Shuji Nakagawa
Kyoto third-generation 'oke' cooper who modernized the traditional bentwood bucket into sculptural vessels and ice buckets.
Veronica's Take
Shuji Nakagawa, a third-generation oke cooper from Kyoto, is redefining the ancient craft of bentwood bucket-making by transforming 700-year-old techniques into modern sculptural vessels and ice buckets that have captivated Tokyo elite bars. With a lineage that includes his father, Kiyotsugu, a Living National Treasure, Shuji meticulously binds cedar staves with copper and not a drop of glue, creating pieces that honor tradition while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design. Every piece carries 700 years of Ki-oke tradition, made new.
He binds cedar staves with copper and not a drop of glue, coaxing the thousand-year-old rice-bucket into something a Tokyo bar would kill to chill sake in.
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Shuji Nakagawa
profileOke Cooperage
Kyoto third-generation 'oke' cooper who modernized the traditional bentwood bucket into sculptural vessels and ice buckets.
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