''Kibori kuma'' ( ja, 木彫り熊) is a Japanese

rural craft Rural crafts refers to the traditional crafts production that is carried on, simply for everyday practical use, in the agricultural countryside. Once widespread and commonplace, the survival of some rural crafts is threatened.Mapping Heritage Craft' ...

that consists of a wooden carving of a bear with a fish in its mouth. The sculptures are mainly produced in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

; small carvings are sold as souvenirs of the island. The most common design depicts a

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

biting a

chum salmon The chum salmon (''Oncorhynchus keta''), also known as dog salmon or keta salmon, is a species of anadromous salmonid fish from the genus '' Oncorhynchus'' (Pacific salmon) native to the coastal rivers of the North Pacific and the Beringian A ...

, and the sculptor portrays the bear's thick bristles by using an axe. However, many variations of the ''kibori kuma'' have evolved.

Origins

, the 19th leader of the

Owari branch The is a branch of the Tokugawa clan, and it is the seniormost house of the ''Gosanke'' ("three honourable houses of the Tokugawa").Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

, Switzerland; Tokugawa was traveling through Europe between 1921 and 1922. After returning to Japan, Tokugawa traveled to the “Tokugawa Farm,” a farm in the town of Yakumo that was then part of the

Owari Domain The was a feudal domain of Japan in the Edo period. Located in what is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture, it encompassed parts of Owari, Mino, and Shinano provinces. Its headquarters were at Nagoya Castle. At its peak, it was rated at ...

. Tokugawa presented the carving to the farmers, suggesting that they manufacture copies of it during the winter as a source of income. The farmers agreed, and the first sculptures they made were displayed at a 1924 exhibition of rural arts and crafts that was held in the town. During a 1927 exhibition, a kibori kuma was awarded a prize and offered to

Prince Chichibu , was the second son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako), a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of several ...

. The following year, an exhibition of bear sculptures was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Yakumo. Through these exhibitions, the popularity of kibori kuma spread throughout the country; as many as 5,000 carvings were produced during the early

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

. The kibori kuma was also produced in the city of

Asahikawa is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiy ...

. Matsui Umetarou, an

Ainu Ainu or Aynu may refer to: *Ainu people, an East Asian ethnic group of Japan and the Russian Far East *Ainu languages, a family of languages **Ainu language of Hokkaido **Kuril Ainu language, extinct language of the Kuril Islands **Sakhalin Ainu la ...

, helped manufacture the souvenir and increase its popularity. When

Emperor Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

visited Hokkaido in 1936, he was offered two bear carvings—one from Yakumo and one from Asahikawa. However, manufacture of the souvenir has since declined. As of 2012, only one site of production remains. A museum in Yakumo town opened in April 2012 to display these crafts to the community once again.

References

External links

The kibori kuma museum in Yakumo
Yakumo Town

''Daily Portal Z'' by ''

@nifty Nifty Corporation, stylized as and , is one of the leading internet service providers in Japan, and a subsidiary of Fujitsu. The company was the largest online service provider An online service provider (OSP) can, for example, be an Internet ...

'' {{in lang, ja Culture of Hokkaido Wooden sculptures in Japan