Odate Kougeisha is a Magewappa company established in 1959, continuing the 1300 year old Magewappa manufacturing process while creating various Magewappa designs to fit the modern lifestyle. Using Akita cedar, one of Japan's most precious trees, with its warm, beautiful color and uniform grain, Odate Kougeisha produces a variety of tableware that is light, supple, and has a pleasant aroma.

The company handles the entire process of making Magewappa, from purchasing Akita cedar logs, lumbering, bending, sewing with cherry bark strip, attaching the bottom, and finishing. Now 26 craftsmen, including 5 traditional craftsmen recognized in Japan, are making Magewappa in Odate Kougeisha.

Odate Kougeisha's Magewappa is made of Akita cedar, an endemic Japanese cedar known as a great tree in Japan. Odate Kougeisha uses two types of Akita cedar: natural Akita cedar grown in the wild and artificially planted Akita cedar with a beautiful reddish color. The company continues to make traditional Magewappa while preserving nature and resources by strategically planting and harvesting Akita cedar while protecting the natural Akita cedar. The mission of the company is to resolve concerns about "wood" and to bridge the gap for future generations. 

In particular, natural Akita cedar is considered one of Japan's three most beautiful forests and is a natural forest of 200~250 year old cedars. Since 2012, the company has not cut down the trees for the purpose of nature conservation, but only for stock use.

Odate Kougeisha produces Magewappa that inherits the traditional manufacturing method of Magewappa, but also produces Magewappa with a modern design that fits the today's dining scene. The company's Magewappa products are now popular especially among the younger generation and around the world. The company has received offers from prominent interior design stores in Tokyo, and its bento boxes have become a hit in Europe.

Mr. Kazuo Mitsukura, president of the company, said "I believe that carrying on traditional crafts means continuously creating products and passing the baton to the next generation. That is why I make it my motto to make products with sincerity".

The company tries to convey through their activities that Magewappa can be used for a long time if they are used with care, and their work in repairing 30-year-old Magewappa is proof of their reliable quality and craftsmanship.