Born in 1954 in Mukawa, Hokkaido.
He began woodcarving when his older brother started carving bear sculptures. In 1971, he moved to Nibutani in Biratori Town, where he studied under the late woodcarver Moriyuki Kaizawa. He started by carving salmon reliefs and menoko (women) reliefs, eventually becoming independent.

While his signature works include tasiro (small knives), he also creates traditional daily tools such as sayo-kasup (large wooden ladles used for grain porridge) and sito-pera (wooden spatulas for dumpling-making), as well as ritual implements like iku-pasuy (libation sticks used to convey prayers to the gods, kamuy) and tuki (cups). Through his work, he is dedicated to passing down Ainu traditional culture.

In his woodcarving, he pays special attention to the overall balance of patterns and the aesthetic quality of the ramram-noka (fish-scale pattern carving).

In addition to producing carved wooden crafts, he participated with the late Shigeru Kayano in building cise (traditional Ainu houses) throughout Hokkaido. Using the skills and knowledge he gained, he now leads the restoration and reconstruction of cise in Nibutani Kotan.

He is also actively involved in mentoring younger generations to ensure that the Ainu traditions are carried on and to help create a stable environment for the future.

A member of the Nibutani Folk Art Association and one of the certified artisans of the traditional craft Nibutani Ita.

※1　Sayokasup: A large wooden ladle used for porridge
※2　Sito pera: A large wooden spatula used for making dumplings

オンラインショップを見る