_Akebi Vine Basketry from Northern Nagano_
In Nagano, since the early Edo period, people have crafted baskets, toys, and other daily tools
as winter work during the region’s long, snow-filled months.
There are two types of Akebi vine used in basketry:
one with its natural bark intact—a warm brown color—
and another called Muki Akebi, a grayish vine that has been peeled after fermentation.
While Akebi vine craft is also found in parts of Tohoku such as Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, and Niigata,
Muki Akebi basketry is a tradition that continues only in this region.
Before weaving begins, the vines are soaked in hot spring water for about a week,
then fermented in river water for around a month before the bark is carefully removed.
It is said that in the past, all Akebi baskets in northern Nagano were made exclusively from Muki Akebi.
This material requires great time and effort before it can even be woven,
but the baskets that emerge from it carry a quiet depth—something only this land can produce.
Both Akebi and Muki Akebi vines are carefully selected for quality,
and skilled hands continue to craft them into a wide variety of beautiful forms.
						

							
_Akebi Vine Basketry from Northern Nagano_
In Nagano, since the early Edo period, people have crafted baskets, toys, and other daily tools
as winter work during the region’s long, snow-filled months.
There are two types of Akebi vine used in basketry:
one with its natural bark intact—a warm brown color—
and another called Muki Akebi, a grayish vine that has been peeled after fermentation.
While Akebi vine craft is also found in parts of Tohoku such as Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, and Niigata,
Muki Akebi basketry is a tradition that continues only in this region.
Before weaving begins, the vines are soaked in hot spring water for about a week,
then fermented in river water for around a month before the bark is carefully removed.
It is said that in the past, all Akebi baskets in northern Nagano were made exclusively from Muki Akebi.
This material requires great time and effort before it can even be woven,
but the baskets that emerge from it carry a quiet depth—something only this land can produce.
Both Akebi and Muki Akebi vines are carefully selected for quality,
and skilled hands continue to craft them into a wide variety of beautiful forms.