Hello, this is Tomotake Ichikawa.
Yoshida Takemono is run by Naoki and Noriko Yoshida.
The special exhibition featuring their work at our shop, starting on Friday, October 16, is gradually approaching.
During my visit to their workshop, both Naoki and Noriko were working on their own baskets.
In this journal, I would like to share a look at Noriko’s basket-making process.
Water from the mountains is piped into their workshop.
Behind the workshop, the mountain water flowed continuously, making a gentle, rippling sound.
A partially woven basket was soaking in a large tub filled with plenty of water.
In basket making, not only with bamboo but also with other natural materials,
the materials are sometimes soaked in water beforehand to soften them and make them easier to work with.
I was told that this is an important preparation for finishing the rim of the basket.
After a while, Noriko checked that the basket had soaked long enough, lifted it out of the tub, and took it to her workspace.
I followed her to watch her work.
When I arrived at the workspace, Noriko was continuing work on the “White Bamboo Organizer Basket,”
a longtime staple at our shop, and was finishing the rim.
The White Bamboo Organizer Baskets that we ask Naoki and Noriko
to make for us come in two types: Shallow and Deep.
The one Noriko was making at the time appeared to be the shallow type.
This is the basket that had been soaking in water earlier. Many thin bamboo strips forming the vertical framework of the basket extend upward. Noriko takes each strip in turn, twists it with her fingertips, and tucks it into the rim. 
She then weaves it around the adjacent vertical bamboo strip. 
She presses the weave tightly together, bit by bit. 
With confident, practiced movements, Noriko twists the thin bamboo strips that were standing upright, one after another, weaving them into the rim. 
I asked Noriko why she twists the bamboo strips. She explained that twisting holds the bamboo fibers together, making the strips less likely to break and increasing the strength of the basket.
Hearing that twisting the bamboo, much like making rope, makes use of its natural properties to strengthen the basket, I could see why she does it.
On the other hand, she told me there is also a simpler method in which the bamboo strips are bent without twisting and woven around the adjacent strips to secure them in place.
For this organizer basket, the twisting method is used to make it stronger. Twisting each strip individually takes more time and effort, but Noriko explained that she chooses this method for its strength, especially because the basket is intended to hold things and be used every day.
“Once the basket is finished, this part of the rim will be hidden,
so if you ask whether it’s really necessary to twist every single strip, perhaps it isn’t…”
That was what Noriko told me.
Even so, having made so many of these organizer baskets over the years,
Naoki and Noriko choose to take the extra time and effort to make them stronger,
so that the people who use them can do so with confidence for many years to come.
With the twisting and securing of the bamboo strips complete, the basket moves on to the next step. 
These are bamboo frames that have been bent into rectangular shapes and prepared in advance for use around the rims of the baskets. Several frames of the same size have been stacked together, ready for use. 
She checks the shape of the basket as she positions the bamboo frame. 
Then, she carefully fits it into place. 
With the bamboo frame in place, the basket begins to take on a more finished shape. 
Finally, a thin strip of split bamboo called “masa” is placed between the outer and inner frames and secured firmly with rattan to complete the basket.
From left to right, the baskets are shown at three stages:
after the twisting and securing of the bamboo strips,
after the bamboo frame has been fitted around the rim,
and finally, the completed organizer basket.
This organizer basket is one of the signature products that Naoki and Noriko Yoshida have been making for many years.
They have also prepared a large number of them for this special exhibition.
These baskets are useful for organizing clothing, small items, and various other things around the home,
and have long been popular with our customers.
They are available in two types: Shallow and Deep.
We hope you will take the opportunity to see and handle them in person,
compare their sizes, and choose the one you prefer.
Please watch the video to see Noriko making a White Bamboo Organizer Basket.
(* Music will play.)
To be continued.
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“The One Table” Special Exhibition
Yoshida Takemono | Two Makers, Two Tones
— White & Carbonized Bamboo Baskets —
2026
October 16 (Fri), 17 (Sat)*, 18 (Sun)
October 23 (Fri), 24 (Sat), 25 (Sun)
October 30 (Fri), 31 (Sat), November 1 (Sun)
* On Saturday, October 17, Naoki Yoshida will be at the shop
and will give a demonstration of how he makes his coffee drippers.
* On the dates listed above, everyone is welcome to visit between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
* Visits are also available by appointment on October 19 (Mon), 22 (Thu), 26 (Mon), and 29 (Thu).
Please make a reservation through the page below.