The charm and history of Uchiwa as a traditional craft｜Basic Knowledge of Japan's Three Major Uchiwa Crafts

Boshu Uchiwa are produced mainly in Tateyama City and Minami-Boso City, Chiba Prefecture. They were designated as a traditional craft on March 17, 2003. The two distinctive characteristics of Uchiwa fans are the "round handle," which uses round bamboo for the handle, and the "split bamboo," which is made by splitting the bamboo into small pieces to make the window (the part not covered with paper) of the Uchiwa. The raw material used for the round handle is a thin bamboo called "jyotake," which is processed to take advantage of its unique roundness. Up until around the Edo period, Boshu was a source of high-quality bamboo, which supported the production of uchiwa (Japanese fan) making. Uchiwa making is said to have started in this area around the Meiji period (1868-1912). Later, after the Great Kanto Earthquake, Tokyo's damaged uchiwa wholesalers moved to Boshu, leading to a full-scale expansion of production and establishing it as a local industry.