Wako Co., Ltd. Ginza/Wako An exhibition of bamboo baskets by master craftsmen supervised by one of the world’s leading bamboo craft collectors will be held.

[Wako Co., Ltd.] [Ginza/Wako] An exhibition of bamboo baskets by master craftsmen supervised by one of the world’s leading bamboo craft collectors will be held.
*Wako Co., Ltd.*
Press release: September 12, 2024
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[Ginza/Wako] An exhibition of bamboo baskets by master craftsmen will be held under the supervision of one of the world’s leading bamboo craft collectors.
Bamboo basket (tax included)
¥9,900,000
Wako
An exhibition of bamboo baskets made by master craftsmen will be held at Arts and Culture in the basement of the main store from September 12th (Thursday) to October 2nd (Wednesday). A collection of beautiful bamboo baskets from classics to contemporary artists, supervised by Masamitsu Saito, one of the world’s leading bamboo basket collectors.

This exhibition features approximately 50 outstanding works, ranging from bamboo baskets by master craftsmen of previous eras to
contemporary artists. The works lined up in the basement are masterpieces from the history of bamboo crafts, including living national treasures by Iizuka Rokansai, Iizuka Shokansai, Maeda Chikubusai, and Hayakawa Shokosai.

*Bamboo crafts as art*
Mr. Saito first encountered bamboo baskets about 40 years ago when he came across the work of a bamboo artist. He was impressed by the beautiful work, which looked like a piece of modern art, and saw the potential in the world of bamboo baskets, which became the origin of his current activities. Mr. Saito’s desire to communicate rather than collect has led to the current collection.
Bamboo basket
* The charm of Japanese traditional crafts*
As Mr. Saito tries to introduce Japan’s wonderful bamboo crafts, he learns that bamboo baskets, which were used as everyday tools in Japan, are collected by many collectors in Europe and America due to their beauty. Through them, I learned once again about the charm of supple and beautiful bamboo crafts.

Bamboo may be one of the most Japanese expressions. Mr. Saito says this. “Bamboo can only be bent. It cannot be melted and made free like iron or glass, for example. The world of bamboo crafts is to create things by coaxing and coming to terms with the material. We do not conquer the material. You can’t do it by force, I think that’s the Japanese thing.”
(From left) Bamboo basket ¥550,000 including tax,
Bamboo basket ¥198,000 including tax, Bamboo basket ¥220,000 including tax We will introduce the world of bamboo crafts, which was born in the Japanese climate and Japanese way of thinking, in an arts and culture space that focuses on “Japanese exploration.”

■* Masamitsu Saito Profile*
Bamboo craft collector and researcher. In addition to collecting bamboo craft works from the Edo period to the present day, he actively supervises and promotes exhibitions at museums in Japan and abroad. “Iizuka Rokansai Exhibition” (Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Art, 1989), “Bamboo Modeling
“Lloyd Kotzen Collection Exhibition” (held at 6 locations in Japan including Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi and Oita City Museum of Art, 2003-2004) “New Bamboo:
“Contemporary Japanese Masters” Exhibition (Japan Society, New York, 2008), “Line Formation Line Space”
“Bamboo Crafts with Iizuka Rokansai and Tanabe Chikuunsai” (Hiromi Kikuchi Memorial Chi Art Museum, Tokyo, 2018), “Cracking the Sky” In addition to cooperating with “Japanese Bamboo Crafts” (Musée Quai Branly, Paris, 2018-2019), he has also been involved in planning the “Bamboo Basket” edition of NHK’s “Purse of Beauty” and numerous publications.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art have multiple pieces of his work in their collections.
He strives to spread bamboo culture by introducing Japan’s outstanding bamboo crafts to museums and collectors both domestically and internationally.

■* Wako Arts and Culture*
The basement of the main store was reborn as “Arts and Culture” on July 20th of this year. This floor is not just a place for shopping, but also displays the background behind the products, such as the traditions and techniques that have been passed down for hundreds of years, the Japanese aesthetic sense born from the way we interact with nature, and the time spent pursuing creativity. It is a base for telling stories and a place for cultural and people-to-people exchange.
Since its founding as its predecessor, Hattori Watch Shop, Wako has introduced products that are made with the best of craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, as well as holding regular art exhibitions and engaging with the people who gather there. Through this
collaboration, we have developed a variety of perspectives and inspiration. While inheriting the spirit of respecting arts and culture that flows through Wako, we will continue to disseminate the works of Japanese craftsmen and contemporary artists from a
perspective unique to the basement.
Wako Arts and Culture official page
https://www.wako.co.jp/c/artsandculture