around as much of the show as possible to see what was on display. I really enjoyed this element of surprise, which allowed me to wander through all the stalls without the distraction of intent. After a while, I noticed that the end of the park was far less crowded than the entrance, so the next time I come here I will start at the end and work my way back to the front of the park.

The makers Kobayashi Katsuhisa, Ito Akinobu, and Sakai Mika, whom Studio KotoKoto has introduced to the U.S. were also participating in the show, and it was very exciting for me to see them again at such a prestigious setting.

Woodworker, Kobayashi Katsuhisa's stall was found on the promenade of Agata-no-mori Park
Woodworker Kobayashi Katsuhisa’s stall on the promenade of Agata-no-mori Park. His shaker-style cherry tea boxes were sold out in just 30 minutes.
Potter Ito Akinobu with his family at Craft Fair Matsumoto.
Potter Ito Akinobu and his young family at the Matsumoto Craft Fair. This is a fun weekend event for participants and their families.
Ceramic artist Sakai Mika in Matsumoto. Her stall was found close to end of the park.
Nerikomi potter Sakai Mika at the craft fair with her husband. Her stall was located towards the end of the park.

With its sterling reputation and huge popular appeal, it is hard to imagine that the Matsumoto craft fair has only been running for 29 years. It normally takes many more decades to become so renowned. The fair was founded by a small group of dedicated craft artists after one of its members was inspired by craft shows that he had witnessed in the U.S. and the U.K. He proposed starting a similar outdoor event in Matsumoto where the fans of handmade crafts could meet their makers in a fun environment.

The Matsumoto fair will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2014. If you happen to be in Japan during the last weekend of May and want to see what the very best of the country’s young and talented crafts makers have to offer, this is the place for you. Just bring your enthusiasm, a hat, and a comfortable pair of shoes.

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