Maeda-Kōbō
65 Years of Making Chabako Maeda-Kobo (Maeda Workshop)
Maeda Workshop has manufactured Chabako for 3 generations now, the required techniques and skills passed down from one craftsman to the next.
The cedar wood used, obtained locally from Kawane Honcho (Shizuoka Prefecture), are usually 30+ years old and strengthened by exposure to wind and rain. Chabako making is a meticulous process, a constant balancing and matching act between the available wood and the parts needed to make a particular-sized box.
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- The Factory
- The factory is located in Mt. Kuwano in Kawane Honcho, Haibara District, Shizuoka Prefecture. Here, craftsmen trained under Master Maeda manufacture Chabako. Master Maeda is renowned for his fine skill, and has even received an award for excellent craftsmanship from Shizuoka Prefecture.
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- Company History
- The company “Maeda-Kobo” is named after Master Maeda’s family name. It all began when at the age of 15, not long after the end of WWII, he began helping his father make Chabako. From then and for the next 65 years, he has dedicated his entire life to the creation of Chabako.
In his later years, Master Maeda began training younger craftsmen in his craft, to pass on the culture and acquired skills for the coming generations.
Now, his students continue his work, creating Chabako with the same care and precision as their master.
