Kaizawa Mamoru
Woodcarver (1986- )
Born in 1965 in Nibutani, Biratori Town, Hokkaido.
He grew up watching the woodcarving work of his father, the late Kaizawa Moriyuki, a woodcarver, but lost him at the age of 12.
After graduating from high school and working in Sapporo, he returned to Nibutani at age 21 and began full-scale woodcarving. While learning from the local masters in Nibutani, he also deepened his skills by learning traditional works housed in institutions such as the Kayano Shigeru Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum.
Today, he primarily crafts ita (※1) and makiri (※2) in response to customer orders, but also creates ritual implements and three-dimensional carvings such as horses and owls.
He devotes himself to preserving the traditional Ainu patterns in their original form and passing them on so that the techniques will not be lost. For this reason, his own works are also based on traditional styles. Since 2013, as one of the makers of the Nibutani ita, which has been designated a “Traditional Craft,” he has been striving to further enhance the quality of his work in order to increase its value. While respecting tradition, he also creates original patterns rooted in Ainu culture to express his individuality.
In 2021, he worked on the wrapping design for the “Setapukusa-go” sightseeing bus, expanding his involvement into Ainu design.
He serves as the President of the Nibutani Craft Association, an organization of local artisans, and also as the head of the Biratori Urespa General Incorporated Association, which runs the Biratori Ainu Crafts and Heritage Center “Urespa.”
He is actively engaged in training the next generation and promoting Ainu culture in Nibutani.
He participated in the “Nibutani Ainu Craft” product development collaboration projects in 2020 and 2021.
Owner of “Kaizawa Mingei,” Chairperson of the Nibutani Craft Association, and one of the certified makers of the traditional craft "Nibutani Ita".
※1 Ita are traditional wooden trays carved with Ainu patterns, representing part of the inherited Ainu culture. Nibutani Ita, the style particular to the Saru River basin where Nibutani, Biratori stands, is an officially designated Traditional Craft Product. Nibutani Ita is a special brand that can only be called as such when made by specific craftspeople in Nibutani.
※2 Makiri : traditional small knives carved with Ainu patterns,
Career Highlights
Awards and Recognitions
Certified “Excellent Craftsperson” by the Ainu Association of Hokkaido.
Hokkaido Ainu Traditional Craft Exhibition (organized by the Ainu Association of Hokkaido)
1989 — Excellence Award (Hokkaido Superintendent of Education Award)
1990, 1991, 2010 — Excellence Award
1999 — Excellence Award (Chairman of the Hokkaido Assembly Award)
1994, 1997, 2005: Encouragement Award
Ainu Craftworks Contest (organized by the Foundation for Ainu Culture)
1999 — Encouragement Award
2009 — Encouragement Award in the Traditional Woodcraft Category for Ita
2011 — Encouragement Award in the Traditional Woodcraft Category for Makiri
2010 — Selected as Hokkaido’s sole recipient in the “Master of the Forest” category (Forest Culture and Heritage Division) in the National Afforestation Promotion Organization Contest.
Since 2012: Representative Director of the Nibutani Craft Association.
2020 — Commended by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry as a “Contributor to the Traditional Craft Industry.”
※1 Utari Association of Hokkaido was renamed and then reorganized as the Ainu Association of Hokkaido in 2014.
※2 The Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture became and be reorganized into the Foundation for Ainu Culture in 2018.
Contact Information
Kaizawa Mingei (Kaizawa Folk Crafts)
75-2 Nibutani, Biratori-cho, Saru-gun, Hokkaido 055-0101, Japan
TEL (International): +81-1457-2-2584