Mar 12,2014
“The mere presence of wooden dishware on your dining table lends it greater warmth,” says Natsutsubaki’s Eto Aya. Wooden bowls and dishes can be used for a variety of purposes, such as serving salad or bread rolls. In Jiro’s home, located upstairs from his studio, beautifully hued wooden tableware is used for all manner of cuisine.
“Jiro gives his wares just a single coat of oil, because he wants to make them available as cheaply as possible,” Aya explains. “After that, he figures, you can condition them yourself as you use them in your own home. I tell customers to use them first for things like salads, so they gradually absorb the oil in the dressing.”
If you wipe the dish occasionally with vegetable or olive oil, the oil will penetrate the wood, conditioning it so that it doesn’t become stained. The richly colored wares we got to see in Jiro’s home were treated with olive oil.
“Treating the wood with a dark-colored oil gives it a darker hue,” explained Jiro’s wife. “If on the other hand you don’t want to alter the color much, it’s better to use vegetable oil.”
It’s even fine to use wooden tableware for stewed foods and soups as long as it’s well treated with oil.
Many of Natsutsubaki’s patrons are taken with the production process itself.
“One couple ordered some of Suda-san’s wares to commemorate their wedding. One set was for their own home, and the other two sets were presents for the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents. You see, Suda-san first made a large salad bowl, then uses the wood scooped out in the process to make several smaller bowls, all from a single block of wood. So the entire family would get to use a set of bowls carved from a single block of wood. That’s what the couple found alluring.”
Kitchen spatulas are typically angled for right-handed use, but that makes them inconvenient for lefties. And so the left-handed spatula was born.
“Food experts and stylists each have their own personal preferences,” Jiro explains. “How should the utensil be angled? How big should it be? Some prefer a lightweight spatula. They may want it with a long or short handle. They may want it with or without a hole. I listen to the person who is going to be using the item and ask myself how to make it just right for them. I make wares that will please people.”
Jiro hopes to see young people take an interest in Japan’s trees and forests.
“I share my techniques with anyone who’s interested, and I now have people studying under me. But working with unseasoned wood isn’t easy. There are hardly any young people who know how to use a chainsaw and get by in the forest. Few are willing to keep it up because of all the challenges involved. It’s a tough situation.”
Despite these misgivings, Jiro continues carving in wood out of a desire to raise awareness of the state of Japan’s forests. His creations blend perfectly into any table setting and give it warmth.
Natsutsubaki
A gallery in a remodeled traditional home located in a residential neighborhood in the Kamimachi district of Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. On stepping through the gate, you’re greeted by a beautiful garden, an elegant building, and, inside, housewares and utensils carefully curated by proprietor Eto Aya.
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