bamboo

Takezaiku

Takezaiku, or bamboo weaving, is an ancient form of Japanese art that involves taking a strong but inflexible material (bamboo) and making it not only moldable, but beautiful at the same time. It involves slicing the sinuous bamboo into strips, soaking them in water, and weaving them, generally into baskets and other utensils. Japanese tea…

One could say that Asia was built on bamboo (竹）and few would dispute it. Bamboo is a fast growing plant that has provided Asia with food and building materials for thousands of years. But moreover, bamboo forests, though increasingly rare in Japan, are beautiful places to wander and be amazed in. Arashiyama in Kyoto boasts…