Sasano Bori - Japanese tradition and craftsmanship

Japanese tradition of woodworking constantly fascinates and amazes us. This is not the first time I've entered this world. You remember Kumiko, a wood-joining art that produces delicate Japanese sliding doors or decorative panels with painstakingly crafted wooden designs. I turn again to Japan for another tradition that impressed me first and foremost by its simplicity and value. This is Sasano Bori, the traditional art of making wooden figurines.

An art over 1000 years old

Sasano is a region in the Japanese city of Yonezawa, the birthplace of the art more than 1200 years ago. Bori in Japanese means carving, carving. The craft was passed down from generation to generation and was only known locally until the 17th century. Then, during the reign of Yozan Uesugi, because the economy was developing very slowly, it was decided that the craft and figurines should be promoted throughout Japan. It was a success, and the figurines became known throughout the country and then all over the world.

The figurine is carved from a single piece of wood, which is what makes this art special. Everything - the figurine, the decorations, the pose - is obtained by artfully and patiently carving a single piece of wood. The tools are also specific and traditional. They use a type of chisel that looks more like a cleaver and are called Sarukiri and Chijire. The Sarukiri chisel is used by the craftsman as a knife, making delicate carvings on the piece of wood.

The wood used is also special. It has to be both hard and flexible to be able to shape the carved wings. Koshiabura and Enjyu species found in Japan and China are used. Figurines can be picked up and lifted by the wings without breaking them. Over time, the color of the wood changes tones and darkens.

Figurines of great value passing from one generation to the next

One of the most famous Sasano craftsmen in Japan is Tona Kanpu. She is the sixth generation of a renowned family of Sasano carvers. She started working at the age of 11, and now, at 67, she has her own shop with pictures of Kanpu with famous Japanese actors, mayors and ministers from around the world.

The Sasano figurines are so important that when the Prime Minister is appointed he is presented with one. When a person becomes CEO in a fima he also receives such a figurine as a gift. And when a child is born, the traditional gift is a Sasano figurine that is exactly the height of the child at birth.

Wooden figurines are made to be handed down from generation to generation.