ABOUT KAGO NO NIZAEMON
OUR STOR
Kago no Nizaemon proposes a wonderful lifestyle centered around Ata baskets.
"Kago no Nizaemon" was established as a sole proprietorship by Yukie Wachi on March 3, 2025, at her family home in Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The decision to start the business in Kasumigaura came after witnessing the family home, which had become vacant, being overtaken by waist-high weeds and falling into disrepair. With a determination to preserve the land and house that ancestors had protected for generations, she made a heartfelt pledge: "I will protect this place as long as I live and pass it on to the next generation." The company has the support of Indonesian business partners with whom we have maintained close relationships for over 30 years. We will continue to strive in developing and selling products that will bring joy to all our customers.
Currently, I am busy preparing to return to my family home in Kasumigaura City, cleaning and renovating the residence, and getting the warehouse ready.
It is to protect the house, land, and graves that our ancestors have preserved. And for this purpose, as long as I live, I will continue to introduce beautiful baskets born from our connections with the Indonesian people that meet global standards.
History Leading Up to Now
About 40 years ago, a Japanese person was traveling through the islands of Nusa Tenggara to hear Indonesian folk tales. During the journey, in a village they happened to visit, they were instantly captivated by a basket hanging from the eaves of a local house. The basket was the color of a nostalgic straw hat they often wore in their childhood, an Ata basket with fine weaving that gleamed amber. Enchanted by the beautiful Ata basket, this Japanese person couldn't forget about it even after returning home, and eventually became an "Ata basket merchant."
"Ata Baskets" - A Gift from Nature
"Ata," the raw material, is a fern family plant that grows naturally in parts of Indonesia. In some regions, it is called "Ketat."
The "Ata" that grows in the wilderness is transformed into a beautiful "Ata basket" through a painstakingly meticulous process, utilizing techniques passed down through generations of village artisan, with each stitch carefully woven one by one.
Our Vision
Each "Ata basket" is entirely handcrafted.
This gives them a "warmth" and "texture" that machines could never create. In our increasingly mechanized lives, we want to deliver even a small bit of this "warmth" and "texture" to you. With this in mind, we continue to create various product items while responding to our customers' needs, and now have over 600 different types.
Between sales schedules, we fly to the production site, inspect each item individually, and deliver only high-quality products to our customers.
Through these wonderful "Ata baskets," we strive to provide products and services that satisfy our customers, while working to ensure the fulfillment and happiness of both our Indonesian craftspeople involved in production and our Japanese team members engaged in sales.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
- Business Name:
- Nizaemon
- Store Name:
- Kago no Nizaemon
- Representative:
- Yukie Wachi
- Address:
- 2395 Kamisaya, Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki Prefecture 315-0065 Japan
TEL·FAX: 050-3588-7605
- Established:
- March 3, 2025
- Website:
- https://nizaemons.com
- Blog Site:
- https://blog.nizaemons.com/
- Video Gallery:
- https://vimeo.com/nizaemon
- Access:
- on-site
