The Nishikawa Town Mountain Village Revitalization Council (Headquarters: 510 Aza Kaimi, Nishikawa-machi, Nishimurayama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture; President: Shogo Naito) announces a popup event featuring collaboration items between KOGUMA (Hiroshi Ito), a traditional "mountain grape vine craft" artisan from Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, and pinkpepper, a designer unit composed of graphic designers Azusa Kurihara and Asuka Takeda. The popup "Like Vine" will take place over six days from February 5 (Thursday) to February 10 (Tuesday), 2026, at THINK OF THINGS (3-62-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).
"Like Vine" is the product brand of the "Like Vine Project (Nishikawa Town Mountain Village Revitalization Council)," launched to introduce more people to "mountain grape vine craft," which has been used as a tool for mountain work and cherished as a traditional craft in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, and to pass it on to the next generation in new forms.
This popup will showcase two collaboration items created over approximately six months through the project: baskets with new forms not seen in traditional mountain grape baskets, along with matching inner bags, and large scarves designed by the two members of pinkpepper after visiting Nishikawa Town for inspiration, along with vine craft scarf rings to secure them.
Visitors can enjoy the collaboration between traditional craftsmanship techniques and design, and graphical design items.
Popup Event Details
POPUP "Like Vine"
Dates: February 5 (Thursday) to February 10 (Tuesday), 2026
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM
Venue: THINK OF THINGS 1F CASE (3-62-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Organizer: Nishikawa Town Mountain Village Revitalization Council
Supported by: Nikken Sekkei Construction Management Co., Ltd.
About the Collaboration Items
●KOGUMA Mountain Grape Vine Craft Horizontal Basket / Long Handle
A compact, understated, modern horizontal basket with a long handle and horizontal form, utilizing signature techniques from Oizawa.
●pinkpepper Inner Bag (mingle/sunlight)
An inner bag that adds a modern touch to mountain grape baskets. Let the handles drape for a soft expression. Works well on its own too.
●KOGUMA Mountain Grape Vine Craft Scarf Ring
A primitive scarf ring with a beautiful natural expression. Finished with a thick, substantial presence.
●pinkpepper Large Scarf (mingle/sunlight)
Wrap it around your head or drape it over your shoulders. A lightweight, transparent large scarf that gently filters light.
[The "Mountain Grape Vine Craft Horizontal Basket / Long Handle" and "Mountain Grape Vine Craft Scarf Ring," made using mountain grape vines, achieve resource-efficient production, addressing one of the project's key challenges.]
〈Graphic Design Concept〉
mingle
Layers images of wildflowers, forests, and light found in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture. "Mingle" means "to come together." The vine craft basket and pinkpepper's scarf unite to gently envelop the surroundings.
design: Asuka Takeda
sunlight
Inspired by the "sunlight" filtering through the forests of Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture. Expresses the dappled sunlight of the forest that nurtures mountain grapes and the mountain's bounty through a series of ovals and vibrant colors.
design: Azusa Kurihara
About the Collaborators
Yamagata Prefecture Nishikawa Town Vine Craft Artisan
KOGUMA Hiroshi Ito
Born in 1990 in Nagasaki Prefecture. After traveling to over 30 countries worldwide, he visited Oizawa in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture in 2020 upon returning to Japan, where he was deeply impressed by the lifestyle in this snowy region. He was particularly drawn to handicrafts such as mountain grape vine craft and straw craft, and decided to relocate immediately. He learned from local artisans and now creates works while living in a 113-year-old traditional house, occasionally operating it as a guesthouse. Selected for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition 2023-25. Selected for "NIPPON no 47 2025 CRAFT - The Future of Craft Seen in 47 Wills" in 2024.
Website: koguma-o.com
Instagram: ko_gu_ma
pinkpepper Designers
Azusa Kurihara, Asuka Takeda
pinkpepper is a product brand centered on textiles created by graphic designers Azusa Kurihara and Asuka Takeda. Characterized by graphical designs that serve as styling accents. Creating and presenting scarves each season as wearable graphics. The brand name embodies the meaning of "a small spice that adds a bit of playfulness to daily life."
Instagram: 2016pinkpepper
About the "Like Vine Project"
The "Like Vine Project" was launched to introduce more people to the traditional "mountain grape vine craft" of Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, and to pass it on to the next generation in new forms.
Oizawa, a naturally rich area at the foot of Mount Gassan, one of Tohoku's famous peaks, in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture. In this harsh natural environment that transforms into a silver world in winter, Oizawa is said to be "the birthplace of mountain grape baskets," where vine craft using mountain grape vines has been passed down as winter handicraft work.
While "mountain grape vine craft" has been used as a tool for mountain work in daily life and cherished as a craft, the number of artisans has decreased due to aging, and securing the raw material vines has become difficult, increasing its rarity. Just as mountain grape vines intertwine with other plants and grow upward, blooming flowers and bearing fruit to color the landscape, the project aims to create new vistas by having vine craft artisans and creators from different fields join hands together.
About Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture is located almost in the center of Yamagata Prefecture, surrounded by the Asahi mountain range of Bandai-Asahi National Park and its branches, and spreads at the foot of Mount Gassan, one of Tohoku's famous peaks, in a naturally rich town. Approximately 95% of the total area consists of mountains, and the clear Sagae River, renowned as one of Japan's cleanest rivers, flows through the town, allowing visitors to experience the changing seasons characteristic of Tohoku's rural mountain areas. Winter snowfall reaches 1 meter in the town center and up to 5 meters in mountainous areas, making it one of the prefecture's leading heavy snowfall regions.
About Oizawa's "Mountain Grape Vine Craft" in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
◯Background of Craftsmanship
The naturally rich Oizawa area of Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture served as a stopover for many people during the summer as a relay point for "Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage." However, when winter arrives, the area is buried in deep snow for months, limiting interaction with the outside world. Therefore, "mountain grape vine craft" has been passed down as winter handicraft work, centered on those involved in forestry, agriculture, and inn operations. Artisans enter the surrounding mountains from mid-June to early July to harvest mountain grape vines, peel off the bark, dry them, and prepare for winter handicraft work.
However, the mountain grape vines used as raw materials require over 10 years to grow sufficiently for use in vine craft, making them precious materials. Additionally, harvesting in the mountains is heavy labor, and many artisans retire due to aging. Against this background, the number of Oizawa artisans, which once numbered in the dozens, has now dwindled to just a few. There is also the challenge that traditional sales methods have not resulted in appropriate pricing that reflects quality and effort.
◯Oizawa's Mountain Grape Baskets
Mountain grape baskets are highly elastic, well-colored, and develop luster and depth as they are used, allowing you to enjoy the aging process while using them for a long time. In particular, Oizawa's mountain grape baskets receive high praise nationwide for their durability and beauty. Baskets carefully woven with time and effort are lifetime household items that you can use while developing your own character.
