Wooden Carved Bear

A hand-carved wooden bear from Yakumo in Hokkaido.

£190 per item

This hand carved wooden bear originates from Yakumo in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture, renowned for its rich wildlife. The image of a bear is a well-known symbol of Hokkaido, representing the natural landscape and the wildlife that can be found there. Ussuri brown bears, the largest land mammals in Japan, are native to the region.
The craft of carved wooden bears originated in two areas of Hokkaido; Yakumo and Asahikawa. In Yakumo, off-season farmers who migrated from Honshu began the tradition of carving bears, whilst in Asahikawa, the Ainu community developed their style of carving. Starting with a tourism boom in Hokkaido during the 1960s, the carved bear figures are an established popular souvenir from the region.
The wooden bears carved in Yakumo referenced carvings of bears from Switzerland which were brought back by Tokugawa Yoshichika, the 19th head of the Owari Tokugawa family in 1922.
The process of cutting the wood vertically creates pieces that are easier to carve with minimal distortion.

Individual items will differ from one another slightly, due to their handmade nature and natural materials.

Size: W19xD12xH15cm

same-day-icon
Next-day dispatch on orders placed by 15:00 | Delivery available to the UK
pickup-icon
Collect your order free of charge from Japan House London in Kensington
return-icon
Straight-forward returns for peace of mind when ordering from our shop
secure-icon
Payments provided by Square are 100% secure and your details are kept safe