Special Feature:
Japanese Brooms

Introduction

Perhaps no people have held as deep an attachment to brooms as the Japanese. In Japan, depending on the time and occasion, the act of sweeping has carried a meaning beyond cleaning itself. It has also been understood as a way of sweeping away kegare—impurities of the heart and spirit.

The broom is not only a tool for sweeping. It is also an object shaped by a uniquely Japanese sensibility—one of care, refinement, and attention to detail. Over many generations, the knowledge and skill of those involved in broom-making have been gathered, refined, and passed on. Even today, brooms continue to be made in pursuit of both practicality and beauty.

In this feature, we shine a light on the people who continue to protect and carry forward the broom-making traditions that have been handed down to them. Their histories and circumstances may differ, but each of them works with quiet dedication, seeking to pass this craft on to the next generation.

Through this feature, we hope you will join us in tracing the path they have walked.

Message

In 2016, azuma marked its 120th anniversary. As a commemorative project, we returned in 2015 to one of the roots of our manufacturing: the making of zashiki brooms, traditional brooms used for tatami rooms, here in Hamamatsu. We began by cultivating broomcorn, the essential material for zashiki brooms, entirely from scratch. But broom production had long since shifted to Thailand, and broomcorn was no longer grown locally. Even obtaining seeds and finding suitable farmland proved difficult, and the project demanded great effort from the very beginning.

The growing conditions in Hamamatsu also differed greatly from those in Thailand. In one field, some of the broomcorn toppled over. In another, located in the hills, wild boars damaged the crop just before harvest. In yet another, the plants failed to mature and the entire field was lost. One challenge followed another. Yet thanks to the people we met along the way, we were able to see the project through. We are deeply grateful to JA Topia Hamamatsu and its Youth Division, who cultivated the broomcorn together with us.

Our zashiki broom project in Hamamatsu is documented on our blog under the title, “Recreating the Broom Depicted in ‘Winter Desolation at Hamamatsu,’ from Hiroshige's series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō.”

Alongside this work, we also visited artisans who continue to make brooms in Japan. We asked them about the history and traditions of the broom, and about the feelings they bring to their craft. This feature presents interviews with the people we came to know through that journey. Though they have faced the pressures of changing times, they continue with quiet determination, carrying their traditions forward.

Nothing truly meaningful is born without human connection. To rediscover this simple truth before reaching our 130th anniversary has become an irreplaceable treasure for azuma. We are sincerely grateful to everyone we came to know through this endeavor. And to all who have taken the time to read this feature, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks.

Thank you.