宇多津の古街には、竹取の翁がいます。翁こと、岡田さんは近所の竹をとってきて、職人のごとく手捌きで編み上げ、籠や小物入れなど作っています。翁の指導のもと、竹を編み組んだプレートに、古代米と水引をあしらった正月飾りをつくります。竹編みの基本で、平面形状の切りっぱなし仕上げ。均等に切り揃えられた竹を「上へ下へ」と編み込んでいきます。
In the historic streets of Utazu, there lives a modern-day “Taketori no Okina” (Old Man of the Bamboo Cutter). This elder, Mr. Okada, skillfully harvests bamboo from the local area and weaves it into beautifully crafted baskets and small containers with the precision of a seasoned artisan.
Under Mr. Okada’s guidance, participants will create a New Year’s decoration by weaving a bamboo plate and adorning it with ancient rice and mizuhiki (decorative Japanese cords). The weaving technique used in this workshop follows the basics of bamboo weaving, resulting in a flat-surfaced piece with a clean-cut finish. Participants will carefully interlace the evenly cut bamboo strips in an “over-and-under” pattern, bringing their unique decoration to life.
