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

Boshu uchiwa are fans produced primarily in Tateyama City and Minamiboso City in Chiba Prefecture. They were designated as a traditional craft on March 17, Heisei 15.They are characterized by the “marugane” style, which uses round bamboo for the handle, and the “waribamboo” style, in which bamboo is split into thin strips to form the fan’s “window” (the part where no paper is attached). The raw material used for the marugane style is a thin type of bamboo called “onadake,” which is processed to highlight its distinctive round shape.Until around the Edo period, the Bōshū region served as a source of high-quality bamboo, supporting the fan-making industry. It is believed that fan-making in this region began around the Meiji period. Subsequently, following the Great Kantō Earthquake, fan wholesalers from Tokyo who had suffered damage relocated to Bōshū, leading to a full-scale expansion of production and the establishment of the industry as a local specialty.