Tsuru-zaiku (vine crafting) class -Tadami Traditional Crafts Preservation Society-

つる細工講座 ＜只見民芸品保存会＞

In Tadami Machi (Town), Tsuru-zaiku (vine crafting) has been handed down as winter handcrafts, utilizing the vines and bark of plants such as akebi (chocolate vine) or matatabi (silver vine).

Tadami Machi (Town) consists of three regions, Tadami, Asahi and Meiwa.
This illustration shows the Tsuru-zaiku (vine crafting) class held at the Tadami community center.

It seems that akebi are used more often than other types of vines as they are easier to collect and process into material and then work into various shapes.

They also weave with kurumi (Japanese walnut) or yama-budou (crimson glory vine) bark, or decorate with several other vines to add accents and patterns.

After you pay the season membership fee for the course, you can attend at any time during the open hours.
It’s close to a social occasion where the members teach each other rather than a formal lecture.
There are various ways to attend the class. Veterans and experts teach beginners, some continue to work steadily coming up with new ways themselves, and others work and have fun while chatting with other participants.

Their work will be on display at the Tadami District Winter Course Presentation at the community center.

Visited
Tadami community center
-Tadami Traditional Crafts Preservation Society-
Every Wednesday 9am to 4pm
(Winter Course 2016/1/13-3/30)

Some illustration information is available in About the Art（English）

Tadami, Fukushima pref.
Located in a heavy snowfall region in the south-west of Fukushima prefecture on the border with Niigata prefecture. Declared「Shizen shuto・Tadami（Capital of Nature・Tadami）in 2007.
Its natural environment and resources together with the life and culture of its residents were judged particularly valuable among the modern world environment,
In 2014 it was designated as a biosphere reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Program. UNESCO’s Japan committee calls them Eco Parks.