Bamboo and Bamboo Ware Today
Bamboo continues to play an important role in Japan today. Beyond its use as a material for crafting tools and consumer products, bamboo is used in industry to make charcoal, pulp for paper production, and biomass fuel. Furthermore, bamboo groves themselves fulfill important functions: they control soil erosion and provide natural windbreaks and flood protection. Compared with many other manufacturing materials, bamboo is environmentally friendly and sustainable.
The city of Beppu and Oita Prefecture endeavor to raise awareness of bamboo’s importance and encourage the use of bamboo products. This aim is supported locally by the Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Crafts Center, which shares knowledge of bamboo ware and preserves its production techniques. At the prefectural level, the Oita Prefectural Bamboo Crafts Training Center equips craftspeople with practical skills for creating products suited to contemporary markets. Through these efforts and others, Beppu and Oita sustain the use of bamboo, which brings together past and present and traditional culture and industry.