Basketmaking in Japan has a long vernacular tradition, using the abundant bamboo for much of the work, this being replaced by creepers, willow, and other materials in the north where forests are coniferous and by palm and other tropical and subtropical materials on the southern islands of Okinawa. There were strong local traditions making functional baskets for the local village and surrounding areas, each being tailored for its use. There was a large range of domestic ware, for steaming, drying, storage of food, and clothing, for cradles, and many other purposes. Animal husbandry also demanded a great many baskets for gathering and carrying foodstuffs, for transport to markets, and for caging. Fishing had a wide and fascinating variety of traps, differently shaped for different species. Fish carriers often put them into water to keep the fish fresh and used scoops for transfer to the cooking pot. Gathering human food also required a wide range of special basket forms. Hip baskets...
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Acknowledgements
Bunty Ball, Lee Dalby, Laura Hamilton, Kazue Honma, Frances Lord, Ueno Masao, Hisako Sekijima, Noriko Takamiya. Shouchiku Tanabe,Yumiko Okakoi, Felcity Wood
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Butcher, M. (2015). Basketry in Japan. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_10316-1
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