Okecraft Kid’s Wooden Bowl by Kana Hasegawa

This bowl was made by Kana Hasegawa at her kinoca wood studio in Oketo, Hokkaido.

Originally made with children in mind, it is suitable for a small meal for a small person, or as part of a table setting for a larger one.

The balance of the kodai (foot), and the lines of the wood are pleasing in every respect.

The bowl has a clear wood finish and is made from wood of the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum).

Each is presented in its own small box.

As each is handmade there maybe small variations, but each is approximately 10.5cm wide, and 5cm high.

It is also available in a smaller size.

They are not suitable for dishwashers or microwaves.

About Okecraft

The story of Okecraft is a story of a community, and of its sustainable reinvention.  Situated in the Okhotsk region of northernmost Japan, Oketo is a settlement of around 2800 people.  With a history of logging and agriculture, in the early 1980s it was looking for new project.  A visit from the designer and craft revivalist Yoshio Akioka in 1983 was the spark to build the community as a home for wood craft.  To inspire ‘a new lifestyle culture from the North’, as Akioka put it.  The outcome was the birth of ‘Okecraft’, and a centre for wood turning that has become a magnet for those wishing to train in woodwork, and spend time with the trees in Oketo’s rich natural setting.  The motto of Oketo today is ‘for wood and for people’ and the objects made there have a special warmth and character.  This is drawn from the original manifesto that inspired them: for a new sustainability and quality of life.  A community of makers in the beautiful seclusion of a wooded landscape, in daily contact with their material.

About Kana Hasegawa / kinoca

Prior to training in wood craft in Oketo, Kana Hasegawa worked as a hospital dietician.  From spending her days calculating the good health of the food that we eat, she moved to making utensils from natural material.  Today her skilful and considered wood craft is used by school children in Oketo, and is popular for the balance of its forms.  Hasegawa’s aim in both stages of her career has been to support a nutritious and rewarding mealtime.