Japanese wild grape vine basket bag

The more you use a wild grape vine basket bag, the more lustrous and soft it becomes, becoming more comfortable with the user.
The wild grape vine basket bags introduced on this page are made from wild grape vines that have endured the harsh winds and snow of Japan's Tohoku region, collected by artisans at the risk of their lives. They are resistant to both water and dryness, and even if they get wet in the rain, they will return to their original shape simply by drying them.

Japanese wild grape vines are so strong that foreign wild grape vines are likened to paper, while Japanese wild grape vines are likened to rubber. The vines rarely break, no matter how much you pull them. They can be used for a long time, while their flavor continues to improve. A wild grape vine basket bag can easily be used for 50 years, making it a lifetime item that can be enjoyed by generations to come.

The more you use it, the more lustrous and soft it becomes, becoming more familiar to the user.

Wild grape vine basket bags are said to be something everyone wants to own at least once. As people touch and stroke them every day, the oils from their hands soak into the bag, and the more they are used, the shinier they become. Some people even polish them with a scrubbing brush to speed up the shine.
Furthermore, the more they age, the softer they become and the more they conform to the user's shape, making them easier to use.
The more lustrous they become, the more they fit in with any setting, and are loved and used all year round.
*Some people apply vegetable oil or other products to enhance the shine, but this is not recommended as it may cause discoloration.

Wild grape vines are resistant to both water and dryness

Made from wild grape vines that have endured the harsh winds and snow of Japan's Tohoku region, it is resistant to water and dryness, and will return to its original shape if it gets wet in the rain.

A lifetime item that can be enjoyed by generations to come as its flavor improves!

Some of Takagi's clients are even begging their young grandchildren to let them use one of his basket bags when they grow up.
"A wild grape vine basket bag is something that your child can enjoy, gaining more and more charm until they're a grandmother. And their child's child can still use it (laughs)," says Takagi.

At the workshop, I was shown a wild grape vine basket bag (photo below) made over 100 years ago for picking wild vegetables. Its suppleness and beautiful luster have grown with the curves of the user's back, making it even more refined.
"People ask me to sell it, but I can't! (laughs)," says Takagi.

This wild grape vine basket bag is sure to be a lifetime treasure, enjoyed by generations to come.

I was able to pull a car with just one wild grape vine!

This difference is especially important when making wild grape vine basket bags. Basket bags made with domestic wild grape vines rarely break, no matter how much you pull on them, but basket bags made with imported wild grape vines are not as durable.
These durable domestic wild grape vines have long been used in mountain work for hatchet cases (photo, left), backpacks, and suspension bridges.
Takagi-san even has the record of successfully pulling an entire cart with a single wild grape vine. "I tried it, and it worked (laughs)." (Takagi-san) When purchasing, be sure to look for durable domestic wild grape vine products!

Rare wild grape vines are collected at the risk of one's life!

This basket bag is made from wild grape vines that Shoji Takagi and his colleagues collected by clearing a rugged path in the rugged Tohoku mountains, where only animal trails exist. As wild grape vines become increasingly rare, collecting them is a life-risking undertaking, sometimes necessitating treacherous cliffs and risking life-threatening dangers such as falling rocks, falls, and getting lost. As the master carpenter, Shoji Takagi leads the way, clearing the path and carefully monitoring the health of each member as they move forward.

This time, the Takumi no Hako staff also joined the team on the collection, but it was truly challenging, with falling rocks, cut trees falling toward the camera, and trips in the river! (Although Takagi later told us, "Today was a much easier day. You were lucky.")

When Takagi found a wild grape vine, he excitedly called out to everyone, "That looks like a delicious tree!"

The others then deftly climb the tall trees, calling out to each other and checking each other's positions, and work together to collect the wild grape vines. The collected vines have to be peeled on the spot. The slope is so steep that it's difficult to even stand, and removing the vines and peeling the skin is difficult work.

Then, with their backs full of precious wild grape vines, they lined up and descended the mountain.

Takagi-san laughed and said, "The basket bags I make from this will represent my daughter."

Hone and loved by the harsh nature of Tohoku, these wild grape vine basket bags are filled with the soul of their makers, who put their lives on the line for this rare material.

(1) Collection and skinning

Wild grape vines are collected in the mountains and the skin is peeled on the spot.
The period in which wild grape vines can be collected is very short, only two weeks a year during the rainy season. This is because the wild grape vines can only be peeled from the thicker vines when they are full of water.
Collecting wild grape vines also helps with the undergrowth cutting process, which involves clearing out weeds other than the seedlings planted in the mountains.
This undergrowth cutting allows the seedlings that have taken root in the mountains to grow healthily.

(2) Drying and trimming

Let it dry for several months.
Then cut it to a uniform thickness and width.

(3) Soaking in water and weaving

After soaking in water for a day and a night, it is tanned and woven.