Wire netting ware (Kanaami in Japanese) has a long history. It is believed that tools made of copper already existed in the Heian period, such as covers for incense burners. After the Meiji period, wire netting ware became popular mainly as cooking utensils. From the late 1950s, however, the number of workshops producing wire netting ware declined significantly due to the fast growth of cheap plastic products, and only a handful making traditional handmade products remains today. One of the shops is Tsujiwa Kanaami, located on one corner in a quiet neighbourhood on Sakaimachi-dori Street in the southern area of the Old Imperial Palace in Kyoto. The traditional craftsmanship of Tsujiwa Kanaami has been admired by generations of Kyoto’s cooking experts over 80 years. People from all over Japan visit for various products such as: tea strainers; grills; sieves; and ladles for boiled tofu (Yu Dofu in Japanese). The tools for making wire netting ware are very simple. Tangle a metal wire around a nail in a plank of wood, and bend it firmly to shape a frame. The key tool thereafter is the sensation of the fingertips of the craftspersons. In the workshop, we can view their sensitive handiwork.

The hexagonal patterns woven by craftspersons are delicate and elegant at the same time. “The canon of beauty depends on individuals, but there is a clear standard for their robustness as products. These patterns and shapes are achieved naturally while seeking such robustness,” says Yasuhiro Tsuji, the third generation proprietor of the business. Though a guide attached to each product to explain how to maintain the item, and with customer support for repairs or tailoring orders, we can see their deep care to making products loved by their new owners for a long time. The beauty that has attracted people over a thousand years is a true “beauty of use”.