Passing on the Ise ittobori tradition with her youthful versatility and feminine sensibility
Ise ittobori Ittobori Yui Ms. Yui Ota
She cuts a block of wood with rhythmic movements of her chisel. Other pieces of wood are scattered all around her while she cuts her block to shape. She works hard to find new possibilities in Ise ittobori. Ise ittobori was started by miyadaiku (carpenters specializing in work on temples and shrines) of the Ise Jingu shrine. The miyadaiku carved lucky charms just for fun.
Her name is Yui Ota. She is a small woman, and the mother of a small child. For her work in her atelier, she uses both a chisel and a chainsaw. It’s a place where you can feel the energy flowing.
Since childhood, I’ve been familiar with eto mamori—Chinese zodiac charms
Ms. Ota studied textile design in high school. We asked her when it was that she decided to become a wood sculptor.
“At the beginning, I was planning to study oil painting at an art university. But then, as my graduation project, I created a life-size sculpture of myself looking at a painting. I enjoyed transforming three-dimensional space. And that made me change my mind. That was why I chose to study sculpture at Joshibi University of Art and Design. Then, after that, I majored in wood carving in the Department of Sculpture at Tama Art University.”
For a while she had planned to become a fine-art sculptor after leaving university; but she chose ittobori, instead. It wasn’t because she was born in Mie Prefecture that changed her mind. Since childhood, eto mamori had been very familiar to her, and she had admired the craftspeople working in it. Eto mamori is created using the Ise ittobori technique.
“Back then, I didn’t know the traditional Japanese technique known as Ise ittobori. When I looked for eto mamori craftspeople, it took me a while to find them.”
Her friend (who happened to know a craftsman, Mr. Yukiteru Kishikawa) gave Ms. Ota his contact details. She immediately went to see him, and she was accepted as an apprentice.
Ms. Ota in casual conversationIse ittobori and eto mamori are not the same thing
In Ise there are miyadaiku who belong to the Ise Jingu shrine, and there is also a wood-carving tradition called Ise netsuke. We wonder if, in Mie Prefecture, people always loved wood crafts, and whether there was always a widespread culture of woodcarving techniques.
“It’s said that Ise ittobori has a long history. But it was only after World War II that the technique was recognized as a traditional Japanese craft. In the early Showa period, a craftsman called Mr. Ryoki Nakamura established Ise ittobori, introducing Ise’s new trends and characteristics. Itto means the single stroke of a knife. We don’t polish the wood: instead, a single bold stroke of the knife finishes the surface. In its design, there’s a harmony between wildness, strength, and warmth.”
Many of the Ise ittobori carvings are eto mamori. However, they also make Ise’s typical things such as shinkei (gods’ roosters), daisanken (dogs that visit a temple on behalf of their owners), kaeru (frogs: in Japanese, kaeru means both “frogs” and “to return”; therefore, Japanese people believe that the frog-shaped lucky charm will bring you home safely), and other motifs. Moreover, Ms. Ota carves other everyday things such as key holders, earrings, toys, essential oil dishes, and so on. She continues to create motifs with her original designs.
Ise-ittobori key holders
Ise-ittobori toys and pincushionsIttobori wooden objects that warm your heart
Practitioners of ittobori use sharp chisels and knives. We wondered whether Ms. Ota ever felt that this was dangerous, and whether she has ever hurt herself.
“Women have less strength than men do. So I’m careful with my posture and with the way I hold the block of wood.”
The regular Ise ittobori motifs follow standard designs, so it is difficult to create something very unique. But even so, all wooden artwork is an expression of the artist’s personality.
“My master’s artwork is masculine, fun, and cute. They say that mine is feminine and adorable. Maybe because mine has fine details in its design. I hope that my ittobori artwork warms your heart.”
She cuts the pieces of wood to follow her hand-drawn designs
Ise ittobori makes the most of the beauty of the wood grain, and the craftsperson paints colors only in certain areasRaising awareness about Ise ittobori
In its heyday, there were about 15 Ise ittobori craftspeople. However, now there are only four, including Ms. Ota. Certainly, they feel that they must do something to preserve the tradition.
“Around the time my master accepted me as an apprentice, I considered eto mamori as my job. However, as I became more aware of Ise ittobori, and as I was more inspired by Tokowaka members, I started feeling that ittobori is more than just a job for me. I want to dedicate myself to the tradition, as a craftsperson.”
Along with the activities of Tokowaka, she is increasing the variety of her artwork while also participating in collaborations and exhibitions by Link (a craftswomen’s group in the Tokai region).
“I feel that it’s important that we craftspeople show up in public. I want my customers to know me as a woman who is raising a child while working as a craftsperson. Both at workshops, and for sale at department stores, I want my customers to touch my artwork and feel my energy.”
Ms. Ota is going to continue to put her best efforts into raising awareness about Ise ittobori. Her activities will help to secure the next generation’s success, and to build a market for them.
Ise ittobori Ittobori Yui Ms. Yui Ota
Ise ittobori Ittobori Yui Ms. Yui Ota
Born in Mie Prefecture. She graduated from Tama Art University with a major in wood sculpture in 2010. She works under Ise ittobori master Mr. Yukiteru Kishikawa. Currently she creates eto mamori and other gifts from the Ise Jingu shrine. She participates in Tokowaka (a young craftspeople’s group in Mie Prefecture) and in Link (a craftswomen’s group in the Tokai region), and she organizes exhibitions and workshops.