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 –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.

Kakunodate, in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, is also known as the ‘Little Kyoto of the North,’ with its historic samurai residences and beautiful rows of cherry trees. A castle town that flourished during the Edo period (1603 –1868 CE), some of its traditional Japanese houses are still used as residences today. Kabazaiku was originally a sideline craft for the samurai.

The cherry blossoms in spring, the fresh greenery in summer, the colorful leaves in fall, and the snowy landscape in winter—each season offers its own unique beauty. The cherry blossoms of Kakunodate, in particular, are a national treasure of Japan.

The bark of the mountain cherry tree used for kabazaiku absorbs a lot of water during the rainy season from June to July and dries up and peels off easily during the summer months. It is only during these two months of the year that high-quality bark can be collected.

Yatsuyanagi carefully uses the bark, treating it as a gift from nature, without wasting any of the material. Harvesting the cherry bark does not harm the trees. They are committed to preserving nature sustainably and ensuring the coexistence and prosperity of both nature and the traditional craft of kabazaiku. Yatsuyanagi is also actively engaged in reforesting fallow land with wild mountain cherry trees.

Deep in Akita’s mountain forests, artisans brave the summer heat to harvest cherry bark for kabazaiku—the world’s only craft of its kind. We visited the historic Yatsuyanagi workshop to explore this rare tradition. Come with us from the mountains to the studio as we watch the harvest up close and hear the story of kabazaiku from Yatsuyanagi’s seventh-generation owner.

Takahashi Mariko is a kabazaiku master, part of a 250-year tradition that turns mountain cherry bark into refined handmade art. In this Tools of the Trade episode, she looks back on her path from early uncertainty to skilled craftswoman, and shows the precise bark-working process she creates for renowned studios like Yatsuyanagi—where family, tradition, and meticulous technique are inseparable.

Takano Shuhei is a kabazaiku master, carrying on the centuries-old craft of turning wild cherry bark into tea canisters prized for natural humidity control and quiet beauty—an everyday staple in Kakunodate, Akita.

In this Tools of the Trade episode, he shares how his passion began and walks us through the delicate steps of layering, shaping, and polishing bark, showing how each canister develops its own character.