A traditional craft designated by Mie Prefecture that has been made as a souvenir for visitors to Ise Jingu since the Edo period.
The round shape made up of finely chopped bamboo is unique to Hinaga Uchiwa. The technique of raising a three-dimensional bamboo into a flat fan shape requires a high technique that is said to be "3 years of tension, 10 years of bamboo tip", and the soft and elastic bend creates a gentle breeze with an elegant action. Inato uses traditional Japanese patterns and collaborates with local traditional craftsmen.
Crafting these traditional Japanese fans is a complex process that requires extensive know-how and a delicate touch. The production process takes about 23 steps, all done by hand.
Process 1-5: Bamboo Selection, Peeling, Polishing, Soaking
Hinaga Uchiwa fans are made from female bamboo, which needs to be cut during the ideal time; in the cold season when the bamboo is firm. The harvested bamboo is cut, but since they use the bamboo in its natural round form, only two or three pieces from a single stalk can be obtained! After peeling, the cut bamboo is washed and polished.
Process 5-8: Splitting Bamboo, Smoothing, Drilling Holes, Weaving
The round bamboo stalk is split sand the inner pith is shaved off. As they use natural bamboo, the thickness varies, which means the final number of strips also varies. Once the bamboo is split into fine strips, it is rubbed to round off the sharp edges of the strips. Holes are then drilled at the nodes to accommodate the bow later, and the strips are woven alternately in the weaving process.
Process 9-15: Filling Handle, Shaping Bow, Lower Window, Crafting Window, Selecting Eyes, Trimming Tips, Burning
Fill the hollow space at the bottom of the handle with twigs, and attach the bow—whose ends have been thinned—to the holes drilled earlier. Tie a string to both ends of the bow, bend it to create a window. Check the overall balance of the fan and, to remove any twisting, pick up the ribs alternately and insert bamboo strips between them. After roughly trimming off the excess ribs, carefully straighten the curvature of the ribs by heating them with charcoal.
Process 16-18: Primer Coat, Top Coat, Application
Moving on to the handle. For the primer coat, they apply a thick layer of gofun (white lead pigment) to the base of the handle and shape it into a rounded form. Once dried, a top coat of color is applied. Next, washi paper or fabric is attached to the fan. Glue is applied evenly to the entire frame with a brush and the material is carefully affixed withoout wrinkles or air pockets.
Process 19-23: Drying, Trimming, Border, Applying Edge Paper, Finishing
Once the gluing process is complete, rod is threaded through the window opening and let dry thoroughly. By this stage, it really starts to look like a fan. Once it is thoroughly dried, any protruding ribs or excess material are trimmed off. A long, narrow strip of border paper is applied around the edges to cover the freshly trimmed edges, and the edge paper is applied. Finally, the final work is pressed with a roller to complete the fan.
