Scenes from the Basketry Festival — Germany Business Trip Journal 8
Good morning.
At last, it is the morning of the long-awaited Lichtenfels Basketry Festival.
The festival will take place over two days, today and tomorrow—Saturday and Sunday.
Now then, let’s head out!
In the town square, it looked as though each stall was getting ready for the basket market. 
The first booth I visited was that of Pau, a basket maker from Spain. Traditional baskets from the Catalonia region were lined up on display. 
And here is Jefke! Together with his mother, Jeanny, he had brought many baskets from Belgium and arranged them beautifully at their booth. 
And here is the booth of Karen and Corentin, who have come from France. Willow-woven wall hangings and a variety of traditional baskets known as “Bouyricou” are displayed here. Their beauty naturally draws you in. 
And here is the booth of Benjamin from Germany. He was not there at the time, but the moment I saw the baskets on display, I immediately knew whose booth it was—and that made me smile. 
Within the market, there were also stalls selling willow as a raw material. In recent years, it seems that basket makers across Europe have been facing increasing difficulty in obtaining good materials. 
There were also café stands among the booths. 
Before I knew it, more and more visitors were arriving at the market. 
The center of Lichtenfels is characterized by many slopes and changes in elevation. Booths were set up one after another, making clever use of these steps, slopes, and small spaces. 
At each booth, conversations between the makers, vendors, and visitors had already begun. 
At one booth, a maker was demonstrating their craft while chatting with visitors in a calm and friendly atmosphere. 
This maker was demonstrating the craft while working at a slanted worktable. 
This one as well. The angle seems to be slightly different from the “Dalhausen style” (see Germany Business Trip 5). 
Everywhere you look in the town—baskets, baskets, and more baskets. 
I walked around the market again and again, taking short breaks along the way. 
For a moment, please enjoy the scenes I encountered there. 
There were even colorful plastic baskets, and an impressive variety of baskets on display. 
There were so many baskets that it almost felt as if baskets from all across Europe had gathered here in Lichtenfels.
As the afternoon went on, I began to see more and more visitors carrying baskets they had purchased. 
Seeing people happily holding the baskets they had chosen for themselves somehow made me feel happy as well. 
From time to time, a brass band performance filled the market with lively music. 
Ah! Just as I thought—this really was a basket merry-go-round! The children sat inside the baskets as it turned. One of the attendants was spinning it by hand—quite a task—but the children all looked delighted. 
Performers also appeared throughout the market, adding to the lively atmosphere. 
With a humorous performance, he was explaining that even the basket of a hot-air balloon is woven from willow. As he walked around the market, he spoke to visitors in various languages.
After walking around the market for quite some time and feeling rather tired, I happened to run into the Basket Queen.
Since we had the chance to chat for a moment, I asked if I could take a photo.
She kindly struck a pose right away—she was truly a beautiful person. Thank you very much.
That evening, some of the exhibitors invited me to visit the Basketry School in Lichtenfels.
The school is about a ten-minute walk from the main festival grounds.
There, a party was being held for exhibitors and people involved with the festival.
Since it was such a rare opportunity, I was very happy to join.
In Japan, there is a bamboo craft training center in Beppu, Oita, where people can learn the art of bamboo weaving. Here in Lichtenfels, Germany, there is also a school where students can study basketry techniques in a three-year program. 
As this visit took place in the evening, I was only able to see a small part of the school. One day, I hope to return with more time and explore it properly. For now, I would like to share a few glimpses of what I was able to see. 
At this school in Germany, the curriculum is organized by year. Over the course of three years, students spend one year each studying general basketry, furniture making, and fine weaving techniques. 
This machine is used to heat rattan so that it can be bent. It is said to be an essential tool for furniture making. 
This tool is used to split and thin willow, the material used for basket making. 
This is a stand used to hold the basket base while weaving willow. 
Various basket works were also on display. 
Many of the pieces showed willow that had gradually changed from its natural pale color to a warm amber tone. 
In the courtyard on the ground floor of the school, there were people cheerfully taking orders and pouring beer. When I tried to order one, I was told that there was no fixed price for the beer—it was simply by donation. Since I had no idea what the usual amount might be, I asked someone nearby about the typical contribution and paid roughly that amount. 
The staff were all very cheerful and spoke to me with warm smiles, which made me happy as well. Later I learned that they were actually students currently studying basketry at the school. The basket makers of the future. It makes me look forward to what lies ahead.
The gathering continued late into the night.
People gathered around the fire, talking about baskets, their work, and life.
I felt truly happy to be there as well, sharing the same place and the same moment with them.
It was my first time attending the festival in Lichtenfels.
The time I spent there, meeting and talking with so many people, will surely remain a special memory for years to come.
The festival felt almost like a town celebration centered around baskets, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Throughout the event, there was a sense of comfort in the air, and everyone seemed to be spending their time in a calm and relaxed way.
I believe that the continuation of such a gathering is possible only because of the efforts of those who have supported it over the years.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them.
Finally, please enjoy this short video summarizing the scenes from the basket market,
including moments of conversation with the makers.
[Music plays]
Vielen Dank, Lichtenfels!
(Thank you, Lichtenfels!)
To be continued.
___________________________________________
“The One Table” Special Exhibition
European Baskets We Discovered in Germany
2026
February 19 (Thu), 20 (Fri), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), 23 (Mon, Holiday)
26 (Thu), 27 (Fri), 28 (Sat)
March 5 (Thu), 6 (Fri), 7 (Sat)
Open | 11:00–16:00
In-store | 1basketry, Minami-Senju, Tokyo
