Made-To-Order Hand-carved, Daigo-Lacquered YAMIZO KUKSA Cup
Consider gifting "The Gift of Happiness", an eco-friendly hand-crafted wood cup called Kuksa.  Kuksa cups are carved out of one piece of wood and it's known for handling rugged use.  Campers hook the mug on the backpack and use it for morning coffee by the firepit.  Wear-and-tear from use tells the story of one's journey. 
 
Yanagi utilizes all the high-quality natural material that surrounds him: best quality urushi lacquer, and urushi / cedar wood from local forests. Scandinavia-origin Kuksa cups are liked by Japanese for its humble and simplistic form.  It also has a special gifting message as Gift of Happiness.  This iconic craft resonates with Japanese culture and aesthetics, and inspired Yanagi to make his version of Kuksa cups named after the local mountain range Yamizo.
 
URUSHI wood:  10-year-old trees are cut down and left in the forest after the lacquer has been harvested.  As a result, many young tree trunks becomes firewood for local people, more than what a small community can consume. The tree is young and the wood is soft, and this specie has a unique yellow tone which many carpenters unfavored.  Yanagi took the unwanted but beautiful material and turned them into useful Kuksa scandinavian-style coffee cups.  
 
It is hand-carved from a small wood block using only mallet and chisel.  It is then rubbed with premium Daigo black urushi lacquer which revealed very interesting grain of urushi trees.  This is truly a signature piece of Daigo urushi forest, with both the tree and the urushi sap in one work.
 
Yamizo Japanese Cedar:  Japanese cedar is known for its smooth and fine grain.  It is commonly used in furniture and making fine woodware, and are loved by Japanese.  Yamizo Cedar is named after the tallest mountain range in Ibaraki Prefecture.  In the old days, cedars were planted by local farmers by their farmland as additional source of income.  Currently, the trees are no longer in demand and many are left unattended. Yanagi decided to add cedar wood to his Kuksa cup series.  It was rubbed by premium Daigo ki-urushi to bring out the warmth of Japanese cedar wood.  
 
Daigo-Lacquering
Urushi rubbing is a common technique in making Japanese wood tableware.  It is food-safe, and provides a water-resistant, highly durable, acid and alkali-proof protective finish to the surface.  The more it is used, the more luster it will gain, especially for high-grade urushi like Daigo's.   
 
MADE-TO-ORDER
This is a made-to-order item. Sometimes, we may have 1-2 cups in stock and are ready to ship. If not, expect 4 weeks-wait for the cup to be made. We will provide better delivery estimate when we recieve your order.
 
WHAT IS KUKSA CUP?
Kuksa is an iconic wood cups originated from Scandinavia.  It is hand-carved by the indigienous people of Sami (in Finland), and presented to people as a gift of happiness.  The cup has a chunky handle with a finger hole, usually tied with a leather strip, is to be carried around the belt of the Samis.  It is now loved by many campers and outdoor enthusiasts where they tie their cups to their backpacks while traveling. 
 
A camper's companion: It is lightweight and the thickness of the wood retains drink's temperature without affecting the hands.  And most like it because of the chunky form and warm tacility.  The oil from coffee also adds to the protective coat for the wood and prevent it from cracking. It is meant to be used for a long time where the wear-and-tear from traveling adds to the soul of the cup.  People who likes Scandinavian or Japandi design love to add Kuksa to their house ware. 
 
The Maker:  Shiro Yanagi is a dual-talent craftsman. 
Growing up in historic pottery town Kasama, he learned pottery from his ceramist parents. He later apprenticed as lacquer-application (nu-shi) artisan and lacquer-scraping (ka-ki-te) artisan.  He is now one of the youngest artisan in Daigo, tending the forest, cultivating Japanese lacquer and making objects using quality material from nature.  Read the Re-Start 3% here.
 
Size:  As portion of food and beverage is different for each culture, please check the size of the product.  
 
* Note that both urushi and cedar wood are softwood, so it is normal to have dents in the wood pending on how rugged one handles the cup. 
 
** Specification varies due to the nature of hand-made product. Each product is unique.