Yatsuyanagi

Yatsuyanagi is a manufacturer specializing in kabazaiku, a craft made from the bark of mountain cherry trees native to Japan’s Tohoku region. Since its establishment in 1876, Yatsuyanagi has been engaged in the manufacture and sale of kabazaiku for generations in Kakunodate, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, a place rich in nature. Yatsuyanagi inherited the prestigious kabazaiku signboard from Nagamatsuya Shoten, the first wholesaler of kabazaiku in Kakunodate, a former castle town and samurai stronghold in today's Akita Prefecture.

From the Taisho era (1912 CE–1926 CE) to the early years of the Showa era (1926 CE–1989 CE), the company also made kabazaiku wooden geta “Japanese-style sandals.” Around the late 1940s, a company representative and her son traveled along the Inland Line, selling their products while enjoying the beautiful autumn mountain scenery on their way to Akita.

For nearly 150 years, Yatsuyanagi has been preserving and passing down the traditional kabazaiku methods and techniques in Kakunodate to new generations.

The craftsmen have refined their skills to work with precision down to the smallest millimeter, and they are constantly innovating their products and designs to meet the demands of modern life. The beautiful sheen of cherry bark, a reminder of nature’s blessings, is transformed into tools that enrich our lives and continue to be cherished today.