Akita Cedar Ohitsu Rice Container

This ohitsu wooden rice container is made from straight-grain Akita cedar, carefully selected for its tight and uniform grain, strength, and flexibility. Designed to store freshly cooked plain rice, this ohitsu's materials and craftsmanship work in harmony to maintain a stable internal humidity level, preserving the rice's delicious flavor. Rice stored in this container can be kept for up to one day. Made of raw, unfinished wood, it retains the natural scent and texture of Akita cedar, whose trees make up one of Japan's "three most beautiful forests."

Known as a "breathing" wood, Akita cedar contains microscopic holes that help prevent the cooked rice stored within from drying out, retaining too much steam, or cooling down too quickly. Each box is made by peeling thin layers of wood, soaking them in hot water to soften them, then swiftly bending them into shape. The sides are then sewn together with cherry bark, and the bottom is fitted seamlessly into place before the surface is smoothed with sandpaper.

Crafted by officially designated Traditional Craftspeople of magewappa, this ohitsu brings the artistry of wood craft into the home.

Odate Kougeisha

Odate Kougeisha is one of the oldest makers of magewappa—traditional Japanese wood-bending crafts. Originating from Odate City, Akita Prefecture, magewappa has a history of 1,300 years. The magewappa crafts of Odate Kougeisha are carefully made with time and care, shaped one-by-one by craftspeople using traditional techniques that have been unchanged for generations.

Odate Magewappa

Odate magewappa is a Japanese wood-bending technique that has been carried on in Odate City, Akita Prefecture for 1,300 years. In the late 17th century, it developed as a side job for the lower class samurai of downtown Odate Castle. In 1980, Odate's magewappa was officially designated as a traditional Japanese craft, the only kind to receive this distinction among all magewappa crafts in Japan.