Bentwood crafts are beyond standard bento box-making.  Another iconic objects made using bentwood crafts are water ladles.  Standard-size ones are very commonly seen in Japanese shrines, placed at the water fountain for visitors to rinse their hands and mouth, cleansed before entering the sacred shrine.  Japanese also uses these ladles to cleanse the tombstones when paying tribute to their ancesters on spcial days, as well as splashing water on the sidewalk on hot summer days to cool off their store front or house front.  
 
So, we found these mini ones and asked Ms. Shibata why are they made so small.  She said larger ones are made for tea ceremony or shrine use, the small ones are for picking up small gold-fishes, and also for people who wants to cleanse the small stone jizo buddha statues on the sidewalk!!  (Jizo buddha are dotted around sidewalks and mountain trails to bless and guard the area).  Indeed!  It is common to pour water over the head of buddhas to pay tribute.  
 
Yet another beautiful and functional handmade objects!  We only found 3 in stock!!  Get one or snatch them all.   What would you use this for?  Water your house plants?  Fish feeds? 
 
Made with Japanese Hinoki Cypress wood, with the iconic cherry tree bark stitches.  
Handmade by Mr. Morita and Ms. Shibata.  Own a piece of unique bentwood craft history from Hakata Fukuoka. 
 
*NOTE:  As with handmade items, you will see artisan's marks on the box.  Some visible marks left from the tools is normal.  This is not a factory mass-produced item.  ShibataToku's woodshop uses machines from over 50-60 years ago. Couple of bentwood machines were invented by the early founders as well.  Hence the touch (tactility) is more rustic than items made by modern-day high-speed power tools.  A lot of parts still relies on hand chiseling and trimming.