Tokyo Company Revives Ancient Tradition with 2,000 Handwoven Herb Baskets for January Festival
Tokyo Company Revives Ancient Tradition with 2,000 Handwoven Herb Baskets for January Festival
A Tokyo-based horticultural company is preparing to ship 2,000 of its signature nanakusa-kago baskets, featuring herbs and vegetables like cicely and shepherd’s purse. These plants are traditionally used in nanakusa-gayu, a rice porridge eaten after New Year celebrations. The company first introduced the baskets around 1980, marketing them as a seasonal product for the January 7 festival.
Local artisans in regions such as Kyoto handcraft each basket. These areas have long celebrated the Seven Herbs Festival, where the plants hold cultural significance. Ueshige Noen sources the materials and coordinates with basket makers to produce the final displays. This winter, the company will distribute the baskets ahead of the 2026 festival. Demand remains steady, with each piece reflecting traditional craftsmanship and seasonal customs.
The 2026 shipment will maintain the company’s decades-long tradition. Each basket combines locally grown herbs with artisanal weaving techniques. Orders will arrive in time for households to prepare nanakusa-gayu on January 7.
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