Taketora (Yamagishi Bamboo Materials Store), a bamboo specialist maker in business since 1894, has launched a new series of bamboo craft accessories and small items. The lineup, available from May 8, 2026, draws on 1970s deadstock bamboo and includes nine varieties: bamboo brooches, pendants, necklaces, chopstick rests, keychains, and woven-ball netsuke charms — all finished by hand by skilled artisans.
These bamboo accessories and small items trace their roots to Japan's Showa era. Around the 1970s, bamboo woven crafts were widely popular across the country and produced in large numbers by craftspeople, representing a hallmark of Japanese bamboo culture. Each small piece embodies meticulous weaving technique honed over many years — thinly and uniformly shaved bamboo strips (higo) are carefully woven together to produce beautiful three-dimensional patterns, a process that demands both advanced skill and long experience.
Bamboo Woven Ball Keychain
Bamboo Woven Ball Netsuke
The bamboo woven ball keychain and bamboo woven ball netsuke are particularly notable for the beauty created by their delicate weave patterns — lightweight and precise, a finish that barely seems like a natural material.
Large Flower Bamboo Brooch
Bundled Bamboo Heart-Shaped Brooch
Bamboo Woven Red Turtle Brooch
Bamboo Woven Owl Brooch
Large Flower Bamboo Pendant
Bamboo Woven Ball Necklace (White)
The bamboo brooches, necklaces, and pendants each combine bamboo's characteristic rustic texture with the artisan's handwork, creating accessories with a distinctive presence.
Behind the creation of such intricate bamboo crafts lies the quality of madake bamboo grown in a particular region with sharp temperature variations. This bamboo has supple yet strong fibers, making it ideal for producing beautiful higo strips. At the time, carefully maintained bamboo groves provided an abundant supply of uniform, high-quality bamboo, which gave rise to many finely crafted woven pieces.
While well-managed bamboo groves have become fewer today, remarkably beautiful madake bamboo still remains. Bamboo craft items woven from carefully selected and thinly peeled bamboo strips retain the inherent beauty of bamboo across generations. The delicate weave patterns that seem to defy the passage of time stand as a testament to the artistry of master craftspeople.
These bamboo accessories and small items carry the history of Japan's bamboo culture within them. Those who grew up with bamboo woven crafts may feel a sense of nostalgia, while younger generations might see them as fresh works of bamboo art. They pair naturally with traditional Japanese dress as well as contemporary fashion and daily life, offering a subtle way to bring natural materials into everyday wear.
A video showing the production of these Showa-era retro bamboo craft brooches — once beloved at souvenir shops across Japan in the 1970s — is available on YouTube:
Products Available from May 8, 2026
Large Flower Bamboo Brooch
Price: ¥4,950 (tax included)
Bundled Bamboo Heart-Shaped Brooch
Price: ¥4,290 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Red Turtle Brooch
Price: ¥4,290 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Owl Brooch
Price: ¥4,290 (tax included)
Large Flower Bamboo Pendant
Price: ¥5,280 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Ball Necklace (White)
Price: ¥7,700 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Fish-Shaped Chopstick Rest
Price: ¥3,960 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Ball Keychain
Price: ¥1,650 (tax included)
Bamboo Woven Ball Netsuke
Price: ¥770 (tax included)
