Japanese Wild Cherry Bark Tea Scoop
Meet our Japanese Wild Cherry Bark Tea Scoop, handcrafted by Yatsu Yanagi in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture. A perfect companion to our Japanese Wild Cherry Bark Tea Canisters, this small tea scoop highlights the distinctive grain and natural warmth of wild cherry bark.
The beauty of kabazaiku lies in how it evolves with time. The more the piece is handled and used, the more lustrous its surface becomes, gradually bringing out the uniquely beautiful gleam and depth of the wild cherry bark.
Wild cherry bark craft, known as kabazaiku (樺細工), has been practiced in Japan for centuries. The bark is carefully prepared and polished by hand, revealing subtle variations in tone, grain, and texture. Each scoop carries the individual character of this natural material, making every piece slightly unique.
Dimensions:
L 2.8” (7 cm) × W 1.2” (3 cm)
Care:
Wipe gently with a dry, soft cloth in the direction of the grain.
Not microwave or dishwasher safe.
Made in Akita, Japan.
About Yatsu Yanagi
Founded in 1897 in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, Yatsu Yanagi has been producing kabazaiku—the traditional Japanese craft of working with wild cherry bark—for generations.
Kakunodate has long been at the heart of Japan’s cherry bark craft tradition, where the techniques of kabazaiku developed into an important local industry. Yatsu Yanagi continues this heritage today, preserving traditional methods while creating objects intended for contemporary daily life.
The studio works with the bark of wild cherry trees, carefully revealing and polishing its naturally varied grain and deep, lustrous surface. The material is particularly well suited to tea canisters for its natural humidity-regulating qualities, helping maintain a stable environment for storing tea leaves.
Yatsu Yanagi approaches the material with particular respect for its natural origins. Wild cherry bark can be carefully harvested without killing the tree and regenerates over time, while smaller remnants from the making process are used for smaller objects rather than discarded. The studio also plants wild cherry trees as part of its commitment to sustaining the material and craft for future generations.
Made to be lived with, Yatsu Yanagi’s pieces continue to evolve through use. The cherry bark gradually deepens in color and develops a richer luster through handling, while well-loved pieces can be re-polished, re-pasted, and repaired—allowing them to remain part of everyday life for generations.
