Part 2 on The Uncertain Future of ShibataToku Bentwood Shop
For those of you who have been following the journey of 6th-generation bentwood artisan Shibata Yoshiko of ShibataToku, the past two years have marked a bittersweet chapter. Many will recall the sudden retirement of Mr. Morita, the last master artisan, which silenced the once-lively workshop in Maidashi. The familiar hum of machinery and the earthy aroma of freshly milled cedar wood have faded, leaving behind a vacant lot where tradition once thrived.
Read previous blog: An Encore Comes to an End.
For years, Shibata Yoshiko has fought to sustain her family legacy. Mr. Morita took in an apprentice few years back, but after 2 years of training, the young apprentice decided to quit the laborious craft industry. Without new hands to carry on the craft, the future of ShibataToku has become uncertain. While her shop remains open, her inventory grows thinner, and the burden of being the last of her lineage weighs heavily.
A Year of Exhausted Efforts and Reflection
In her modest century-old shop, Ms. Yoshiko continues to greet customers with her characteristic warmth, but she reflects on missed opportunities to safeguard her craft, "I wish I had done more." Like many small traditional businesses across Japan, hers faces the challenge of fragility in a modern world. Her once-bustling workshop has been demolished, and what remains is a stark reminder of how quickly heritage crafts can disappear with lack of successors and diminishing market demand.
Many of you, along with us, are witnessing in real-time and real-life, how fragile the Japanese traditional craft industry could be.
Reality hits ShibataToku Shop
The ShibataToku shop remains in business. Ms. Yoshiko asks an industry affiliate, a local shinto shrine ritual-ware maker to help her make small quantity of wood bento boxes, prioritizing the box sizes for Goenne.com. Ms. Yoshiko said she felt she is disappointing the supporters from overseas as she has seen how many have loved her boxes in the past years. She now would receive boxes and lids from the ritual-ware artisan, check to make sure they meet ShibataToku's standard and complete the final touches such as sanding and the sakura tree bark stitching. Under this practice, her business could be continued but scales down significantly. But she hopes to keep the shop running and be able to serve customers who visited the nearby Hakozaki Shrine whom stroll over to check out the famous Fukuoka regional craft.
Rethinking the Wood Bento Box: A Functional Beauty for Modern Life
The bentwood bento box is more than a food container—it's an iconic piece of functional art that represents mindful living. Its natural materials and timeless design resonate with today’s focus on durable, well-made products. In a world dominated by disposable plastic, these handcrafted, eco-friendly boxes offer a sustainable alternative, bridging tradition and modern lifestyles.
The story of the bento box doesn’t end here. To ensure its survival, we must inject new ideas, find new uses, and attract new users. This belief inspired us to launch crowdfunding Project Beyond Bento in early 2024. A bento box can evolve, continuing to serve modern lifestyles while staying true to its roots in traditional Japanese design. Master artisan Mr. Morita at ShibataToku developed the prototype with us, and kicked-off the initial production until his unexpected retirement a year later.
Collaboration and Resilience: ShibataToku (Yoshiko) and Shibata Tamaki, the remaining 2 heritage shops for Hakata Bent-wood Craft.
In late Spring, Ms. Yoshiko at ShibataToku urged us to connect with Shibata Tamaki, 16th-generation Hakata bentwood artisan whose family-owned shop used to be next door to ShibataToku among the 20+ other rivalry bentwood shops in the bustling street of Maidashi since Edo period. (Yes, Maidashi has many residents bearing Shibata last name, as Yoshiko said "This is the village of the Shibatas!")
Ms. Tamaki Shibata has since graciously taken up the torch to continue our Beyond Bento project during the production crisis. While Hakata bentwood's signature style is retained, the new boxes now bear the heritage crest of Shibata Tamaki. Tamaki’s own family has deep roots in the bentwood craft, and her dedication to preserving this tradition has been pivotal, as the first female master artisan in her family.
During this transition, we are dedicated to continue supporting our long-term partner ShibataToku for as long as Ms. Yoshiko continues running her shop, however the beautiful assortment of ShibataToku products has become limited.
The two remaining successors of Hakata bentwood craft, whose predecessors once competed fiercely, are now united in a common goal: to sustain Hakata's bentwood tradition. Their fathers' efforts helped elevate Hakata Bentwood Craft to be recognized as an Intangible Cultural Property of Fukuoka. Today, the Shibatas, 2 unrelated families bearing the same last name, are safeguarding this heritage amid the challenges of modern times.
How You Can Help to Sustain Bentwood Craft
As we enter this new phase, your support is more important than ever. Every purchase, every shared story, helps ensure that these heritage crafts survive another day.
While Yoshiko may be the last of her lineage, her legacy, along with Tamaki's and Sosogi’s, represents the continuation of a fragile yet vital tradition, while we at the same time "re-learn" the value and joy that these well-made, hand-made Japanese wooden boxes could bring.
Recently, we have also introduced bentwood artisan Mr. Masaji Sosogi, creating a collective effort to build resilience for this craft by bringing together independent bentwood artisans.
With this alliance of independent bentwood craftsmen, we aim to ensure bentwood skills are carried into the future and continues to thrive in the hearts and hands of those who cherish it.
Interested to learn more about signature styles of regional bent wood bento boxes and support the craft? Visit our Wood Bento Box Home Page.
We invite you become a vital part of this movement.
NOTES TO OUR EXISTING WOOD BENTO BOX SUPPORTERS
Many of you have supported ShibataToku in the past years and have sent many encouragements to Ms. Yoshiko Shibata and Mr. Morita in the midst of their business challenges. If you like ShibataToku's work, please continue to support ShibataToku shop. You will notice the selections has become limited but we will showcase as much work as possible.
We have set up a new page and introduce a new style of wood bento box from further south in Kyushu (Kumamoto Prefecture). Read about Issochi magemono bent wood made by Masaji Sosogi.
The other remaining Hakata-style bento wood artisan, Shibata Tamaki have since picked up the production of Beyond Bento boxes over the summer. Many of you have been so patiently waiting for your shipment. At the time of writing, we have just received all the boxes fresh from her wood shop, we will be shipping them out in the coming weeks! And in the coming month, you will be able to read more about Shibata Tamaki's family heritage of Hakata magemono bentwood craft. Yet another captivating story to share, about the rough path being a female successor in the conservative traditional craft world of Japan. We guarantee you will be inspired by Tamaki's own journey in the Hakata Bentwood Craft world.
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