Reduce plastic use by making shell ginger baskets:      Farmer Chibana teaches a workshop

Reduce plastic use by making shell ginger baskets:      Farmer Chibana teaches a workshop

Yuko Chibana (second from the left) teaches basket weaving (January 23, Go-ma House, Nakasone, Okinawa City)


February 15, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Takahiro Kina

 

Okinawa – On January 23, a basket weaving workshop using shell ginger for material was held at Go-ma House, a multipurpose space in Nakasone in Okinawa City.

 

The instructor was Yuko Chibana, a farmer who manages Nakatager Vegega farm in Urasoe. She made the basket materials by spreading out shell ginger stalks and drying them for approximately one month. While there are many baskets made from fountain palms or pandanus in Okinawa, there are no baskets made from shell ginger, and so Chibana taught herself to make them by referring to Taiwanese handicrafts.

 

Chibana also uses string made from shell ginger to tie muchi. She says, “Shell ginger is very common and I planned the workshop in hopes that people would realize its value. I want to propose a way to reduce plastic use by using shell ginger, which breaks down naturally, to make daily necessities.”

 

Yasuno Matayoshi of Uruma says, “I was surprised that we can make baskets from natural materials. Plus, the finished product was unique for everyone, which was wonderful.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)

Go to Japanese 


　


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