OHASHI｜Masu (square wooden cup)

Brand

Breathing new life into wood

J.Flavor * OHASHI RYOKI

• 1950
• Masu (square wooden cup)
• Hiroyuki Ohashi

History

A new form of the 1,300-year-old Masu

The city of Ogaki in Gifu Prefecture is the largest producer of wooden masu in Japan, accounting for 80% of the national total.

Since its establishment in 1950, Ogaki City has been dedicated to the production of Masu, and has been striving to pass on its technology and culture.

Masu has been excavated from the ruins of Heijo-kyo in the Nara period (1300 years ago), and is a traditional craft deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

As a tool for weighing rice, etc., it was an indispensable part of Japanese life.

However, times have changed.

In the past, there were 11 manufacturers in Ogaki City, but more than half of them have gone out of business, and by 2021, there will be only four, but they are still producing 2 million units a year.

We believe that the role of Masu has not ended in Japan or in the world.

Today, the exotic and innovative container "Masu" is attracting attention from all over the world, and we will continue to challenge overseas for the development of Ogaki's Masu.

Characteristic

Utilize the characteristics of the material.

■JAPANESE to MASU
Designed with "samurai," "ninja," and "sumo," this is a product that gives overseas customers a direct impression of Japan, and is perfect as a gift or souvenir.

Each of them poses with a bottle of sake, suggesting a way to enjoy sake by drinking it in Masu.

■Eco Humidifier MAST
This is an eco-friendly humidifier designed in the image of a sailboat's mast, which can be used without electricity.

The material used is Japanese cypress.

The sails are shaved so thinly that they become transparent when exposed to sunlight, and the grain of the wood that emerges in the sunlight is very beautiful, moistening not only the air but also your heart.

The humidifying effect is also high, evaporating about eight times faster than water in a glass.

It naturally moisturizes the dry air, and the faint scent of cypress will soothe you while you enjoy your relaxing time in your room.

For Customers

Enjoy the new Masu to the fullest.

Masu used to be a part of every Japanese household, but nowadays it is rarely used.

However, Masu is still an indispensable part of Japanese culture and has taken root in the lives of Japanese people as a measuring cup, a sake cup, and a container for throwing beans during Setsubun.

We believe that because Masu has been loved for a long time and has a long tradition, it has hidden new possibilities that have not been noticed until now.

We will continue to explore and propose new ways to use Masu by utilizing the beauty of the material and wood processing techniques.

We hope you will pick up one of our masu and enjoy it at home.

Award

2018 OMOTENASHI SELECTION Gold Award

2021 Sustainable ★ Selection Phase 3 ★ (one star)

Producer

Bringing the value of "Japan's hidden talent" to more people

■J Flavor

Bringing smiles to the local community, to the world, and to society.

We, J Flavor, are a craft production group that creates new value by combining the various talents that Japan possesses in terms of tradition, technology, and sensitivity.

We want people all over the world to know the talent that Japan.

Through the value of Japanese products, we aim to create a society where everyone has a smile.